Forres. A Room of State in the Palace.
 A banquet prepared.
 Enter MACBETH, LADY MACBETH, ROSS, LENNOX, LORDS, and ATTENDANTS.

Macbeth	You know your own degrees, sit down. At first and last,
	The hearty welcome.

Lords							Thanks to your majesty.

Macbeth	Ourself will mingle with society,
	And play the humble host.
												[Walks among the tables.
	Our hostess keeps her state; but in best time
	We will require her welcome.

Lady Macbeth	Pronounce it for me, sir, to all our friends,
	For my heart speaks they are welcome.

                     Enter 1st MURDERER, to the door.

Macbeth	See, they encounter thee with their hearts' thanks.
	Both sides are even - here I'll sit, i'th' midst.
	Be large in mirth; anon we'll drink a measure
	The table round.
												[Approaches the door.
	[To 1st MURDERER.]	There's blood upon thy face.

1st Murderer	'Tis Banquo's then.

Macbeth	'Tis better thee without than he within.
	Is he dispatched?

Murderer	My lord, his throat is cut; that I did for him.

Macbeth	Thou art the best o'th' cut-throats;
	Yet he's good that did the like for Fleance:
	If thou didst it, thou art the nonpareil.

1st Murderer	Most royal sir, Fleance is 'scaped.

Macbeth	Then comes my fit again; I had else been perfect,
	Whole as the marble, founded as the rock,
	As broad and general as the casing air;
	But now I am cabined, cribbed, confined, bound in
	To saucy doubts and fears. But Banquo's safe?

1st Murderer	Ay, my good lord, safe in a ditch he bides,
	With twenty trenchd gashes on his head,
	The least a death to nature.

Macbeth										Thanks for that.
	There the grown serpent lies; the worm that's fled
	Hath nature that in time will venom breed,
	No teeth for th' present. Get thee gone; tomorrow
	We'll hear ourselves again.
												[Exit 1st MURDERER.

Lady Macbeth								My royal lord,
	You do not give the cheer. The feast is sold
	That is not often vouched, while 'tis a-making,
	'Tis given with welcome. To feed were best at home.
	From thence the sauce to meat is ceremony;
	Meeting were bare without it.

Macbeth								Sweet remembrancer!
	Now good digestion wait on appetite,
	And health on both!

Lennox						May it please your highness sit?

         Enter the GHOST OF BANQUO, and sits in Macbeth's place.

Macbeth	Here had we now our country's honour roofed
	Were the graced person of our Banquo present,
	Who may I rather challenge for unkindness
	Than pity for mischance.

Ross								His absence, sir,
	Lays blame upon his promise. Please't your highness
	To grace us with your royal company?

Macbeth	The table's full.

Lennox						Here is a place reserved, sir.

Macbeth	Where?

Lennox	Here, my good lord. What is't that moves your highness?

Macbeth	Which of you have done this?

Lords										What, my good lord?

Macbeth	[To the GHOST.] Thou canst not say I did it. Never shake
	Thy gory locks at me.

Ross	Gentlemen, rise; his highness it not well.

Lady Macbeth	Sit, worthy friends. My lord is often thus,
	And hath been from his youth. Pray you, keep seat,
	The fit is momentary. Upon a thought
	He will again be well. If much you note him
	You shall offend him and extend his passion.
	Feed, and regard him not.
	[Aside to MACBETH.]			Are you a man?

Macbeth	[Aside to LADY MACBETH.]
	Ay, and a bold one, that dare look on that
	Which might appal the devil.

Lady Macbeth									O proper stuff!
	This is the very painting of your fear;
	This is the air-drawn dagger which you said
	Led you to Duncan. O, these flaws and starts,
	Impostors to true fear, would well become
	A woman's story at a winter's fire,
	Authorized by her grandam. Shame itself!
	Why do you make such faces? When all's done
	You look but on a stool.

Macbeth								Prithee, see there!
	Behold! Look! Lo! How say you?
	Why, what care I if thou canst nod, speak too.
	If charnel-houses and our graves must send
	Those that we bury back, our monuments
	Shall be the maws of kites.
												[GHOST disappears.

Lady Macbeth								What, quite unmanned in folly?

Macbeth	If I stand here, I saw him.

Lady Macbeth									Fie, for shame!

Macbeth	Blood hath been shed ere now, i'th' olden time,
	Ere human statute purged the gentle weal;
	Ay, and since too, murders have been performed
	Too terrible for the ear. The time has been
	That when the brains were out the man would die,
	And there an end; but now they rise again,
	With twenty mortal murders on their crowns,
	And push us from our stools. This is more strange
	Than such a murder is.

Lady Macbeth								My worthy lord,
	Your noble friends do lack you.

Macbeth										I do forget.
	Do not muse at me, my most worthy friends;
	I have a strange infirmity, which is nothing
	To those that know me. Come, love and health to all,
	Then I'll sit down. Give me some wine - fill full.
	I drink to th' general joy o'th' whole table,
	And to our dear friend Banquo, whom we miss.

                             Re-enter GHOST.

	Would he were here! To all, and him, we thirst,
	And all to all.

Lords						Our duties, and the pledge.

Macbeth	[Seeing the GHOST.]
	Avaunt, and quit my sight! Let the earth hide thee!
	Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold;
	Thou hast no speculation in those eyes
	Which thou dost glare with.

Lady Macbeth								Think of this, good peers,
	But as a thing of custom - 'tis no other;
	Only it spoils the pleasure of the time.

Macbeth	What man dare, I dare.
	Approach thou like the rugged Russian bear,
	The armed rhinoceros, or th' Hyrcan tiger;
	Take any shape but that, and my firm nerves
	Shall never tremble. Or be alive again,
	And dare me to the desert with thy sword.
	If trembling I inhabit then, protest me
	The baby of a girl. Hence, horrible shadow!
	Unreal mock'ry, hence!
												[GHOST disappears.
							Why, so; being gone,
	I am a man again. Pray you, sit still.

Lady Macbeth	You have displaced the mirth, broke the good meeting,
	With most admired disorder.

Macbeth									Can such things be,
	And overcome us like a summer's cloud,
	Without our special wonder? You make me strange
	Even to the disposition that I owe
	When now I think you can behold such sights
	And keep the natural ruby of your cheeks,
	When mine is blanched with fear.

Ross										What sights, my lord?

Lady Macbeth	I pray you, speak not; he grows worse and worse.
	Question enrages him. At once, good night.
	Stand not upon the order of your going,
	But go at once.

Lennox						Good night; and better health
	Attend his majesty!

Lady Macbeth							A kind good night to all.
								   [Exeunt LORDS and ATTENDANTS.

Macbeth	It will have blood; they say blood will have blood.
	Stones have been known to move and trees to speak;
	Augurs and understood relations have
	By magot-pies, and choughs, and rooks, brought forth
	The secret'st man of blood. What is the night?

Lady Macbeth	Almost at odds with morning which is which.

Macbeth	How sayst thou, that Macduff denies his person
	At our great bidding?

Lady Macbeth							Did you send to him, sir?

Macbeth	I heard it by the way, but I will send.
	There's not a one of them but in his house
	I keep a servant fee'd. I will tomorrow-
	And betimes I will - to the Weird sisters.
	More shall they speak; for now I am bent to know
	By the worst means the worst. For mine own good
	All causes shall give way. I am in blood
	Stepped in so far that, should I wade no more,
	Returning were as tedious as go o'er.
	Strange things I have in head that will to hand,
	Which must be acted ere they may be scanned.

Lady Macbeth	You lack the season of all natures, sleep.

Macbeth	Come, we'll to sleep. My strange and self-abuse
	Is the initiate fear that wants hard use.
	We are yet but young in deed.
												[Exeunt.
