First folio
| Modern text
| Definitions
| Key line
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| Enter Macbeths Lady, and a Seruant. | Enter Macbeth's Lady and a Servant | | Mac III.ii.1 | |
| Lady. | LADY | | | |
| Is Banquo gone from Court? | Is Banquo gone from court? | | Mac III.ii.1 | |
| Seruant. | SERVANT | | | |
| I, Madame, but returnes againe to Night. | Ay, madam, but returns again tonight. | | Mac III.ii.2 | |
| Lady. | LADY | | | |
| Say to the King, I would attend his leysure, | Say to the King I would attend his leisure | attend (v.) serve, follow, wait [on/upon] | Mac III.ii.3 | |
| For a few words. | For a few words. | | Mac III.ii.4.1 | |
| Seruant | SERVANT | | | |
| Madame, I will. | Madam, I will. | | Mac III.ii.4.2 | |
| Exit. | Exit | | Mac III.ii.4 | |
| Lady. | LADY | | | |
| Nought's had, all's spent. | Naught's had, all's spent, | | Mac III.ii.4.3 | |
| Where our desire is got without content: | Where our desire is got without content. | content (n.)pleasure, satisfaction, happiness | Mac III.ii.5 | |
| 'Tis safer, to be that which we destroy, | 'Tis safer to be that which we destroy | | Mac III.ii.6 | |
| Then by destruction dwell in doubtfull ioy. | Than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy. | doubtful (adj.)fearful, worried, apprehensive | Mac III.ii.7 | |
| Enter Macbeth. | Enter Macbeth | | Mac III.ii.7 | |
| How now, my Lord, why doe you keepe alone? | How now, my lord? Why do you keep alone, | | Mac III.ii.8 | |
| Of sorryest Fancies your Companions making, | Of sorriest fancies your companions making, | sorry (adj.)sorrowful, painful, sad, pitiable | Mac III.ii.9 | |
| | fancy (n.)imagining, flight of fancy, fanciful thought | | |
| Vsing those Thoughts, which should indeed haue dy'd | Using those thoughts which should indeed have died | use (v.)keep company with, entertain | Mac III.ii.10 | |
| With them they thinke on: things without all remedie | With them they think on? Things without all remedy | | Mac III.ii.11 | |
| Should be without regard: what's done, is done. | Should be without regard; what's done is done. | regard (n.)consideration, concern, thought, heed | Mac III.ii.12 | |
| Macb. | MACBETH | | | |
| We haue scorch'd the Snake, not kill'd it: | We have scorched the snake, not killed it; | scorch (v.)slash with a knife, gash | Mac III.ii.13 | |
| Shee'le close, and be her selfe, whilest our poore Mallice | She'll close and be herself, whilst our poor malice | close (v.)join, unite, combine [again] | Mac III.ii.14 | |
| Remaines in danger of her former Tooth. | Remains in danger of her former tooth. | tooth (n.)fangs | Mac III.ii.15 | |
| But let the frame of things dis-ioynt, / Both the Worlds suffer, | But let the frame of things disjoint, both the worlds suffer | suffer (v.)perish, be destroyed, collapse | Mac III.ii.16 | |
| | frame (n.)framework, structure, construction | | |
| | disjoint (v.)fall to pieces, become disjointed | | |
| Ere we will eate our Meale in feare, and sleepe | Ere we will eat our meal in fear, and sleep | | Mac III.ii.17 | |
| In the affliction of these terrible Dreames, | In the affliction of these terrible dreams | | Mac III.ii.18 | |
| That shake vs Nightly: Better be with the dead, | That shake us nightly; better be with the dead | | Mac III.ii.19 | |
| Whom we, to gayne our peace, haue sent to peace, | Whom we, to gain our peace, have sent to peace, | | Mac III.ii.20 | |
| Then on the torture of the Minde to lye | Than on the torture of the mind to lie | | Mac III.ii.21 | |
| In restlesse extasie. Duncane is in his Graue: | In restless ecstasy. Duncan is in his grave; | ecstasy (n.)fit, bout of madness, frenzied behaviour | Mac III.ii.22 | |
| After Lifes fitfull Feuer, he sleepes well, | After life's fitful fever he sleeps well; | fitful (adj.)full of fits, marked by paroxysms | Mac III.ii.23 | |
| Treason ha's done his worst: nor Steele, nor Poyson, | Treason has done his worst. Nor steel, nor poison, | | Mac III.ii.24 | |
| Mallice domestique, forraine Leuie, nothing, | Malice domestic, foreign levy, nothing | levy (n.)recruitment of soldiers, conscription of men | Mac III.ii.25 | |
| Can touch him further. | Can touch him further. | | Mac III.ii.26.1 | |
| Lady. | LADY | | | |
| Come on: | Come on, | | Mac III.ii.26.2 | |
| Gentle my Lord, sleeke o're your rugged Lookes, | Gentle my lord, sleek o'er your rugged looks, | rugged (adj.)frowning, wrinkled with irritation | Mac III.ii.27 | |
| | gentle (adj.)well-born, honourable, noble | | |
| Be bright and Iouiall among your Guests to Night. | Be bright and jovial among your guests tonight. | | Mac III.ii.28 | |
| Macb. | MACBETH | | | |
| So shall I Loue, and so I pray be you: | So shall I, love; and so I pray be you. | | Mac III.ii.29 | |
| Let your remembrance apply to Banquo, | Let your remembrance apply to Banquo, | remembrance (n.)notice, paying attention | Mac III.ii.30 | |
| | apply (v.)be directed, be given, attend well to | | |
| Present him Eminence, both with Eye and Tongue: | Present him eminence both with eye and tongue. | eminence (n.)special honour, exceptional homage | Mac III.ii.31 | |
| Vnsafe the while, that wee | Unsafe the while that we | | Mac III.ii.32 | |
| must laue / Our Honors in these flattering streames, | Must lave our honours in these flattering streams, | lave (v.)wash, bathe, soak | Mac III.ii.33 | |
| And make our Faces Vizards to our Hearts, | And make our faces vizards to our hearts, | vizard (n.)mask, visor | Mac III.ii.34 | |
| Disguising what they are. | Disguising what they are. | | Mac III.ii.35.1 | |
| Lady. | LADY | | | |
| You must leaue this. | You must leave this. | | Mac III.ii.35.2 | |
| Macb. | MACBETH | | | |
| O, full of Scorpions is my Minde, deare Wife: | O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife! | | Mac III.ii.36 | |
| Thou know'st, that Banquo and his Fleans liues. | Thou know'st that Banquo and his Fleance lives. | | Mac III.ii.37 | |
| Lady. | LADY | | | |
| But in them, Natures Coppie's not eterne. | But in them nature's copy's not eterne. | copy (n.)[legal] type of tenure, copyhold; also: process of replication | Mac III.ii.38 | |
| | eterne (adj.)eternal, everlasting, for ever | | |
| Macb. | MACBETH | | | |
| There's comfort yet, they are assaileable, | There's comfort yet! They are assailable. | | Mac III.ii.39 | |
| Then be thou iocund: ere the Bat hath flowne | Then be thou jocund. Ere the bat hath flown | jocund (adj.)merry, joyful, cheerful | Mac III.ii.40 | |
| His Cloyster'd flight, ere to black Heccats summons | His cloistered flight, ere to black Hecat's summons | cloistered (adj.)confined, restricted [as in a cloister] | Mac III.ii.41 | |
| | Hecat, Hecate (n.)[pron: 'hekat, 'hekatee] Greek goddess of the underworld; associated with magic, ghosts, witchcraft | | |
| The shard-borne Beetle, with his drowsie hums, | The shard-borne beetle, with his drowsy hums, | shard-borne (adj.)born in dung; or: borne on scaly wings | Mac III.ii.42 | |
| Hath rung Nights yawning Peale, / There shall be done | Hath rung night's yawning peal, there shall be done | yawning (adj.)sleep-inducing, lulling | Mac III.ii.43 | |
| a deed of dreadfull note. | A deed of dreadful note. | note (n.)attention, notice, regard | Mac III.ii.44.1 | |
| Lady. | LADY | | | |
| What's to be done? | What's to be done? | | Mac III.ii.44.2 | |
| Macb. | MACBETH | | | |
| Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest Chuck, | Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck, | chuck (n.)chicken, chick [usually as a term of endearment] | Mac III.ii.45 | |
| Till thou applaud the deed: Come, seeling Night, | Till thou applaud the deed. Come, seeling night, | seeling (adj.)[falconry] concealing, screening | Mac III.ii.46 | |
| Skarfe vp the tender Eye of pittifull Day, | Scarf up the tender eye of pitiful day, | scarf up (v.)blindfold, cover up | Mac III.ii.47 | |
| And with thy bloodie and inuisible Hand | And with thy bloody and invisible hand | | Mac III.ii.48 | |
| Cancell and teare to pieces that great Bond, | Cancel and tear to pieces that great bond | bond (n.)deed, contract, pledge | Mac III.ii.49 | |
| Which keepes me pale. Light thickens, | Which keeps me pale. Light thickens | pale (adj.)wan, fearful, pale-hearted | Mac III.ii.50 | |
| | thicken (v.)grow dim, darken | | |
| And the Crow makes Wing toth' Rookie Wood: | And the crow makes wing to the rooky wood; | rooky (adj.)filled with rooks, black, dark | Mac III.ii.51 | |
| Good things of Day begin to droope, and drowse, | Good things of day begin to droop and drowse, | | Mac III.ii.52 | |
| Whiles Nights black Agents to their Prey's doe rowse. | While night's black agents to their preys do rouse. | rouse (v.)[hunting] startle from a lair, draw out | Mac III.ii.53 | |
| Thou maruell'st at my words: but hold thee still, | Thou marvell'st at my words; but hold thee still. | | Mac III.ii.54 | |
| Things bad begun, make strong themselues by ill: | Things bad begun make strong themselves by ill. | ill (adj.)evil, wicked, immoral | Mac III.ii.55 | |
| So prythee goe with me. | So, prithee, go with me. | | Mac III.ii.56 | |
| Exeunt. | Exeunt | | Mac III.ii.56 | |