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LADY MACBETH I pray you, speak not. He grows worse and worse.
Question enrages him. At once, good night.
Stand not upon the order of your going,
But go at once.
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LADY MACBETH Please, don’t speak to him. He’s getting worse
and worse. Talk makes him crazy. Everybody, please leave right now.
Don’t bother exiting in the order of your rank, but just
leave right away.
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LENNOX
125Good night, and better health
Attend his majesty!
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LENNOX Good night. I hope the king recovers soon!
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LADY MACBETH A kind good night to all!
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LADY MACBETH A kind good night to all!
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Exeunt all but MACBETH and
LADY MACBETH
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Everyone leaves except MACBETH and
LADY MACBETH.
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MACBETH It will have blood, they say. Blood will have blood.
Stones have been known to move, and trees to speak.
130Augurs and understood relations have
By magot pies and choughs and rooks brought forth
The secret’st man of blood.—What is the
night?
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MACBETH There’s an old saying: the dead will have their revenge.
Gravestones have been known to move, and trees to speak, to bring
guilty men to justice. The craftiest murderers have been exposed by
the mystical signs made by crows and magpies. How late at night is
it?
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LADY MACBETH Almost at odds with morning, which is which.
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LADY MACBETH It’s almost morning. You can’t tell whether
it’s day or night.
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MACBETH How say’st thou that Macduff denies his person
135At our great bidding?
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MACBETH What do you think about the fact that Macduff refuses to come to
me when I command him?
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LADY MACBETH Did
you send to him, sir?
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LADY MACBETH Did you send for him, sir?
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MACBETH I hear it by the way; but I will send.
There’s not a one of them but in his house
I keep a servant fee’d. I will tomorrow—
And betimes I will—to the weird sisters.
140More shall they speak, for now I am bent to know,
By the worst means, the worst. For mine own good,
All causes shall give way. I am in blood
Stepped in so far that, should I wade no more,
Returning were as tedious as go o'er.
145Strange things I have in head, that will to hand,
Which must be acted ere they may be scanned.
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MACBETH I’ve heard about this indirectly, but I will send for
him. In every one of the lords' households I have a servant
paid to spy for me. Tomorrow, while it’s still early, I
will go see the witches. They will tell me more, because
I’m determined to know the worst about what’s
going to happen. My own safety is the only important thing now. I
have walked so far into this river of blood that even if I stopped
now, it would be as hard to go back to being good as it is to keep
killing people. I have some schemes in my head that I’m
planning to put into action. I have to do these things before I have
a chance to think about them.
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