MACBETH / WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
ACT I
Scene 1
There is thunder and lightning .Three witches enter
FIRST WITCH: When shall we three meet again?
In thunder , lightning or in rain?
SECOND WITCH : When the noise and fighting's done
When the battle's lost and won
THIRD WITCH : That will be before the sun sets
FIRST WITCH : Where shall we meet ?
SECOND WITCH : In the field
THIRD WITCH : There we'll meet Macbeth
ALL: Fair is foul , and foul is fair
Fly through the fog and filthy air
THEY ALL EXIT
MACBETH / WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
ACT 1
SCENE 2
A camp near Forres where king Duncan's castle is . From offstage , we hear drums
calling soldiers to battle . King Duncan enters with his two sons ( Malcolm and Donalbain
) lennox , Attendants and a wounded Captain covered in blood .
Duncan : Who is this man covered in blood ?
He looks like he can tell us.
The latest news of the battle.
Malcolm : This is the captain
He's a good and brave soldier
Who fought to save me from being taken prisoner
Come here brave friend
Tell the king how the battle was going
When you left
CAPTAIN: The outcome was uncertain
Both sides were very tired
The evil rebel Macdonald
Had luck on his side
But his luck was not strong enough
For brave Macbeth- and he deserves that name
Laughing at luck with his sword covered in blood
He fought his way through to Macdonald
And without saying a word
He cut him open from top to bottom
With his great sword , and placed his head
Upon our castle walls
DUNCAN : O Brave cousin
CAPTAIN : But listen to this , King of Scotland , listen.
No sooner had justice and courage
Forced those rebel soldiers to turn and run
Then more soldiers with more weapons arrived
And the King of Norway , began a new attack
DUNCAN : Did this scare our captain Macbeth and Banquo?
Captain : They were no more scared of this
Than lions would be scared of kittens
From then on , the fought the enemy twice as hard
But I feel week now , My wounds need to be treated
Duncan : Take him to the doctors
The Captain exits , helped by soldiers
Ross enters
MALCOLM : Lord Rose
LENNOX : He seems to have something urgent to tell us
ROSS : God save the king
DUNCAN : Where have you come from my Lord?
ROSS : From Fife great king
Where the Norwegian flags fly frightening our citizens
The king of Norway with a huge army
And helped by that most terrible traitor
Lord Cawdor began a bloody battle
But Macbeth fought him with equal skill and courage
And finally the victory was ours We won the battle
DUNCAN : That's great news
Lord Cawdor will never deceive me again
Go now and announce his execution
And give Macbeth all his titles
ROSS: Yes , my lord immediately
DUNCAN : What the lord of Cawdor has lost Macbeth has won
They all exit
MACBETH / WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
ACT 1
SCENE 3
In the middle of a field we hear thunder and the Three Withes enter . A drum sounds from
offstage
THIRD WITCH : a drum , a drum
Macbeth will come
All: The withes , hand in hand
Travellers over sea and land
Around and around and around we walk
Three times to you , three times to me
And three times again to add up nine
Now hush ! Stand still! The spell is ready
Macbeth and Banquo enter , They are travelling to Forres where king Duncan's castle is
when they come across the Witches
MACBETH : I have never seen to foul and fair today
BANQUO: How far is it to Forres?
Who are these crazy women?
They don’t look like they are from this planet.
And yet they are on it.
Are they real?
Can you answer questions ?
You seem to understand me\
MACBETH: Speak if you can .What kind of creatures are you?
FIRST WITCH : All hail , Macbeth! Hail to you , Lord of Glamis!
SECOND WITCH : All hail! , Macbeth! Hail to you , Lord of Cawdor.
THIRD WITCH : All hail! , Macbeth , who shall soon be king !
BANQUO : My dear friend , why do you jump and seem to fear
The wonderful things they are telling you?
Are you imaginary or are you really
What you seem to be ? You great my friend
By his present title and with strange prediction
Of great title and of becoming King
And he seems shocked by it all
But to me you say nothing
If you can look into the future
And say what the future holds
Then speak to me who neither wants your favourite
Nor fears your hatred
FIRST WITHCH : Hail
SECOND WITCH : hail
THIRD WITCH : Hail
FIRST WITCH: You are lesser than Macbeth but also greater
SECOND WITCH : Not so happy yet much happier
THIRD WITCH : You shall be father of kings
But you won't be one
So all hail Macbeth and Banquo
FIRST WITCH : Banquo and Macbeth all hail
MACBETH : Stay and tell me more
After my father died I became Lord of Glamis
But how can you call me the Lord of Glamis
The Lord of Cawdor is still alive
He is a rich and powerful man, and to be king
I cant believe that . It is no more possible
Than for me to be Lord of Cawdor
Tell me where you get this strange information from
Or why you have stopped us
In the middle of this empty field
To make the most surprising predictions?
Speak I command you
The Witches disappear
BANQUO: Where have they disappeared to ?
MACBETH : They melted into the air
As breath into wind , I wish they had stayed
BANQUO: Were they really here , or were we just dreaming
MACBETH : Your children shall be kings
BANQUO : You shall be king
MACBETH : And Lord of Cawdor too , didn’t they say?
BANQUO : Those were their exact words . Who's that ?
Ross and Angus enter
ROSS : The king has happily received
The news of your success Macbeth
ANGUS : We have been sent to thank you
By our master the king
And to take you to him
ROSS : And to show there is a greater honour to come
He told me to call you Lord of Cawdor
So hail Lord of Cawdor
For this great title will soon be yours
BANQUO : What ? Can anyone tell the truth?
MACBETH : But the Lord of Cawdor still lives
Why do you dress me in borrowed clothes?
ANGUS : He who was Lord of Cawdor still lives
But he lives a life which he deserves to lose
And so he will soon be dead
I don’t know whether he fought with Norway
Or secretly helped the rebel Macdonald
Or whether he worked with both of them
To destroy his country
But he has confessed to being a traitor
And he is finished now
Macbeth : Lord of Glamis and Lord of Cawdor
And the best is still to come (to Ross and Angus ) thank you
(To Banquo) Are you starting to hope
That your children will be kings?
When the Witches who called me Lord of Cawdor
BANQUO : That might one day
Make you desire the Crown too
As well as Lord of Cawdor But it is strange
And often evil tells us things
To tempt us into danger
MACBETH : (Aside to himself ) Two truths have been told
Which suggest I will become
