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NOTES
Lady Macbeth. Help me hence, ho!
Macduff. Look to the lady.
Malcolm. [Aside to Donalbain] Why do we hold our tongues,
That most may claim this argument for ours?^31
Donalbain. [Aside to Malcolm] What should be spoken here,
Where our fate, hid in an auger-hole,^32
May rush, and seize us? Let’s away:
Our tears are not yet brewed.
Malcolm. [Aside to Donalbain] Nor our strong sorrow
Upon the foot of motion.^33
Banquo. Look to the lady.
[Lady Macbeth is carried out.]
And when we have our naked frailties hid,^34
That suffer in exposure, let us meet
And question^35 this most bloody piece of work,
To know it further. Fears and scruples^36 shake us.
In the great hand of God I stand, and thence
Against the undivulged pretense^37 I fight
Of treasonous malice.
Macduff. And so do I.
All. So all.
Macbeth. Let’s briefly^38 put on manly readiness,
And meet i’ th’ hall together.
All. Well contented.
[Exit all but Malcolm and Donalbain.]
Malcolm. What will you do? Let’s not consort with them.
To show an unfelt sorrow is an office^39
Which the false man does easy. I’ll to England.
Donalbain. To Ireland, I; our separated fortune
Shall keep us both the safer. Where we are
There’s daggers in men’s smiles; the near in blood,
The nearer bloody.^40
Malcolm. This murderous shaft that’s shot
Hath not yet lighted,^41 and our safest way
Is to avoid the aim. Therefore to horse;
And let us not be dainty of leave-taking,
But shift away. There’s warrant^42 in that theft
Which steals itself^43 when there’s no mercy left.
[Exit.]
⌘ ⌘ ⌘
120
- That most... ours who are
the most concerned with this
topic. - auger-hole tiny hole, an
unsuspected place because of
its size. - Our tears... motion We have
not yet had time for tears nor
to turn our sorrow into action.
125
- when... hid when we have
put on our clothes. - question investigate. 130
- scruples doubts.
- undivulged pretense hidden
purpose. - briefly quickly. 135
- office function.
140
- the near... bloody The closer
we are in blood relationship
to Duncan, the greater our
chance of being murdered. - lighted reached its target.^145
- warrant justification.
- that theft... itself stealing
away.
290 UNIT 3 • FACING THE FUTURE, CONFRONTING THE PAST
LIT17_SE12_U03_A2_WC.indd 290 3/14/16 1:09 AM
TEACHING
PERSONALIZE FOR LEARNING
Challenge
Analyze Dialogue Review the dialogue in Scene iii, lines 121–148.
Have students work in small groups to act out the dialogue
between Malcolm, Banquo, and Donalbain in Scene iii. Encourage
students to capture the suspicious feelings of the characters in their
performances. When students have a grasp of the action and ideas,
challenge them to use evidence to support the following thesis:
Duncan’s sons should never have left Inverness. Students may wish
to read ahead in the play to bolster their arguments.
290 UNIT 3 • FACING THE FUTURE, CONFRONTING THE PAST
LIT17_TE12_U03_A2_WC.indd 290 4/9/16 11:05 AM