© Pearson Education, Inc., or its affiliates. All rights reserved.NOTESmissives^1 from the King, who all-hailed me ‘Thane
of Cawdor’: by which title, before, these weird sisters
saluted me, and referred me to the coming on
of time, with ‘Hail, King that shalt be!’ This have I
thought good to deliver thee,^2 my dearest partner of
greatness, that thou mightst not lose the dues of
rejoicing, by being ignorant of what greatness is
promised thee. Lay it to thy heart, and farewell.”
Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be
What thou art promised. Yet do I fear thy nature:
It is too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness
To catch the nearest^3 way. Thou wouldst be great,
Art not without ambition, but without
The illness^4 should attend it. What thou wouldst highly,
That wouldst thou holily; wouldst not play false,
And yet wouldst wrongly win. Thou’dst have, great Glamis,
That which cries “Thus thou must do” if thou have it;
And that which rather thou dost fear to do
Than wishest should be undone.^5 Hie thee hither,
That I may pour my spirits in thine ear,
And chastise with the valor of my tongue
All that impedes thee from the golden round^6
Which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem
To have thee crowned withal.
[Enter Messenger.]
What is your tidings?
Messenger. The King comes here tonight.
Lady Macbeth. Thou’rt mad to say it!
Is not thy master with him, who, were’t so,
Would have informed for preparation?
Messenger. So please you, it is true. Our thane is coming.
One of my fellows had the speed of him.^7
Who, almost dead for breath, had scarcely more
Than would make up his message.
Lady Macbeth. Give him tending:
He brings great news. [Exit Messenger.]
The raven himself is hoarse
That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan
Under my battlements. Come, you spirits
That tend on mortal^8 thoughts, unsex me here,
And fill me, from the crown to the toe, top-full
Of direst cruelty! Make thick my blood.
Stop up th’ access and passage to remorse^9
That no compunctious visitings of nature^10
Shake my fell^11 purpose, nor keep peace between
Th’ effect^12 and it! Come to my woman’s breasts.- missives messengers.
10 - deliver thee report to you.
15- nearest quickest.
- illness wickedness. 20
- that which... undone What 25
you are afraid of doing you
would not wish undone once
you have undone it. - round crown
30- had... him overtook him.^35
40- mortal deadly.
- remorse compassion.
- compunctious... nature
natural feelings of pity. - fell savage.
- effect fulfillment.
45270 UNIT 3 • FACING THE FUTURE, CONFRONTING THE PASTLIT17_SE12_U03_A1C_WC.indd 270 3/14/16 1:08 AMTEACHING
Interpret Soliloquy
Students may have marked Scene v,
lines 15−30 during their first read. Use
these lines to help students understand the
importance of soliloquy in Elizabethan drama.
Encourage them to talk about the annotations
that they marked. You may want to model
a close read with the class based on the
highlights shown in the text.
ANNOTATE: Have students mark details
in these lines that reveal Lady Macbeth’s
ambitions or plans, or have students
participate while you highlight them.
QuEsTiON: Guide students to consider
what these details might tell them. Ask what
a reader can infer from what Lady Macbeth
feels about her husband, and accept student
responses.
Possible response: She sees Macbeth as
not being sufficiently wicked to accomplish
his ambitions. She says he would rather do it
“holily” (in a holy manner) and would rather not
play false and win dishonestly.
CONCLuDE: Help students to formulate
conclusions about the importance of these
details in the text. Ask students why the
author might have included these details.
Possible response: Lady Macbeth is revealing
her feelings to the audience about Macbeth and
at the same time she reveals her own ambitions.
She feels that Macbeth would be willing to
accept the results of foul play, even if he did not
consider them his first choice.
Remind students that a soliloquy is a long
speech, usually made by a character who is
alone. The character reveals private thoughts
and feelings to the audience. This character
may be addressing the audience directly, but
the convention is that the audience is simply
overhearing the character talking or thinking
out loud. A soliloquy is a type of dramatic
speech as well as a type of monologue.CLOSER LOOK
PERSONALIZE FOR LEARNING
Challenge
The Real Macbeth Raphael Holinshed’s Chronicles
of England, Scotland, and Ireland is cited as
a source Shakespeare used when writing The
Tragedy of Macbeth. But Shakespeare changed
the story to fit his dramatic purposes, and
Holinshed was not completely accurate to beginwith. Encourage interested students to research
the real Macbeth and the events that surrounded
his life. They might choose to concentrate on
his rise to power, his reign, or the circumstances
surrounding his death. Have them present what
they discover to the class. (Research to Explore)270 UNIT 3 • FACING THE FUTURE, CONFRONTING THE PAST
LIT17_TE12_U03_A1C_WC.indd 270 4/9/16 10:10 AM