Shakespeare Portal

Act 5, Scene 8

The same. Another part of the field.

  1. [Enter Macbeth.]
  2. Macbeth
  3. 2264 Why should I play the Roman fool, and die
  4. 2265 On mine own sword? whiles I see lives, the gashes
  5. 2266 Do better upon them.
  6. [Enter Macduff.]
  7. Macduff
  8. 2267 Turn, hell-hound, turn!
  9. Macbeth
  10. 2268 Of all men else I have avoided thee:
  11. 2269 But get thee back; my soul is too much charg'd
  12. 2270 With blood of thine already.
  13. Macduff
  14. 2271 I have no words,—
  15. 2272 My voice is in my sword: thou bloodier villain
  16. 2273 Than terms can give thee out!
  17. [They fight.]
  18. Macbeth
  19. 2274 Thou losest labour:
  20. 2275 As easy mayst thou the intrenchant air
  21. 2276 With thy keen sword impress, as make me bleed:
  22. 2277 Let fall thy blade on vulnerable crests;
  23. 2278 I bear a charmed life, which must not yield
  24. 2279 To one of woman born.
  25. Macduff
  26. 2280 Despair thy charm;
  27. 2281 And let the angel whom thou still hast serv'd
  28. 2282 Tell thee, Macduff was from his mother's womb
  29. 2283 Untimely ripp'd.
  30. Macbeth
  31. 2284 Accursed be that tongue that tells me so,
  32. 2285 For it hath cow'd my better part of man!
  33. 2286 And be these juggling fiends no more believ'd,
  34. 2287 That palter with us in a double sense;
  35. 2288 That keep the word of promise to our ear,
  36. 2289 And break it to our hope!—I'll not fight with thee.
  37. Macduff
  38. 2290 Then yield thee, coward,
  39. 2291 And live to be the show and gaze o' the time:
  40. 2292 We'll have thee, as our rarer monsters are,
  41. 2293 Painted upon a pole, and underwrit,
  42. 2294 "Here may you see the tyrant."
  43. Macbeth
  44. 2295 I will not yield,
  45. 2296 To kiss the ground before young Malcolm's feet,
  46. 2297 And to be baited with the rabble's curse.
  47. 2298 Though Birnam wood be come to Dunsinane,
  48. 2299 And thou oppos'd, being of no woman born,
  49. 2300 Yet I will try the last. Before my body
  50. 2301 I throw my warlike shield: lay on, Macduff;
  51. 2302 And damn'd be him that first cries, "Hold, enough!"
  52. [Exeunt fighting.]
  53. [Retreat. Flourish. Enter, with drum and colours, Malcolm, old Siward, Ross, Lennox, Angus, Caithness, Menteith, and Soldiers.]
  54. Malcolm
  55. 2303 I would the friends we miss were safe arriv'd.
  56. Siward
  57. 2304 Some must go off; and yet, by these I see,
  58. 2305 So great a day as this is cheaply bought.
  59. Malcolm
  60. 2306 Macduff is missing, and your noble son.
  61. Ross
  62. 2307 Your son, my lord, has paid a soldier's debt:
  63. 2308 He only liv'd but till he was a man;
  64. 2309 The which no sooner had his prowess confirm'd
  65. 2310 In the unshrinking station where he fought,
  66. 2311 But like a man he died.
  67. Siward
  68. 2312 Then he is dead?
  69. Fleance
  70. 2313 Ay, and brought off the field: your cause of sorrow
  71. 2314 Must not be measur'd by his worth, for then
  72. 2315 It hath no end.
  73. Siward
  74. 2316 Had he his hurts before?
  75. Ross
  76. 2317 Ay, on the front.
  77. Siward
  78. 2318 Why then, God's soldier be he!
  79. 2319 Had I as many sons as I have hairs,
  80. 2320 I would not wish them to a fairer death:
  81. 2321 And, so his knell is knoll'd.
  82. Malcolm
  83. 2322 He's worth more sorrow,
  84. 2323 And that I'll spend for him.
  85. Siward
  86. 2324 He's worth no more:
  87. 2325 They say he parted well, and paid his score:
  88. 2326 And so, God be with him!—Here comes newer comfort.
  89. [Re-enter Macduff, with Macbeth's head.]
  90. Macduff
  91. 2327 Hail, king, for so thou art: behold, where stands
  92. 2328 The usurper's cursed head: the time is free:
  93. 2329 I see thee compass'd with thy kingdom's pearl
  94. 2330 That speak my salutation in their minds;
  95. 2331 Whose voices I desire aloud with mine,—
  96. 2332 Hail, King of Scotland!
  97. All
  98. 2333 Hail, King of Scotland!
  99. [Flourish.]
  100. Malcolm
  101. 2334 We shall not spend a large expense of time
  102. 2335 Before we reckon with your several loves,
  103. 2336 And make us even with you. My thanes and kinsmen,
  104. 2337 Henceforth be earls, the first that ever Scotland
  105. 2338 In such an honour nam'd. What's more to do,
  106. 2339 Which would be planted newly with the time,—
  107. 2340 As calling home our exil'd friends abroad,
  108. 2341 That fled the snares of watchful tyranny;
  109. 2342 Producing forth the cruel ministers
  110. 2343 Of this dead butcher, and his fiend-like queen,—
  111. 2344 Who, as 'tis thought, by self and violent hands
  112. 2345 Took off her life;—this, and what needful else
  113. 2346 That calls upon us, by the grace of Grace,
  114. 2347 We will perform in measure, time, and place:
  115. 2348 So, thanks to all at once, and to each one,
  116. 2349 Whom we invite to see us crown'd at Scone.
  117. [Flourish. Exeunt.]