THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH

Act 1 Scene 2

(Alarum within. Enter King Duncan, Malcolm, Donalbain, Lennox, with attendants, meeting a bleeding Captain)
l1l	King Duncan	 What bloody man is that? He can report,
l2l		As seemeth by his plight, of the revolt
l3l		The newest state.
	Malcolm	This is the sergeant
l4l		Who like a good and hardy soldier fought
l5l		’Gainst my captivity. Hail, brave friend.
l6l		Say to the King the knowledge of the broil
l7l		As thou didst leave it.
	Captain	Doubtful it stood,
l8l		As two spent swimmers that do cling together
l9l		And choke their art. The merciless Macdonald—
l10l		Worthy to be a rebel, for to that
l11l		The multiplying villainies of nature
l12l		Do swarm upon him—from the Western Isles
l13l		Of kerns and galloglasses is supplied,
l14l		And fortune on his damnèd quarry smiling
l15l		Showed like a rebel’s whore. But all’s too weak,
l16l		For brave Macbeth—well he deserves that name!—
l17l		Disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel
l18l		Which smoked with bloody execution,
l19l		Like valour’s minion
l20l		Carved out his passage till he faced the slave,
l21l		Which ne’er shook hands nor bade farewell to him
l22l		Till he unseamed him from the nave to th’ chops,
l23l		And fixed his head upon our battlements.
l24l	King Duncan	O valiant cousin, worthy gentleman!
l25l	Captain	As whence the sun ’gins his reflection
l26l		Shipwrecking storms and direful thunders break,
l27l		So from that spring whence comfort seemed to come
l28l		Discomfort swells. Mark, King of Scotland, mark.
l29l		No sooner justice had, with valour armed,
l30l		Compelled these skipping kerns to trust their heels
l31l		But the Norwegian lord, surveying vantage,
l32l		With furbished arms and new supplies of men
l33l		Began a fresh assault.
l34l	King Duncan	Dismayed not this our captains, Macbeth and Banquo?
l35l	Captain	Yes, as sparrows eagles, or the hare the lion!
l36l		If I say sooth I must report they were
l37l		As cannons overcharged with double cracks,
l38l		So they doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe.
l39l		Except they meant to bathe in reeking wounds
l40l		Or memorize another Golgotha,
l41l		I cannot tell—
l42l		But I am faint. My gashes cry for help.
l43l	King Duncan	So well thy words become thee as thy wounds:
l44l		They smack of honour both.—Go get him surgeons.
		(Exit Captain with attendants)
l45l		(Enter Ross and Angus)
		 Who comes here?
	Malcolm	The worthy Thane of Ross.
l46l	Lennox	What haste looks through his eyes! So should he look
l47l		That seems to speak things strange.
	Ross	God save the King.
l48l	King Duncan	Whence cam’st thou, worthy thane?
	Ross	From Fife, great King,
l49l		Where the Norwegian banners flout the sky
l50l		And fan our people cold.
l51l		Norway himself, with terrible numbers,
l52l		Assisted by that most disloyal traitor
l53l		The Thane of Cawdor, began a dismal conflict,
l54l		Till that Bellona’s bridegroom, lapped in proof,
l55l		Confronted him with self-comparisons,
l56l		Point against point, rebellious arm ’gainst arm,
l57l		Curbing his lavish spirit# and to conclude,
l58l		The victory fell on us—
	King Duncan	Great happiness.
	Ross	That now
l59l		Sweno, the Norways’ king, craves composition#
l60l		Nor would we deign him burial of his men
l61l		Till he disbursèd at Saint Colum’s inch
l62l		Ten thousand dollars to our general use.
l63l	King Duncan	No more that Thane of Cawdor shall deceive
l64l		Our bosom interest. Go pronounce his present death,
l65l		And with his former title greet Macbeth.
l66l	Ross	I’ll see it done.
l67l	King Duncan	What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won.
		( 67 Exeunt severally)
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