First folio
| Modern text
| Definitions
| Key line
| |
Flourish. Enter King, Lenox, Malcolme, | Flourish. Enter King Duncan, Lennox, Malcolm, | | Mac I.iv.1.1 | |
Donalbaine, and Attendants. | Donalbain, and Attendants | | Mac I.iv.1.2 | |
King. | DUNCAN | | | |
Is execution done on Cawdor? | Is execution done on Cawdor? | | Mac I.iv.1 | |
Or not those in Commission yet return'd? | Are not those in commission yet returned? | commission (n.)warrant, authority [to act] | Mac I.iv.2 | |
Mal. | MALCOLM | | | |
My Liege, | My liege, | liege (n.)lord, sovereign | Mac I.iv.3 | |
they are not yet come back. / But I haue spoke | They are not yet come back. But I have spoke | | Mac I.iv.4 | |
with one that saw him die: / Who did report, | With one that saw him die, who did report | | Mac I.iv.5 | |
that very frankly hee / Confess'd his Treasons, | That very frankly he confessed his treasons, | | Mac I.iv.6 | |
implor'd your Highnesse Pardon, / And set forth | Implored your highness' pardon, and set forth | set forth (v.)display, show, exhibit | Mac I.iv.7 | |
a deepe Repentance: / Nothing in his Life | A deep repentance. Nothing in his life | | Mac I.iv.8 | |
became him, / Like the leauing it. Hee dy'de, | Became him like the leaving it. He died | become (v.)grace, honour, dignify | Mac I.iv.9 | |
As one that had beene studied in his death, | As one that had been studied in his death | studied (adj.)[theatre] learned by heart, committed to memory | Mac I.iv.10 | |
To throw away the dearest thing he ow'd, | To throw away the dearest thing he owed | owe (v.)own, possess, have | Mac I.iv.11 | |
As 'twere a carelesse Trifle. | As 'twere a careless trifle. | careless (adj.)uncared for, untended | Mac I.iv.12.1 | |
King. | DUNCAN | | | |
There's no Art, | There's no art | art (n.)accomplishment, achievement, skill | Mac I.iv.12.2 | |
To finde the Mindes construction in the Face. | To find the mind's construction in the face. | construction (n.)interpretation, reading, explanation | Mac I.iv.13 | |
He was a Gentleman, on whom I built | He was a gentleman on whom I built | | Mac I.iv.14 | |
An absolute Trust. | An absolute trust. | | Mac I.iv.15.1 | |
Enter Macbeth, Banquo, Rosse, and Angus. | Enter Macbeth, Banquo, Ross, and Angus | | Mac I.iv.15 | |
O worthyest Cousin, | O worthiest cousin! | | Mac I.iv.15.2 | |
The sinne of my Ingratitude euen now | The sin of my ingratitude even now | | Mac I.iv.16 | |
Was heauie on me. Thou art so farre before, | Was heavy on me. Thou art so far before, | heavy (adj.)pressing, weighty, overpowering | Mac I.iv.17 | |
| | before (adv.)ahead, in advance | | |
That swiftest Wing of Recompence is slow, | That swiftest wing of recompense is slow | | Mac I.iv.18 | |
To ouertake thee. Would thou hadst lesse deseru'd, | To overtake thee. Would thou hadst less deserved, | | Mac I.iv.19 | |
That the proportion both of thanks, and payment, | That the proportion both of thanks and payment | proportion (n.)weighing up, appropriate measuring | Mac I.iv.20 | |
Might haue beene mine: onely I haue left to say, | Might have been mine! Only I have left to say, | | Mac I.iv.21 | |
More is thy due, then more then all can pay. | ‘ More is thy due than more than all can pay.’ | | Mac I.iv.22 | |
Macb. | MACBETH | | | |
The seruice, and the loyaltie I owe, | The service and the loyalty I owe, | | Mac I.iv.23 | |
In doing it, payes it selfe. / Your Highnesse part, | In doing it, pays itself. Your highness' part | | Mac I.iv.24 | |
is to receiue our Duties: / And our Duties | Is to receive our duties; and our duties | | Mac I.iv.25 | |
are to your Throne, and State, / Children, and Seruants; | Are to your throne and state, children and servants, | | Mac I.iv.26 | |
which doe but what they should, / By doing euery thing | Which do but what they should by doing everything | | Mac I.iv.27 | |
safe toward your Loue / And Honor. | Safe toward your love and honour. | safe (adv.)trustworthily, in an assured way | Mac I.iv.28.1 | |
King. | DUNCAN | | | |
Welcome hither: | Welcome hither: | | Mac I.iv.28.2 | |
I haue begun to plant thee, and will labour | I have begun to plant thee, and will labour | | Mac I.iv.29 | |
To make thee full of growing. Noble Banquo, | To make thee full of growing. – Noble Banquo, | | Mac I.iv.30 | |
That hast no lesse deseru'd, nor must be knowne | That hast no less deserved, nor must be known | | Mac I.iv.31 | |
No lesse to haue done so: Let me enfold thee, | No less to have done so, let me enfold thee | | Mac I.iv.32 | |
And hold thee to my Heart. | And hold thee to my heart. | | Mac I.iv.33.1 | |
Banq. | BANQUO | | | |
There if I grow, | There if I grow, | | Mac I.iv.33.2 | |
The Haruest is your owne. | The harvest is your own. | | Mac I.iv.34.1 | |
King. | DUNCAN | | | |
My plenteous Ioyes, | My plenteous joys, | | Mac I.iv.34.2 | |
Wanton in fulnesse, seeke to hide themselues | Wanton in fulness, seek to hide themselves | wanton (adj.)luxuriant, flourishing, lush, profuse in growth | Mac I.iv.35 | |
In drops of sorrow. Sonnes, Kinsmen, Thanes, | In drops of sorrow. Sons, kinsmen, thanes, | | Mac I.iv.36 | |
And you whose places are the nearest, know, | And you whose places are the nearest, know | near (adj.)close to the throne [in order of succession], near relation | Mac I.iv.37 | |
| | place (n.)position, post, office, rank | | |
We will establish our Estate vpon | We will establish our estate upon | estate (n.)state, kingdom | Mac I.iv.38 | |
Our eldest, Malcolme, whom we name hereafter, | Our eldest, Malcolm, whom we name hereafter | | Mac I.iv.39 | |
The Prince of Cumberland: which Honor must | The Prince of Cumberland: which honour must | | Mac I.iv.40 | |
Not vnaccompanied, inuest him onely, | Not unaccompanied invest him only, | | Mac I.iv.41 | |
But signes of Noblenesse, like Starres, shall shine | But signs of nobleness, like stars, shall shine | | Mac I.iv.42 | |
On all deseruers. From hence to Envernes, | On all deservers. From hence to Inverness, | | Mac I.iv.43 | |
And binde vs further to you. | And bind us further to you. | | Mac I.iv.44 | |
Macb. | MACBETH | | | |
The Rest is Labor, which is not vs'd for you: | The rest is labour, which is not used for you. | | Mac I.iv.45 | |
Ile be my selfe the Herbenger, and make ioyfull | I'll be myself the harbinger and make joyful | harbinger (n.)forerunner, herald, precursor | Mac I.iv.46 | |
The hearing of my Wife, with your approach: | The hearing of my wife with your approach; | | Mac I.iv.47 | |
So humbly take my leaue. | So humbly take my leave. | | Mac I.iv.48.1 | |
King. | DUNCAN | | | |
My worthy Cawdor. | My worthy Cawdor! | | Mac I.iv.48.2 | |
Macb. | MACBETH | | | |
| (aside) | | Mac I.iv.49 | |
The Prince of Cumberland: that is a step, | The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step | | Mac I.iv.49 | |
On which I must fall downe, or else o're-leape, | On which I must fall down, or else o'erleap, | overleap (v.)leap over, jump across | Mac I.iv.50 | |
For in my way it lyes. Starres hide your fires, | For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires, | | Mac I.iv.51 | |
Let not Light see my black and deepe desires: | Let not light see my black and deep desires. | | Mac I.iv.52 | |
The Eye winke at the Hand: yet let that bee, | The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be | wink (v.)fail to look, connive | Mac I.iv.53 | |
Which the Eye feares, when it is done to see. | Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see. | | Mac I.iv.54 | |
Exit. | Exit | | Mac I.iv.54 | |
King. | DUNCAN | | | |
True worthy Banquo: he is full so valiant, | True, worthy Banquo; he is full so valiant, | | Mac I.iv.55 | |
And in his commendations, I am fed: | And in his commendations I am fed; | | Mac I.iv.56 | |
It is a Banquet to me. Let's after him, | It is a banquet to me. Let's after him | | Mac I.iv.57 | |
Whose care is gone before, to bid vs welcome: | Whose care is gone before to bid us welcome. | | Mac I.iv.58 | |
It is a peerelesse Kinsman. | It is a peerless kinsman. | | Mac I.iv.59 | |
Flourish. Exeunt. | Flourish. Exeunt | | Mac I.iv.59 | |