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- THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH
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- Act 1 Scene 4
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- (Flourish. Enter King Duncan, Lennox, Malcolm, Donalbain, and
- attendants)
- l1l King Duncan Is execution done on Cawdor? Are not
- l2l Those in commission yet returned?
- Malcolm My liege,
- l3l They are not yet come back. But I have spoke
- l4l With one that saw him die, who did report
- l5l That very frankly he confessed his treasons,
- l6l Implored your highnessÆ pardon, and set forth
- l7l A deep repentance. Nothing in his life
- l8l Became him like the leaving it. He died
- l9l As one that had been studied in his death
- l10l To throw away the dearest thing he owed
- l11l As Ætwere a careless trifle.
- King Duncan ThereÆs no art
- l12l To find the mindÆs construction in the face.
- l13l He was a gentleman on whom I built
- l14l An absolute trust.
- (Enter Macbeth, Banquo, Ross, and Angus)
- (To Macbeth) O worthiest cousin,
- l15l The sin of my ingratitude even now
- l16l Was heavy on me! Thou art so far before
- l17l That swiftest wing of recompense is slow
- l18l To overtake thee. Would thou hadst less deserved,
- l19l That the proportion both of thanks and payment
- l20l Might have been mine. Only I have left to say,
- l21l ôMore is thy due than more than all can payö.
- l22l Macbeth The service and the loyalty I owe,
- l23l In doing it, pays itself. Your highnessÆ part
- l24l Is to receive our duties, and our duties
- l25l Are to your throne and state children and servants
- l26l Which do but what they should by doing everything
- l27l Safe toward your love and honour.
- King Duncan Welcome hither.
- l28l I have begun to plant thee, and will labour
- l29l To make thee full of growing.ùNoble Banquo,
- l30l That hast no less deserved, nor must be known
- l31l No less to have done so, let me enfold thee
- l32l And hold thee to my heart.
- Banquo There if I grow
- l33l The harvest is your own.
- King Duncan My plenteous joys,
- l34l Wanton in fullness, seek to hide themselves
- l35l In drops of sorrow. Sons, kinsmen, thanes,
- l36l And you whose places are the nearest, know
- l37l We will establish our estate upon
- l38l Our eldest, Malcolm, whom we name hereafter
- l39l The Prince of Cumberland; which honour must
- l40l Not unaccompanied invest him only,
- l41l But signs of nobleness, like stars, shall shine
- l42l On all deservers.
- (To Macbeth) From hence to Inverness,
- l43l And bind us further to you.
- l44l Macbeth The rest is labour which is not used for you.
- l45l IÆll be myself the harbinger, and make joyful
- l46l The hearing of my wife with your approach;
- l47l So humbly take my leave.
- King Duncan My worthy Cawdor.
- l48l Macbeth (aside) The Prince of Cumberlandùthat is a step
- l49l On which I must fall down or else oÆerleap,
- l50l For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires,
- l51l Let not light see my black and deep desires;
- l52l The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be
- l53l Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see.
- (Exit)
- l54l King Duncan True, worthy Banquo, he is full so valiant,
- l55l And in his commendations I am fed.
- l56l It is a banquet to me. LetÆs after him,
- l57l Whose care is gone before to bid us welcome.
- l58l It is a peerless kinsman.
- (Flourish. Exeunt)
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