No Fear Shakespeare – Macbeth (by SparkNotes) -1-
Original Text Modern Text
Act 1, Scene 1
Thunder and lightning. Enter three WITCHES Thunder and lightning. Three WITCHES enter
FIRST WITCH FIRST WITCH
When shall we three meet again? When should the three of us meet again? Will it
In thunder, lightning, or in rain? be in thunder, lightning, or rain?
SECOND WITCH SECOND WITCH
When the hurly-burly’s done, We’ll meet when the noise of the battle is over,
When the battle’s lost and won. when one side has won and the other side has
lost.
THIRD WITCH THIRD WITCH
5 That will be ere the set of sun. That will happen before sunset.
FIRST WITCH FIRST WITCH
Where the place? Where should we meet?
SECOND WITCH SECOND WITCH
Upon the heath. Let’s do it in the open field.
THIRD WITCH THIRD WITCH
There to meet with Macbeth. We’ll meet Macbeth there.
The WITCHES hear the calls of their spirit friends
or “familiars,” which look like animals—one is a
cat and one is a toad.
FIRST WITCH FIRST WITCH
I come, Graymalkin! (calling to her cat) I’m coming, Graymalkin!
SECOND WITCH SECOND WITCH
10 Paddock calls. My toad, Paddock, calls me.
THIRD WITCH THIRD WITCH
Anon. (to her spirit) I’ll be right here!
ALL ALL
Fair is foul, and foul is fair Fair is foul, and foul is fair. Let’s fly away through
Hover through the fog and filthy air. the fog and filthy air.
Exeunt They exit.
Act 1, Scene 2
Alarum within. Enter KING Sounds of a trumpet and soldiers fighting
DUNCAN, MALCOLM,DONALBAIN, LENNOX, with offstage. KING DUNCAN enters with his
attendants, meeting a bleeding CAPTAIN sonsMALCOLM and DONALBAIN, LENNOX,
and a number of attendants. They meet a
wounded and bloody CAPTAIN.
DUNCAN DUNCAN
What bloody man is that? He can report, Who is this bloody man? Judging from his
As seemeth by his plight, of the revolt appearance, I bet he can tell us the latest news
The newest state. about the revolt.
MALCOLM MALCOLM
This is the sergeant This is the brave sergeant who fought to keep me
Who like a good and hardy soldier fought from being captured. Hail, brave friend! Tell the
5 'Gainst my captivity. Hail, brave friend! king what was happening in the battle when you
Say to the king the knowledge of the broil left it.
As thou didst leave it.
CAPTAIN CAPTAIN
Doubtful it stood, For a while you couldn’t tell who would win. The
As two spent swimmers that do cling together armies were like two exhausted swimmers
,No Fear Shakespeare – Macbeth (by SparkNotes) -2-
Original Text Modern Text
And choke their art. The merciless Macdonwald— clinging to each other and struggling in the water,
10 Worthy to be a rebel, for to that unable to move. The villainous rebel Macdonwald
The multiplying villanies of nature was supported by foot soldiers and horsemen
Do swarm upon him—from the Western Isles from Ireland and the Hebrides, and Lady Luck
Of kerns and gallowglasses is supplied, was with him, smiling cruelly at his enemies as if
And fortune, on his damnèd quarrel smiling, she were his whore. But Luck and Macdonwald
15 Showed like a rebel’s whore. But all’s too weak, together weren’t strong enough. Brave Macbeth,
For brave Macbeth—well he deserves that name— laughing at Luck, chopped his way through to
Disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel, Macdonwald, who didn’t even have time to say
Which smoked with bloody execution, good-bye or shake hands before Macbeth split
Like valor’s minion carved out his passage him open from his navel to his jawbone and stuck
20 Till he faced the slave; his head on our castle walls.
Which ne'er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him,
Till he unseamed him from the nave to th' chops,
And fixed his head upon our battlements.
DUNCAN DUNCAN
O valiant cousin! Worthy gentleman! My brave relative! What a worthy man!
Act 1, Scene 2, Page 2
CAPTAIN CAPTAIN
25 As whence the sun 'gins his reflection But in the same way that violent storms always
Shipwracking storms and direful thunders break, come just as spring appears, our success against
So from that spring whence comfort seemed to come Macdonwald created new problems for us. Listen
Discomfort swells. Mark, King of Scotland, mark: to this, King: as soon as we sent those Irish
No sooner justice had, with valor armed, soldiers running for cover, the Norwegian king
30 Compelled these skipping kerns to trust their heels, saw his chance to attack us with fresh troops and
But the Norweyan lord, surveying vantage, shiny weapons.
With furbished arms and new supplies of men,
Began a fresh assault.
DUNCAN DUNCAN
Dismayed not this our captains, Macbeth and Didn’t this frighten our captains, Macbeth and
Banquo? Banquo?
CAPTAIN CAPTAIN
35 Yes, as sparrows eagles, or the hare the lion. The new challenge scared them about as much
If I say sooth, I must report they were as sparrows frighten eagles, or rabbits frighten a
As cannons overcharged with double cracks, lion. To tell you the truth, they fought the new
So they doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe. enemy with twice as much force as before; they
Except they meant to bathe in reeking wounds, were like cannons loaded with double
40 Or memorize another Golgotha, ammunition. Maybe they wanted to take a bath in
I cannot tell— their enemies' blood, or make that battlefield as
But I am faint, my gashes cry for help. infamous as Golgotha, where Christ was
crucified, I don’t know. But I feel weak. My
wounds must be tended to.
DUNCAN DUNCAN
So well thy words become thee as thy wounds; Your words, like your wounds, bring you honor.
They smack of honor both. Go get him surgeons. Take him to the surgeons.
Exit CAPTAIN with attendants The CAPTAIN exits, helped by attendants.
Enter ROSS and ANGUS ROSS and ANGUS enter.
45 Who comes here? Who is this?
MALCOLM MALCOLM
The worthy thane of Ross. The worthy Thane of Ross.
LENNOX LENNOX
,No Fear Shakespeare – Macbeth (by SparkNotes) -3-
Original Text Modern Text
What a haste looks through his eyes! So should he His eyes seem frantic! He looks like someone
look with a strange tale to tell.
That seems to speak things strange.
Act 1, Scene 2, Page 3
ROSS ROSS
God save the king. God save the king!
DUNCAN DUNCAN
Whence cam’st thou, worthy thane? Where have you come from, worthy thane?
ROSS ROSS
From Fife, great king, Great king, I’ve come from Fife, where the
Where the Norweyan banners flout the sky Norwegian flag flies, mocking our country and
50 And fan our people cold. frightening our people. Leading an enormous
Norway himself, with terrible numbers, army and assisted by that disloyal traitor, the
Assisted by that most disloyal traitor, thane of Cawdor, the king of Norway began a
The thane of Cawdor, began a dismal conflict, bloody battle. But outfitted in his battle-weathered
Till that Bellona’s bridegroom, lapped in proof, armor, Macbeth met the Norwegian attacks shot
55 Confronted him with self-comparisons, for shot, as if he were the goddess of war’s
Point against point, rebellious arm 'gainst arm, husband. Finally he broke the enemy’s spirit, and
Curbing his lavish spirit; and to conclude, we were victorious.
The victory fell on us.
DUNCAN DUNCAN
Great happiness! Great happiness!
ROSS ROSS
That now So now Sweno, the Norwegian king, wants a
Sweno, the Norways' king, craves composition. treaty. We told him we wouldn’t even let him bury
60 Nor would we deign him burial of his men his men until he retreated to Saint Colme’s Inch
Till he disbursed at Saint Colme’s Inch and paid us ten thousand dollars.
Ten thousand dollars to our general use.
DUNCAN DUNCAN
No more that thane of Cawdor shall deceive The thane of Cawdor will never again betray me.
Our bosom interest: go pronounce his present death, Go announce that he will be executed, and tell
65 And with his former title greet Macbeth. Macbeth that Cawdor’s titles will be given to him.
ROSS ROSS
I’ll see it done. I’ll get it done right away.
DUNCAN DUNCAN
What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won. The thane of Cawdor has lost what the noble
Macbeth has won.
Exeunt They all exit.
Act 1, Scene 3
Thunder. Enter the three WITCHES Thunder. The three WITCHES enter.
FIRST WITCH FIRST WITCH
Where hast thou been, sister? Where have you been, sister?
SECOND WITCH SECOND WITCH
Killing swine. Killing pigs.
THIRD WITCH THIRD WITCH
Sister, where thou? And you, sister?
FIRST WITCH FIRST WITCH
A sailor’s wife had chestnuts in her lap, A sailor’s wife had chestnuts in her lap and
, No Fear Shakespeare – Macbeth (by SparkNotes) -4-
Original Text Modern Text
5 And munched, and munched, and munched. “Give munched away at them. “Give me one,” I said.
me,” “Get away from me, witch!” the fat woman cried.
quoth I. Her husband has sailed off to Aleppo as master
“Aroint thee, witch!” the rump-fed runnion cries. of a ship called the Tiger. I’ll sail there in a kitchen
Her husband’s to Aleppo gone, master o' th' Tiger; strainer, turn myself into a tailless rat, and do
But in a sieve I’ll thither sail, things to him—
10 And like a rat without a tail,
I’ll do, I’ll do, and I’ll do.
SECOND WITCH SECOND WITCH
I’ll give thee a wind. I’ll give you some wind to sail there.
FIRST WITCH FIRST WITCH
Thou 'rt kind. How nice of you!
THIRD WITCH THIRD WITCH
And I another. And I will give you some more.
FIRST WITCH FIRST WITCH
I myself have all the other, I already have control of all the other winds, along
15 And the very ports they blow, with the ports from which they blow and every
All the quarters that they know direction on the sailor’s compass in which they
I' th' shipman’s card. can go. I’ll drain the life out of him. He won’t catch
I’ll drain him dry as hay. a wink of sleep, either at night or during the day.
Sleep shall neither night nor day He will live as a cursed man. For eighty-one
20 Hang upon his penthouse lid. weeks he will waste away in agony.
He shall live a man forbid.
Weary sev'nnights nine times nine
Shall he dwindle, peak and pine.
Act 1, Scene 3, Page 2
Though his bark cannot be lost, Although I can’t make his ship disappear, I can
25 Yet it shall be tempest-tossed. still make his journey miserable. Look what I have
Look what I have. here.
SECOND WITCH SECOND WITCH
Show me, show me. Show me, show me.
FIRST WITCH FIRST WITCH
Here I have a pilot’s thumb, Here I have the thumb of a pilot who was
Wrecked as homeward he did come. drowned while trying to return home.
Drum within A drum sounds offstage.
THIRD WITCH THIRD WITCH
30 A drum, a drum! A drum, a drum! Macbeth has come.
Macbeth doth come.
ALL ALL
(dancing together in a circle) The weird sisters, hand (dancing together in a circle) We weird sisters,
in hand in hand, swift travelers over the sea and
hand, land, dance around and around like so. Three
Posters of the sea and land, times to yours, and three times to mine, and three
35 Thus do go about, about, times again, to add up to nine. Enough! The
Thrice to thine and thrice to mine charm is ready.
And thrice again, to make up nine.
Peace! The charm’s wound up.
Enter MACBETH and BANQUO MACBETH and BANQUO enter.
MACBETH MACBETH
So foul and fair a day I have not seen. (to BANQUO) I have never seen a day that was
so good and bad at the same time.
Original Text Modern Text
Act 1, Scene 1
Thunder and lightning. Enter three WITCHES Thunder and lightning. Three WITCHES enter
FIRST WITCH FIRST WITCH
When shall we three meet again? When should the three of us meet again? Will it
In thunder, lightning, or in rain? be in thunder, lightning, or rain?
SECOND WITCH SECOND WITCH
When the hurly-burly’s done, We’ll meet when the noise of the battle is over,
When the battle’s lost and won. when one side has won and the other side has
lost.
THIRD WITCH THIRD WITCH
5 That will be ere the set of sun. That will happen before sunset.
FIRST WITCH FIRST WITCH
Where the place? Where should we meet?
SECOND WITCH SECOND WITCH
Upon the heath. Let’s do it in the open field.
THIRD WITCH THIRD WITCH
There to meet with Macbeth. We’ll meet Macbeth there.
The WITCHES hear the calls of their spirit friends
or “familiars,” which look like animals—one is a
cat and one is a toad.
FIRST WITCH FIRST WITCH
I come, Graymalkin! (calling to her cat) I’m coming, Graymalkin!
SECOND WITCH SECOND WITCH
10 Paddock calls. My toad, Paddock, calls me.
THIRD WITCH THIRD WITCH
Anon. (to her spirit) I’ll be right here!
ALL ALL
Fair is foul, and foul is fair Fair is foul, and foul is fair. Let’s fly away through
Hover through the fog and filthy air. the fog and filthy air.
Exeunt They exit.
Act 1, Scene 2
Alarum within. Enter KING Sounds of a trumpet and soldiers fighting
DUNCAN, MALCOLM,DONALBAIN, LENNOX, with offstage. KING DUNCAN enters with his
attendants, meeting a bleeding CAPTAIN sonsMALCOLM and DONALBAIN, LENNOX,
and a number of attendants. They meet a
wounded and bloody CAPTAIN.
DUNCAN DUNCAN
What bloody man is that? He can report, Who is this bloody man? Judging from his
As seemeth by his plight, of the revolt appearance, I bet he can tell us the latest news
The newest state. about the revolt.
MALCOLM MALCOLM
This is the sergeant This is the brave sergeant who fought to keep me
Who like a good and hardy soldier fought from being captured. Hail, brave friend! Tell the
5 'Gainst my captivity. Hail, brave friend! king what was happening in the battle when you
Say to the king the knowledge of the broil left it.
As thou didst leave it.
CAPTAIN CAPTAIN
Doubtful it stood, For a while you couldn’t tell who would win. The
As two spent swimmers that do cling together armies were like two exhausted swimmers
,No Fear Shakespeare – Macbeth (by SparkNotes) -2-
Original Text Modern Text
And choke their art. The merciless Macdonwald— clinging to each other and struggling in the water,
10 Worthy to be a rebel, for to that unable to move. The villainous rebel Macdonwald
The multiplying villanies of nature was supported by foot soldiers and horsemen
Do swarm upon him—from the Western Isles from Ireland and the Hebrides, and Lady Luck
Of kerns and gallowglasses is supplied, was with him, smiling cruelly at his enemies as if
And fortune, on his damnèd quarrel smiling, she were his whore. But Luck and Macdonwald
15 Showed like a rebel’s whore. But all’s too weak, together weren’t strong enough. Brave Macbeth,
For brave Macbeth—well he deserves that name— laughing at Luck, chopped his way through to
Disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel, Macdonwald, who didn’t even have time to say
Which smoked with bloody execution, good-bye or shake hands before Macbeth split
Like valor’s minion carved out his passage him open from his navel to his jawbone and stuck
20 Till he faced the slave; his head on our castle walls.
Which ne'er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him,
Till he unseamed him from the nave to th' chops,
And fixed his head upon our battlements.
DUNCAN DUNCAN
O valiant cousin! Worthy gentleman! My brave relative! What a worthy man!
Act 1, Scene 2, Page 2
CAPTAIN CAPTAIN
25 As whence the sun 'gins his reflection But in the same way that violent storms always
Shipwracking storms and direful thunders break, come just as spring appears, our success against
So from that spring whence comfort seemed to come Macdonwald created new problems for us. Listen
Discomfort swells. Mark, King of Scotland, mark: to this, King: as soon as we sent those Irish
No sooner justice had, with valor armed, soldiers running for cover, the Norwegian king
30 Compelled these skipping kerns to trust their heels, saw his chance to attack us with fresh troops and
But the Norweyan lord, surveying vantage, shiny weapons.
With furbished arms and new supplies of men,
Began a fresh assault.
DUNCAN DUNCAN
Dismayed not this our captains, Macbeth and Didn’t this frighten our captains, Macbeth and
Banquo? Banquo?
CAPTAIN CAPTAIN
35 Yes, as sparrows eagles, or the hare the lion. The new challenge scared them about as much
If I say sooth, I must report they were as sparrows frighten eagles, or rabbits frighten a
As cannons overcharged with double cracks, lion. To tell you the truth, they fought the new
So they doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe. enemy with twice as much force as before; they
Except they meant to bathe in reeking wounds, were like cannons loaded with double
40 Or memorize another Golgotha, ammunition. Maybe they wanted to take a bath in
I cannot tell— their enemies' blood, or make that battlefield as
But I am faint, my gashes cry for help. infamous as Golgotha, where Christ was
crucified, I don’t know. But I feel weak. My
wounds must be tended to.
DUNCAN DUNCAN
So well thy words become thee as thy wounds; Your words, like your wounds, bring you honor.
They smack of honor both. Go get him surgeons. Take him to the surgeons.
Exit CAPTAIN with attendants The CAPTAIN exits, helped by attendants.
Enter ROSS and ANGUS ROSS and ANGUS enter.
45 Who comes here? Who is this?
MALCOLM MALCOLM
The worthy thane of Ross. The worthy Thane of Ross.
LENNOX LENNOX
,No Fear Shakespeare – Macbeth (by SparkNotes) -3-
Original Text Modern Text
What a haste looks through his eyes! So should he His eyes seem frantic! He looks like someone
look with a strange tale to tell.
That seems to speak things strange.
Act 1, Scene 2, Page 3
ROSS ROSS
God save the king. God save the king!
DUNCAN DUNCAN
Whence cam’st thou, worthy thane? Where have you come from, worthy thane?
ROSS ROSS
From Fife, great king, Great king, I’ve come from Fife, where the
Where the Norweyan banners flout the sky Norwegian flag flies, mocking our country and
50 And fan our people cold. frightening our people. Leading an enormous
Norway himself, with terrible numbers, army and assisted by that disloyal traitor, the
Assisted by that most disloyal traitor, thane of Cawdor, the king of Norway began a
The thane of Cawdor, began a dismal conflict, bloody battle. But outfitted in his battle-weathered
Till that Bellona’s bridegroom, lapped in proof, armor, Macbeth met the Norwegian attacks shot
55 Confronted him with self-comparisons, for shot, as if he were the goddess of war’s
Point against point, rebellious arm 'gainst arm, husband. Finally he broke the enemy’s spirit, and
Curbing his lavish spirit; and to conclude, we were victorious.
The victory fell on us.
DUNCAN DUNCAN
Great happiness! Great happiness!
ROSS ROSS
That now So now Sweno, the Norwegian king, wants a
Sweno, the Norways' king, craves composition. treaty. We told him we wouldn’t even let him bury
60 Nor would we deign him burial of his men his men until he retreated to Saint Colme’s Inch
Till he disbursed at Saint Colme’s Inch and paid us ten thousand dollars.
Ten thousand dollars to our general use.
DUNCAN DUNCAN
No more that thane of Cawdor shall deceive The thane of Cawdor will never again betray me.
Our bosom interest: go pronounce his present death, Go announce that he will be executed, and tell
65 And with his former title greet Macbeth. Macbeth that Cawdor’s titles will be given to him.
ROSS ROSS
I’ll see it done. I’ll get it done right away.
DUNCAN DUNCAN
What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won. The thane of Cawdor has lost what the noble
Macbeth has won.
Exeunt They all exit.
Act 1, Scene 3
Thunder. Enter the three WITCHES Thunder. The three WITCHES enter.
FIRST WITCH FIRST WITCH
Where hast thou been, sister? Where have you been, sister?
SECOND WITCH SECOND WITCH
Killing swine. Killing pigs.
THIRD WITCH THIRD WITCH
Sister, where thou? And you, sister?
FIRST WITCH FIRST WITCH
A sailor’s wife had chestnuts in her lap, A sailor’s wife had chestnuts in her lap and
, No Fear Shakespeare – Macbeth (by SparkNotes) -4-
Original Text Modern Text
5 And munched, and munched, and munched. “Give munched away at them. “Give me one,” I said.
me,” “Get away from me, witch!” the fat woman cried.
quoth I. Her husband has sailed off to Aleppo as master
“Aroint thee, witch!” the rump-fed runnion cries. of a ship called the Tiger. I’ll sail there in a kitchen
Her husband’s to Aleppo gone, master o' th' Tiger; strainer, turn myself into a tailless rat, and do
But in a sieve I’ll thither sail, things to him—
10 And like a rat without a tail,
I’ll do, I’ll do, and I’ll do.
SECOND WITCH SECOND WITCH
I’ll give thee a wind. I’ll give you some wind to sail there.
FIRST WITCH FIRST WITCH
Thou 'rt kind. How nice of you!
THIRD WITCH THIRD WITCH
And I another. And I will give you some more.
FIRST WITCH FIRST WITCH
I myself have all the other, I already have control of all the other winds, along
15 And the very ports they blow, with the ports from which they blow and every
All the quarters that they know direction on the sailor’s compass in which they
I' th' shipman’s card. can go. I’ll drain the life out of him. He won’t catch
I’ll drain him dry as hay. a wink of sleep, either at night or during the day.
Sleep shall neither night nor day He will live as a cursed man. For eighty-one
20 Hang upon his penthouse lid. weeks he will waste away in agony.
He shall live a man forbid.
Weary sev'nnights nine times nine
Shall he dwindle, peak and pine.
Act 1, Scene 3, Page 2
Though his bark cannot be lost, Although I can’t make his ship disappear, I can
25 Yet it shall be tempest-tossed. still make his journey miserable. Look what I have
Look what I have. here.
SECOND WITCH SECOND WITCH
Show me, show me. Show me, show me.
FIRST WITCH FIRST WITCH
Here I have a pilot’s thumb, Here I have the thumb of a pilot who was
Wrecked as homeward he did come. drowned while trying to return home.
Drum within A drum sounds offstage.
THIRD WITCH THIRD WITCH
30 A drum, a drum! A drum, a drum! Macbeth has come.
Macbeth doth come.
ALL ALL
(dancing together in a circle) The weird sisters, hand (dancing together in a circle) We weird sisters,
in hand in hand, swift travelers over the sea and
hand, land, dance around and around like so. Three
Posters of the sea and land, times to yours, and three times to mine, and three
35 Thus do go about, about, times again, to add up to nine. Enough! The
Thrice to thine and thrice to mine charm is ready.
And thrice again, to make up nine.
Peace! The charm’s wound up.
Enter MACBETH and BANQUO MACBETH and BANQUO enter.
MACBETH MACBETH
So foul and fair a day I have not seen. (to BANQUO) I have never seen a day that was
so good and bad at the same time.
