Act 1 Scene 7 Does unmake you26 . I have given suck,27 and know


How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me: I would, while it was smiling in my face, Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums, And dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you Have done to this.


MACBETH If we should fail? LADYMACBETH We fail! 60


But screw your courage to the sticking-place,28 And we'll not fail. When Duncan is asleep – Whereto the rather shall his day's hard journey Soundly invite him – his two chamberlains29 Will I with wine and wassail30


so convince


That memory, the warder31 of the brain, Shall be a fume,32 and the receipt of reason A limbeck33 only. When in swinish34


sleep 70


Their drenched natures lie as in a death, What cannot you and I perform upon The unguarded Duncan? what not put upon35 His spongy36


Of our great quell?37 MACBETH


Bring forth38 men-children only; For thy undaunted mettle39 should compose


Nothing but males.Will it not be received, When we have marked with blood those sleepy two Of his own chamber and used their very daggers, That they have done't?


LADYMACBETH Who dares receive it other,


As we shall make our griefs and clamour roar Upon his death?


MACBETH I am settled, and bend up


80 Each corporal agent40 to this terrible feat. Away, and mock the time41


with fairest show:42


False face must hide what the false heart doth know. [Exeunt]


30 40 corporal agent: body part


41 mock the time: trick everybody 42 fairest show: good performance


38 Bring forth: give birth to 39 undaunted mettle: fearless nature officers, who shall bear the guilt 28


screw your courage to the sticking place: strengthen your resolve.The line suggests a tightening string on a musical instrument or crossbow.


29


chamberlains: attendants/ personal servants


30 wassail: strong alcoholic drink 31 warder: guardian 32 fume: foggy


33 limbeck: a distillation jug 34 swinish: pig-like 35 put upon: blame


36 spongy: soaked in drink 37 quell:murder


26


Nor time…unmake you: Neither the time nor the place were right but you were willing to make them so. Now that the time and place are right you have lost your nerve.


27 given suck: breastfed


Macbeth


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148  |  Page 149  |  Page 150  |  Page 151  |  Page 152  |  Page 153  |  Page 154  |  Page 155  |  Page 156  |  Page 157  |  Page 158  |  Page 159  |  Page 160  |  Page 161  |  Page 162  |  Page 163  |  Page 164  |  Page 165  |  Page 166  |  Page 167  |  Page 168  |  Page 169  |  Page 170  |  Page 171  |  Page 172  |  Page 173  |  Page 174  |  Page 175  |  Page 176  |  Page 177  |  Page 178  |  Page 179  |  Page 180  |  Page 181  |  Page 182  |  Page 183  |  Page 184  |  Page 185  |  Page 186  |  Page 187  |  Page 188  |  Page 189  |  Page 190  |  Page 191  |  Page 192