MACBETH Abridged

Act 1, Scene 1

In the middle of a frightening thunder storm, deep in the woods, deep into Scotland, three witches enter.

FIRST WITCH

When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain? Where the place?

SECOND WITCH

Upon the heath.

THIRD WITCH

There to meet with Macbeth.

ALL THREE

Fair is foul, and foul is fair, hover through the fog and filthy air.

[They exit]

Act 1, Scene 2

A bleeding captain enters, with King Duncan, his son, Malcolm, and others present.

DUNCAN

What bloody man is that?

MALCOLM

This is the sergeant who fought against my captivity. Say to the king the knowledge of the broil as thou didst leave it.

CAPTAIN

Brave Macbeth, disdaining Fortune, with his brandished steel unseamed the enemy from the nave to th chops, and fixed his head upon our battlements. Then the Norweyan lord began a fresh assault.

DUNCAN

Dismayed not this our captains, Macbeth and Banquo?

CAPTAIN

Yes, as sparrows eagles, or the hare the lion. But I am faint.

DUNCAN

Go get him surgeons.

[The captain is led off. Ross and Angus, nobles, enter.]

DUNCAN

Who comes here?

MALCOLM

The worthy Thane of Ross.

DUNCAN

Whence camst thou, worthy thane?

ROSS

From Fife, great king, where the Norweyan banners flout the sky. Norway, himself, was assisted by that most disloyal traitor, the Thane of Cawdor. And to conclude, the victory fell on us.

DUNCAN

No more that Thane of Cawdor shall deceive our bosom interest. Go, pronounce his present death, and with his formal title greet Macbeth. What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won.

[They exit.]

Act 1, Scene 3

Separately, the three witches are talking among themselves when Macbeth and Banquo enter.

MACBETH

Speak if you can. What are you?

FIRST WITCH

Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, though shalt be king hereafter!

BANQUO

To me you speak not. If you can look into the seeds of time and say which grain will grow and which will not, speak, then, to me, who neither beg nor fear your favors nor your hate.

THIRD WITCH

Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none. So all hail, Macbeth and Banquo.

[The witches vanish.]

MACBETH (to Banquo)

By my fathers death I know I am Thane

Of Glamis, but how of Cawdor, the bane

Of all who would be king, a prosperous

Gentleman, who lives? Say from whence they owe

This most strange intelligence; why give us

Such prophetic greeting? Where did they go,

As breath into the wind? If this be ill,

Why do I feel success? If good, why fill

I my head with present fears that unfix

My hair and make my seated heart knock at

My ribs? My fearful thought of murder sticks

As to smother and shake my state, as that

Of one who functions not. But if I were

To be king, chance may crown me without stir.

BANQUO

Were such things here as we do speak about? Or have we eaten on the insane root that takes the reason prisoner.

MACBETH

Your children shall be kings.

BANQUO

You shall be king.

MACBETH

And Thane of Cawdor too. Went it not so?

BANQUO

To th selfsame tune and words. Whos there?

[Ross and Angus enter.]

ROSS

The king hath happily received, Macbeth, the news of thy success.

ANGUS

We are sent to give thee from our royal master thanks.

ROSS

He bade me, from him, call thee Thane of Cawdor, most worthy thane, for it is thine.

MACBETH

The Thane of Cawdor lives. Why do you dress me in borrowed robes?

ANGUS

Who was the Thane live yet, but under heavy judgment bears that life which he deserves to lose. Reasons capital, confessed and proved, have overthrown him.

MACBETH (aside to Banquo)

Do you not hope your children shall be kings when those that gave the Thane of Cawdor to me promised no less to them?

BANQUO

But tis strange. And oftentimes, to win us to our harm, the instruments of darkness tell us truths. Worthy Macbeth, we stay upon your leisure.

MACBETH

Give me your favor. My dull brain was wrought with things forgotten. Let us toward the king. Come, friends.

[They exit.]

Act 1, Scene 4

King Duncan and his sons and others enter.

DUNCAN

Is execution done on Cawdor?

MALCOLM

My liege, I have spoke with one who saw him die, who did report that very frankly he confessed his treasons and set forth a deep repentance. Nothing in his life became him like leaving it.

[Macbeth, Banquo, Ross and Angus enter.]

DUNCAN (To Macbeth)

O worthiest cousin, only I have left to say, more is thy due than more than all can pay.

MACBETH

The service and the loyalty I owe in doing it pays itself.

DUNCAN

Noble Banquo, that hast no less deserved nor must be known no less to have done so.

BANQUO

There, if I grow, the harvest is your own.

DUNCAN

Sons, kinsmen, thanes know we will establish our estate upon our eldest, Malcolm, whom we name hereafter the Prince of Cumberland; which honor must not unaccompanied invest him only. From hence to Inverness and bind us further to you.

MACBETH

Ill be myself the harbinger and make joyful the hearing of my wife with your approach.

MACBETH (Aside)

The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step on which I must fall down or else oerleap, for in my way it lies. Let not light see my black and deep desires.

[Macbeth and Banquo exits.]

DUNCAN

True, worthy Banquo. He is full so valiant. It is a peerless kinsman.

[They exit.]

Act 1, Scene 5

Macbeth writes a letter to his wife, Lady Macbeth, telling her of the encounter with the witches; how they called him Thane of Cawdor and told him he would be king. Lady Macbeth reads the letter. A messenger enters.

MESSENGER

The king comes here tonight.

LADY MACBETH

Thou rt mad, to say it. Is not thy master with him, who, were t so, would have informed for preparation?

MESSENGER

So please you, it is true. Our thane is coming.

[He exits. Lady Macbeth talks to herself.]

Lady Macbeth to herself, No. 1

Thou shalt be what thou are promised, yet do

I fear thy lack cruelness; that thou art too

Full o th milk of human kindness to

Take this dire need. Glamis, thou wouldst be

Great, art not without ambition, but do

Lack the illness should attend it. What thee

Fear more to do than wishest should be

Undone. Bear fair welcome; let him not see

Whats inside your book. Let not your face call

Your mind. Look the flower of innocence

But be the serpent undert. Leave all

The rest to me. With the fatal entrance

Of Duncan, here neath my battlements be,

Never shall he the sun that morrow see.

[Macbeth enters.]

LADY MACBETH

Great Glamis, worthy Cawdor, greater than both by the all-hail hereafter. The letters have transported me beyond this ignorant present, and I feel now the future in the instant.

MACBETH

My dearest love, Duncan comes here tonight.

LADY MACBETH

And when goes hence?

MACBETH

Tomorrow. We will speak further.

LADY MACBETH

To alter favor ever is to fear. Leave all the rest to me.

[They exit.]

Act 1, Scene 6

King Duncan and entourage arrive at Inverness.

DUNCAN

This castle hath a pleasant seat. The air nimbly and sweetly recommends itself unto our gentle senses.

[Lady Macbeth enters.]

DUNCAN

See, see our honored hostess!

LADY MACBETH

All our service were poor and single business to contend against those honors deep and broad wherewith your Majesty loads our house.

DUNCAN

Wheres the Thane of Cawdor? Fair and noble hostess, we are your guest tonight. Give me your hand. We love him highly and shall continue our graces towards him.

[They exit.]

Act 1, Scene 7

Along on the stage, Macbeth thinks through what his wife has planned for him.

MACBETH

If it were done when tis done, then, twere well it were done quickly.

Macbeth to himself, No. 1

If we know th assassination might

Be the be-all and end-all here this night,

In this brief shoal of time, wed jump the life

To come. Teaching a bloody lesson can

Return to plague th teacher, being rife

With risk. Hes here in double trust: kinsman

I, his subject and his host. O, whats more

I should gainst his murderer shut the door,

Not bear the knife! Duncan hath borne his skill

So meek and hath been in his office so

Clear. Rushing tears from this horrid deed will

Drown the wind; trumpet-tongued angels will crow

His virtues. Vaulting ambition may be

Here my intent, but could ball back on me.

MACBETH

I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition.

[Lady Macbeth enters.]

LADY MACBETH

He hath almost supped. Why have you left the chamber?

MACBETH

Hath he asked for me?

LADY MACBETH

Kn