First folio
| Modern text
| Definitions
| Key line
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| Enter Banquo, and Fleance, with a Torch before him. | Enter Banquo, and Fleance with a torch before him | | Mac II.i.1 | |
| Banq. | BANQUO | | | |
| How goes the Night, Boy? | How goes the night, boy? | | Mac II.i.1 | |
| Fleance. | FLEANCE | | | |
| The Moone is downe: I haue not heard the Clock. | The moon is down; I have not heard the clock. | | Mac II.i.2 | |
| Banq. | BANQUO | | | |
| And she goes downe at Twelue. | And she goes down at twelve. | | Mac II.i.3.1 | |
| Fleance. | FLEANCE | | | |
| I take't, 'tis later, Sir. | I take't 'tis later, sir. | | Mac II.i.3.2 | |
| Banq. | BANQUO | | | |
| Hold, take my Sword: There's Husbandry in Heauen, | Hold, take my sword. There's husbandry in heaven: | husbandry (n.) thrift, good economy, careful management | Mac II.i.4 | |
| Their Candles are all out: take thee that too. | Their candles are all out. Take thee that too. | | Mac II.i.5 | |
| A heauie Summons lyes like Lead vpon me, | A heavy summons lies like lead upon me | heavy (adj.)pressing, weighty, overpowering | Mac II.i.6 | |
| And yet I would not sleepe: Mercifull Powers, | And yet I would not sleep. Merciful powers, | power (n.)(usually plural) god, deity, divinity | Mac II.i.7 | |
| restraine in me the cursed thoughts / That Nature | Restrain in me the cursed thoughts that nature | | Mac II.i.8 | |
| giues way to in repose. | Gives way to in repose. | | Mac II.i.9.1 | |
| Enter Macbeth, and a Seruant with a Torch. | Enter Macbeth and a Servant with a torch | | Mac II.i.9 | |
| Giue me my Sword: | Give me my sword! | | Mac II.i.9.2 | |
| who's there? | Who's there? | | Mac II.i.10 | |
| Macb. | MACBETH | | | |
| A Friend. | A friend. | | Mac II.i.11 | |
| Banq. | BANQUO | | | |
| What Sir, not yet at rest? the King's a bed. | What, sir, not yet at rest? The King's a-bed. | abed, a-bed (adv.)in bed | Mac II.i.12 | |
| He hath beene in vnusuall Pleasure, | He hath been in unusual pleasure, | | Mac II.i.13 | |
| And sent forth great Largesse to your Offices. | And sent forth great largess to your offices. | office (n.)(plural) servants' quarters, service rooms | Mac II.i.14 | |
| This Diamond he greetes your Wife withall, | This diamond he greets your wife withal | | Mac II.i.15 | |
| By the name of most kind Hostesse, / And shut vp | By the name of most kind hostess, and shut up | shut up (v.)conclude [a speech], wind up | Mac II.i.16 | |
| in measurelesse content. | In measureless content. | content (n.)pleasure, satisfaction, happiness | Mac II.i.17.1 | |
| Mac. | MACBETH | | | |
| Being vnprepar'd, | Being unprepared | | Mac II.i.17.2 | |
| Our will became the seruant to defect, | Our will became the servant to defect, | will (n.)desire, wish, liking, inclination | Mac II.i.18 | |
| | defect (n.)deficiency, shortcoming | | |
| Which else should free haue wrought. | Which else should free have wrought. | work (v.), past form wroughtperform, do, carry out | Mac II.i.19.1 | |
| | free (adv.)freely, in a liberal way | | |
| Banq. | BANQUO | | | |
| All's well. | All's well. | | Mac II.i.19.2 | |
| I dreamt last Night of the three weyward Sisters: | I dreamt last night of the three Weird Sisters. | weird (adj.)controlling human fate or destiny, a weird sister was one of the Fates; only with reference to the witches in Macbeth | Mac II.i.20 | |
| To you they haue shew'd some truth. | To you they have showed some truth. | | Mac II.i.21.1 | |
| Macb. | MACBETH | | | |
| I thinke not of them: | I think not of them. | | Mac II.i.21.2 | |
| Yet when we can entreat an houre to serue, | Yet, when we can entreat an hour to serve, | | Mac II.i.22 | |
| We would spend it in some words vpon that Businesse, | We would spend it in some words upon that business, | | Mac II.i.23 | |
| If you would graunt the time. | If you would grant the time. | | Mac II.i.24.1 | |
| Banq. | BANQUO | | | |
| At your kind'st leysure. | At your kind'st leisure. | | Mac II.i.24.2 | |
| Macb. | MACBETH | | | |
| If you shall cleaue to my consent, / When 'tis, | If you shall cleave to my consent when 'tis, | consent (n.)opinion, feeling, counsel | Mac II.i.25 | |
| it shall make Honor for you. | It shall make honour for you. | | Mac II.i.26.1 | |
| Banq. | BANQUO | | | |
| So I lose none, | So I lose none | | Mac II.i.26.2 | |
| In seeking to augment it, but still keepe | In seeking to augment it, but still keep | still (adv.)constantly, always, continually | Mac II.i.27 | |
| My Bosome franchis'd, and Allegeance cleare, | My bosom franchised and allegiance clear, | franchised (adj.)free from evil, upright | Mac II.i.28 | |
| | bosom (n.)heart, inner person | | |
| | clear (adj.)innocent, blameless, free from fault, not guilty | | |
| I shall be counsail'd. | I shall be counselled. | | Mac II.i.29.1 | |
| Macb. | MACBETH | | | |
| Good repose the while. | Good repose the while. | | Mac II.i.29.2 | |
| Banq. | BANQUO | | | |
| Thankes Sir: the like to you. | Thanks, sir; the like to you. | like, thethe same | Mac II.i.30 | |
| Exit Banquo. | Exit Banquo and Fleance | | Mac II.i.30 | |
| Macb. | MACBETH | | | |
| Goe bid thy Mistresse, when my drinke is ready, | Go bid thy mistress, when my drink is ready | | Mac II.i.31 | |
| She strike vpon the Bell. Get thee to bed. | She strike upon the bell. Get thee to bed. | | Mac II.i.32 | |
| Exit. | Exit Servant | | Mac II.i.32 | |
| Is this a Dagger, which I see before me, | Is this a dagger which I see before me, | | Mac II.i.33 | |
| The Handle toward my Hand? Come, let me clutch thee: | The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee – | | Mac II.i.34 | |
| I haue thee not, and yet I see thee still. | I have thee not and yet I see thee still! | still (adv.)ever, now [as before] | Mac II.i.35 | |
| Art thou not fatall Vision, sensible | Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible | sensible (adj.)evident, perceptible by the senses, affecting the senses | Mac II.i.36 | |
| | fatal (adj.)ominous, full of foreboding, doom-laden | | |
| To feeling, as to sight? or art thou but | To feeling as to sight? Or art thou but | | Mac II.i.37 | |
| A Dagger of the Minde, a false Creation, | A dagger of the mind, a false creation, | false (adj.)sham, spurious, not genuine, artificial | Mac II.i.38 | |
| Proceeding from the heat-oppressed Braine? | Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain? | | Mac II.i.39 | |
| I see thee yet, in forme as palpable, | I see thee yet, in form as palpable | | Mac II.i.40 | |
| As this which now I draw. | As this which now I draw. | | Mac II.i.41 | |
| Thou marshall'st me the way that I was going, | Thou marshall'st me the way that I was going, | | Mac II.i.42 | |
| And such an Instrument I was to vse. | And such an instrument I was to use. – | | Mac II.i.43 | |
| Mine Eyes are made the fooles o'th' other Sences, | Mine eyes are made the fools o'the other senses, | | Mac II.i.44 | |
| Or else worth all the rest: I see thee still; | Or else worth all the rest. – I see thee still; | | Mac II.i.45 | |
| And on thy Blade, and Dudgeon, Gouts of Blood, | And, on thy blade and dudgeon, gouts of blood, | gout (n.)drop, spot, trace | Mac II.i.46 | |
| | dudgeon (n.)[of a dagger] handle, hilt, haft | | |
| Which was not so before. There's no such thing: | Which was not so before. There's no such thing. | | Mac II.i.47 | |
| It is the bloody Businesse, which informes | It is the bloody business which informs | inform (v.)take form, appear in a shape | Mac II.i.48 | |
| Thus to mine Eyes. Now o're the one halfe World | Thus to mine eyes. Now o'er the one half-world | half-world (n.)hemisphere, half of the globe | Mac II.i.49 | |
| Nature seemes dead, and wicked Dreames abuse | Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse | abuse (v.)deceive, mislead, fool, cheat | Mac II.i.50 | |
| The Curtain'd sleepe: Witchcraft celebrates | The curtained sleep. Witchcraft celebrates | | Mac II.i.51 | |
| Pale Heccats Offrings: and wither'd Murther, | Pale Hecat's offerings; and withered Murder, | offering (n.)ritual, oblation, sacrificial rite | Mac II.i.52 | |
| | Hecat, Hecate (n.)[pron: 'hekat, 'hekatee] Greek goddess of the underworld; associated with magic, ghosts, witchcraft | | |
| Alarum'd by his Centinell, the Wolfe, | Alarumed by his sentinel the wolf, | alarum (v.)arouse, urge on, incite | Mac II.i.53 | |
| Whose howle's his Watch, thus with his stealthy pace, | Whose howl's his watch, thus with his stealthy pace, | watch (n.)signal, watchword, call | Mac II.i.54 | |
| With Tarquins rauishing sides, towards his designe | With Tarquin's ravishing strides, towards his design | TarquinTarquinius Superbus, seventh king of Rome, 6th-c BC; also his son, Sextus Tarquinius, the ravisher of Lucrece | Mac II.i.55 | |
| | design (n.)undertaking, purpose, enterprise | | |
| Moues like a Ghost. Thou sowre and firme-set Earth | Moves like a ghost. Thou sure and firm-set earth, | | Mac II.i.56 | |
| Heare not my steps, which they may walke, for feare | Hear not my steps, which way they walk, for fear | | Mac II.i.57 | |
| Thy very stones prate of my where-about, | Thy very stones prate of my whereabout | prate (v.)prattle, chatter, blather | Mac II.i.58 | |
| And take the present horror from the time, | And take the present horror from the time | | Mac II.i.59 | |
| Which now sutes with it. Whiles I threat, he liues: | Which now suits with it. – Whiles I threat, he lives: | suit (v.)match, compare, equate | Mac II.i.60 | |
| Words to the heat of deedes too cold breath giues. | Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives. | | Mac II.i.61 | |
| A Bell rings. | A bell rings | | Mac II.i.61 | |
| I goe, and it is done: the Bell inuites me. | I go, and it is done; the bell invites me. | | Mac II.i.62 | |
| Heare it not, Duncan, for it is a Knell, | Hear it not, Duncan, for it is a knell | | Mac II.i.63 | |
| That summons thee to Heauen, or to Hell. | That summons thee to heaven or to hell. | | Mac II.i.64 | |
| Exit. | Exit | | Mac II.i.64 | |