| First folio  
 | Modern text 
 
 | Definitions 
 
 | Key line 
 
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				| 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 |  |