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- THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH
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- Act 1 Scene 2
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- (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 ÆGainst 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 Macdonaldù
- l10l Worthy to be a rebel, for to that
- l11l The multiplying villainies of nature
- l12l Do swarm upon himùfrom the Western Isles
- l13l Of kerns and galloglasses is supplied,
- l14l And fortune on his damnΦd quarry smiling
- l15l Showed like a rebelÆs whore. But allÆs too weak,
- l16l For brave Macbethùwell he deserves that name!ù
- l17l Disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel
- l18l Which smoked with bloody execution,
- l19l Like valourÆs minion
- l20l Carved out his passage till he faced the slave,
- l21l Which neÆer shook hands nor bade farewell to him
- l22l Till he unseamed him from the nave to thÆ chops,
- l23l And fixed his head upon our battlements.
- l24l King Duncan O valiant cousin, worthy gentleman!
- l25l Captain As whence the sun Ægins 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 tellù
- 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.ùGo get him surgeons.
- (Exit Captain with attendants)
- (Enter Ross and Angus)
- l45l 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 camÆst 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 BellonaÆs bridegroom, lapped in proof,
- l55l Confronted him with self-comparisons,
- l56l Point against point, rebellious arm Ægainst arm,
- l57l Curbing his lavish spirit; and to conclude,
- l58l The victory fell on usù
- King Duncan Great happiness.
- Ross That now
- l59l Sweno, the NorwaysÆ king, craves composition;
- l60l Nor would we deign him burial of his men
- l61l Till he disbursΦd at Saint ColumÆs 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 IÆll see it done.
- l67l King Duncan What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won.
- (Exeunt severally)
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