Act 3 Scene 1


MACBETH Bring them before us. [Exit Attendant.] To be thus is nothing; But to be safely thus.22


– Our fears in Banquo 50


Stick deep, and in his royalty of nature23 Reigns that which would be feared: 'tis much he dares; And, to that dauntless24


temper of his mind,


He hath a wisdom that doth guide his valour25 To act in safety. There is none but he Whose being I do fear: and, under him, My genius26


is rebuked; as, it is said, Mark Antony's27 was by Caesar. He chid28 60 the sisters


When first they put the name of King upon me, And bade them speak to him: then prophet-like They hailed him father to a line of kings: Upon my head they placed a fruitless29


crown,


And put a barren sceptre in my gripe,30 Thence to be wrenched with an unlineal31


No son of mine succeeding. If 't be so, For Banquo's issue32


have I filed33 hand, my mind;


For them the gracious Duncan have I murdered; Put rancours in the vessel of my peace Only for them;34


and mine eternal jewel 70


Given to the common enemy of man,35 To make them kings – the seed of Banquo kings! Rather than so, come Fate into the list. And champion me to the utterance!36


[Re-enter Attendant, with two Murderers] Now go to the door, and stay there till we call. [Exit Attendant] Was it not yesterday we spoke together?


FIRSTMURDERER It was, so please your Highness.


MACBETH Well then, now


Have you considered of my speeches? Know That it was he37


80 in the times past which held you


So under fortune, which you thought had been Our innocent self: this I made good to you In our last conference, passed in probation38


To half a soul and to a notion crazed Say 'Thus did Banquo.'41


FIRSTMURDERER You made it known to us. 59 with you,


How you were borne in hand,39 how crossed, the instruments, Who wrought with them,40


and all things else that might 37 he: i.e. Banquo 35 Who's there!


24 dauntless: fearless 25 valour: bravery


26 genius: guardian spirit 27


Mark Antony: a Roman general who resented Octavius Caesar becoming Emperor of Rome.Macbeth is comparing Banquo to Mark Antony and himself to Octavius Caesar. 28 chid: chided/reproached 29 fruitless: childless


barren sceptre in my gripe: a childless sceptre in my grip. A sceptre is a ceremonial staff held by a king. 31 unlineal: not of my line (unrelated) 32 issue: children


30


33 filed: defiled/made dirty 34


Put rancours…for them: ruined my peaceful mind with bitter thoughts, only for them (i.e. Banquo’s children)


mine eternal jewel…enemy of man: my soul has been given to the Devil


36


Rather than…utterance!: Rather than let that happen, let Fate fight me to the death.Macbeth is challenging Fate here.


Macbeth


To be thus…safely thus: To be King is nothing unless the crown is secure. 23 royalty of nature: innate nobility


22


38 passed in probation: proved to you 39 borne in hand: tricked


40 41


wrought with them: was involved with them


all things else…‘Thus did Banquo’: which even a halfwit or a lunatic could say it was Banquo


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