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Hautboys. Torches. Enter a sewer and divers servants
with dishes and service over the stage. Then enter
MACBETH
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Hautboys play. The stage is lit by torches. A butler
enters, and various servants carry utensils and dishes of food across the
stage. Then MACBETH enters.
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MACBETH If it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere well
It were done quickly. If the assassination
Could trammel up the consequence, and catch
With his surcease success; that but this blow
5Might be the be-all and the end-all here,
But here, upon this bank and shoal of time,
We’d jump the life to come. But in these cases
We still have judgment here, that we but teach
Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return
10To plague th' inventor: this even-handed justice
Commends the ingredients of our poisoned chalice
To our own lips. He’s here in double trust:
First, as I am his kinsman and his subject,
Strong both against the deed; then, as his host,
15Who should against his murderer shut the door,
Not bear the knife myself. Besides, this Duncan
Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been
So clear in his great office, that his virtues
Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against
20The deep damnation of his taking-off;
And pity, like a naked newborn babe,
Striding the blast, or heaven’s cherubim, horsed
Upon the sightless couriers of the air,
Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye,
25That tears shall drown the wind. I have no spur
To prick the sides of my intent, but only
Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself
And falls on th' other.
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MACBETH If this business would really be finished when I did the deed,
then it would be best to get it over with quickly. If the
assassination of the king could work like a net, sweeping up
everything and preventing any consequences, then the murder would be
the be-all and end-all of the whole affair, and I would gladly put
my soul and the afterlife at risk to do it. But for crimes like
these there are still punishments in this world. By committing
violent crimes we only teach other people to commit violence, and
the violence of our students will come back to plague us teachers.
Justice, being equal to everyone, forces us to drink from the
poisoned cup that we serve to others. The king trusts me in two
ways. First of all, I am his kinsman and his subject, so I should
always try to protect him. Second, I am his host, so I should be
closing the door in his murderer’s face, not trying to
murder him myself. Besides, Duncan has been such a humble leader, so
free of corruption, that his virtuous legacy will speak for him when
he dies, as if angels were playing trumpets against the injustice of
his murder. Pity, like an innocent newborn baby, will ride the wind
with winged angels on invisible horses through the air to spread
news of the horrible deed to everyone everywhere. People will shed a
flood of tears that will drown the wind like a horrible downpour of
rain. I can’t spur myself to action. The only thing
motivating me is ambition, which makes people rush ahead of
themselves toward disaster.
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