in Macbeth — Shakespeare, William; Middleton, Thomas, rev.
Metadata
Play
Macbeth
Author
Shakespeare, William; Middleton, Thomas, rev.
Year (catalogued)
1623
First performance
1606
Decade
1620s
Genre
Tragedy
Play type
Adult Professional
Company
King's Men
Speech prefix(es)
Lenox. | Len.
Words
502
Characters
2740
Typicality
0.31 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A11954.31
BritDrama no.
1496
Cluster
Cluster 8 — Martial kings & Roman gravity
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
What a haste looks through his eyes? So should he look, that seems to speak things strange. Good morrow, Noble Sir. Goes the King hence to day? The Night ha been unruly: Where we lay, our Chimneys were blown down, And (as they say) lamentings herd in the Air; Strange Schreemes of Death, And Prophesying, with Accents terrible, Of dire Combustion, and confused Events, New hatched toth' woeful time. The obscure Bird clamoured the livelong Night. Some say, the Earth was feuorous, And did shake. My young remembrance cannot parallel A fellow to it. Mean you his Majesty? Those of his Chamber, as it seemed, had don't: Their Hands and Faces were all badged with blood, So were their Daggers, which unwiped, we found Upon their Pillows: they stared, and were distracted, No men Life was to be trusted with them. May't please your Highness fit. Here is a place reserved Sir. Here my good Lord. What is't that moves your Highness? My former Speeches, Have but hit your Thoughts Which can interpret farther: Only I say Things have been strangely born. The gracious Duncan Was pitied of Macbeth : marry he was dead: And the right valiant Banquo walked too late, Whom you may say (if't please you) Fleans killed, For Fleans fled: Men must not walk too late. Who cannot want the thought, how monstrous It was for Malcolm, and for Donalbane To kill their gracious Father? Damned Fact, How it did grieve Macbeth ? Did he not straight In pious rage, the two delinquents tear, That were the Slaves of drink, and thralls of sleep? Was not that Nobly done? I, and wisely too: For 'twould have angered any heart alive To hear the men deny't. So that I say, He ha born all things well, and I do think, That had he Duncans Sons under his Key, (As, an't please Heaven he shall not) they should find What 'twere to kill a Father: So should Fleans. But peace; for from broad words, and cause he failed His presence at the Tyrants Feast, I hear Macduff lives in disgrace. Sir, can you tell Where he bestows himself? And that well might Advise him to a Caution, to hold what distance His wisdom can provide. Some holy Angel Fly to the Court of England, and unfold His Message ere he come, that a swift blessing May soon return to this our suffering Country, Under a hand accursed. What's your Graces will. No my Lord. No indeed my Lord. Or so much as it needs, To Due the Sovereign Flower, and drown the Weeds: Make we our March towards Birnan. Good night, and better health Attend his Majesty. Sent he to Macduff? It's two or three my Lord, that bring you word: Macduff is fled to England. I, my good Lord. For certain Sir, he is not: I have a File Of all the Gentry; there is Seywards Son, And many vnruffe youths, that even now Protest their first of Manhood.
Plot summary
Plot — Macbeth
With the aid of some treacherous noblemen, the Norwegians have attacked Scotland. In the ensuing battle, Macbeth is instrumental in expelling the invaders, and is created Thane of Cawdor. Before he learns of this honour, he is greeted with the title by three witches who tell him he is to be King; they also tell Banquo that, though he will not be King himself, his descendants will. King Duncan names his son Malcolm the heir apparent, and invites himself to Macbeth’s castle, where Macbeth murders him, abetted by his wife. The night is troubled by unnatural, portentous events. When the assassination is discovered, Malcolm and Donalbain flee the country; suspicion falls on them, and the succession on Macbeth. Macbeth is troubled by the witches’ prophecy about Banquo. He has Banquo murdered, but Fleance escapes; Banquo’s ghost then appears when Macbeth wishes him present at a feast. Hecate rebukes the witches for failing to involve her in their dealings with Macbeth. Disgraced after his failure to attend Macbeth’s feast, Macduff goes to England to rally military support against Macbeth, who has become an egregious tyrant. The witches show Macbeth three apparitions which warn him to beware of Macduff, but also assure him that he cannot be harmed by anybody born of a woman, and that he shall never be defeated until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane; he is also shown a vision confirming that Banquo’s heirs will rule Scotland. Learning of Macduff's defection, Macbeth has his wife and family killed; grief steels Macduff's resolve. Lady Macbeth begins sleepwalking, disintegrates psychologically, and dies, possibly by suicide. When the English army enters Scotland with Malcolm at its head, the thanes join it, but Macbeth puts his trust in the witches’ prophecies. They prove to have been misleading: the English army disguise their numbers by carrying branches from Birnam Wood as they advance on Dunsinane, and Macduff proves not to have been born of woman but prematurely ripped from his mother’s womb. Macduff kills Macbeth, and Malcolm is established as King of Scotland; he awards his thanes the new style of earls.