Macbeth

by: William Shakespeare

Act 3 Scene 1

1 2 3 4 5 6

Original Text	Modern Text
SECOND MURDERER I am one, my liege, Whom the vile blows and buffets of the world Have so incensed that I am reckless what I do to spite the world.	SECOND MURDERER My lord, I’ve been so kicked around by the world, and I’m so angry, that I don’t even care what I do.
FIRST MURDERER And I another 115So weary with disasters, tugged with fortune, That I would set my life on any chance, To mend it or be rid on ’t.	FIRST MURDERER I’m the same. I’m so sick of bad luck and trouble that I’d risk my life on any bet, as long as it would either fix my life or end it once and for all.
MACBETH Both of you Know Banquo was your enemy.	MACBETH You both know Banquo was your enemy.
BOTH MURDERERS True, my lord.	BOTH MURDERERS It’s true, my lord.
MACBETH So is he mine; and in such bloody distance 120That every minute of his being thrusts Against my near’st of life. And though I could With barefaced power sweep him from my sight And bid my will avouch it, yet I must not, For certain friends that are both his and mine, 125Whose loves I may not drop, but wail his fall Who I myself struck down. And thence it is, That I to your assistance do make love, Masking the business from the common eye For sundry weighty reasons.	MACBETH He’s my enemy too, and I hate him so much that every minute he’s alive it eats away at my heart. Since I’m king, I could simply use my power to get rid of him. But I can’t do that, because he and I have friends in common whom I need, so I have to be able to moan and cry over his death in public even though I’ll be the one who had him killed. That’s why I need your help right now. I have to hide my real plans from the public eye for many important reasons.

Read the Summary of Act 3, scenes 1–3

1 2 3 4 5 6