3rd Witch A drum! A drum!
Macbeth doth come.
All Witches The Weird sisters, hand in hand,
Posters of the sea and land,
Thus do go about, about;
Thrice to thine, and thrice to mine,
And thrice again to make up nine.
Peace! The charm's wound up.
Enter MACBETH and BANQUO.
Macbeth
So foul and fair a day I have not seen.
Banquo
How far is't called to Forres? What are these,
So withered and so wild in their attire,
That look not like th' inhabitants o'th' earth,
And yet are on't? Live you, or are you aught
That man may question? You seem to understand me
By each at once her choppy finger laying
Upon her skinny lips. You should be women,
And yet your beards forbid me to interpret
That you are so.
Macbeth
Speak, if you can. What are you?
1st Witch All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of
Glamis!
2nd Witch All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of
Cawdor!
3rd Witch All hail, Macbeth! -that shalt be king
hereafter.
Banquo
Good sir, why do you start, and seem to fear
Things that do sound so fair?
[To the WITCHES.]
I'th' name of truth,
Are ye fantastical, or that indeed
Which outwardly ye show? My noble partner
You greet with present grace and great prediction
Of noble having and of royal hope,
That he seems rapt withal. To me you speak not.
If you can look into the seeds of time
And say which grain will grow and which will not,
Speak then to me, who neither beg nor fear
Your favours nor your hate.
1st Witch Hail!
2nd Witch Hail!
3rd Witch Hail!
1st Witch Lesser than Macbeth, and greater.
2nd Witch Not so happy, yet much happier.
3rd Witch Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none.
So all hail, Macbeth and Banquo!
1st Witch Banquo and Macbeth, all hail!
Macbeth
Stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me more.
By Sinel's death I know I am Thane of Glamis,
But how of Cawdor? The Thane of Cawdor lives
A prosperous gentleman; and to be king
Stands not within the prospect of belief
No more than to be Cawdor. Say from whence
You owe this strange intelligence; or why
Upon this blasted heath you stop our way
With such prophetic greeting? Speak, I charge you.
[WITCHES vanish.