The Witches’ Third Witch There to meet with Macbeth. By

Concept/cut by Erin Merritt First Witch

I come, Graymalkin! Cast:

Macbeth Second Witch Malcolm Paddock calls. Witch 1: Duncan, , Fleance, Attendant (3.1), (3.4),

Lady Macduff, Gentlewoman, Servant (5.3), Angus (or Third Witch Menteith or Caithness, pick a name) Anon. Witch 2: Macbeth, Murderer, Ross, Porter, Donalbain, Messenger 4.2, Murderer 4.2, Seyton, Young Siward ALL Witch 3: Sergeant, , Lennox, Old Man, Servant (3.2), Fair is foul, and foul is fair: Macduff’s son, Doctor, Siward (the elder), Messenger Hover through the fog and filthy air. (5.5) The witches now transform themselves into the characters in front of our faces, not even impersonating them yet but just playing… ACT I, scene i A desert place. Thunder and lightning. Enter three Witches

First Witch When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain? ACT I, scene ii —A camp near Forres. Alarum within. Enter DUNCAN, MALCOLM, a bleeding Sergeant Second Witch When the hurlyburly's done, DUNCAN When the battle's lost and won. What bloody man is that? He can report, As seemeth by his plight, of the revolt Third Witch The newest state. That will be ere the set of sun. MALCOLM First Witch This is the sergeant Where the place? Who like a good and hardy soldier fought 'Gainst my captivity. Hail, brave friend! Second Witch Say to the the knowledge of the broil Upon the heath. As thou didst leave it.

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Sergeant DUNCAN Doubtful it stood; Dismay'd not this As two spent swimmers, that do cling together Our captains, Macbeth and Banquo? And choke their art. The merciless Macdonwald— Worthy to be a rebel, for to that Sergeant The multiplying villanies of nature Yes; Do swarm upon him—from the western isles As sparrows eagles, or the hare the lion. Of kerns and gallowglasses is supplied; If I say sooth, I must report they were And fortune, on his damned quarrel smiling, As cannons overcharged with double cracks, so they Show'd like a rebel's whore: but all's too weak: Doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe: For brave Macbeth—well he deserves that name— Except they meant to bathe in reeking wounds, Disdaining fortune, with his brandish'd steel, Or memorise another Golgotha, Which smoked with bloody execution, I cannot tell. Like valour's minion carved out his passage But I am faint, my gashes cry for help. Till he faced the slave; Which ne'er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him, DUNCAN Till he unseam'd him from the nave to the chaps, So well thy words become thee as thy wounds; And fix'd his head upon our battlements. They smack of honour both. Go get him surgeons. Exit Sergeant, attended DUNCAN Who comes here? O valiant cousin! worthy ! Enter ROSS Sergeant As whence the sun 'gins his reflection MALCOLM Shipwrecking storms and direful thunders break, The worthy thane of Ross. So from that spring whence comfort seem'd to come Discomfort swells. Mark, king of , mark: DUNCAN No sooner justice had with valour arm'd What a haste looks through his eyes! So should he look Compell'd these skipping kerns to trust their heels, That seems to speak things strange. But the Norweyan lord surveying vantage, With furbish'd arms and new supplies of men ROSS Began a fresh assault. God save the king!

DUNCAN Whence camest thou, worthy thane?

Erin Merritt, copyright 2007 2 ROSS And thrice again, to make up nine. From Fife, ; Peace! the charm's wound up. Where the Norweyan banners flout the sky And fan our people cold. Norway himself, Enter MACBETH (Witch 1 takes to his side as though s/he has been With terrible numbers, with him all along. Throughout the scene s/he will circle him so that Assisted by that most disloyal traitor s/he is near him when speaking Banquo and farther when speaking The , began a dismal conflict; Witch lines. Thus the three spread a glamour in every direction Till that Bellona's bridegroom, lapp'd in proof, Macbeth looks) Confronted him with self-comparisons, Point against point rebellious, arm 'gainst arm. MACBETH Curbing his lavish spirit: and, to conclude, So foul and fair a day I have not seen. The victory fell on us. BANQUO DUNCAN How far is't call'd to Forres? What are these Great happiness! So wither'd and so wild in their attire, No more that thane of Cawdor shall deceive That look not like the inhabitants o' the earth, Our bosom interest: go pronounce his present death, And yet are on't? Live you? or are you aught And with his former title greet Macbeth. That man may question?, You should be women, And yet your beards forbid me to interpret ROSS That you are so. I'll see it done. MACBETH DUNCAN Speak, if you can: what are you? What he hath lost noble Macbeth hath won. First Witch Drum within. Witches turn back to themselves. All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of Glamis!

Third Witch Second Witch A drum, a drum! All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, thane of Cawdor! Macbeth doth come. Third Witch ALL (in a widening circle, ending with at least one at the site where All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter! Macbeth will enter) The weird sisters, hand in hand, BANQUO Posters of the sea and land, Good , why do you start; and seem to fear Thus do go about, about: Things that do sound so fair? I' the name of truth, Thrice to thine and thrice to mine Are ye fantastical, or that indeed

Erin Merritt, copyright 2007 3 Which outwardly ye show? My noble partner No more than to be Cawdor. Say from whence You greet with present grace and great prediction You owe this strange intelligence? or why Of noble having and of royal hope, Upon this blasted heath you stop our way That he seems rapt withal: to me you speak not. With such prophetic greeting? Speak, I charge you. If you can look into the seeds of time, And say which grain will grow and which will not, Witches vanish Speak then to me, who neither beg nor fear Your favours nor your hate. BANQUO The earth hath bubbles, as the water has, First Witch And these are of them. Whither are they vanish'd? Hail! MACBETH Second Witch Into the air; and what seem'd corporal melted Hail! As breath into the wind. Would they had stay'd!

Third Witch BANQUO Hail! Were such things here as we do speak about? Or have we eaten on the insane root First Witch That takes the reason prisoner? Lesser than Macbeth, and greater. MACBETH Second Witch Your children shall be . Not so happy, yet much happier. BANQUO Third Witch You shall be king. Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none: So all hail, Macbeth and Banquo! MACBETH And thane of Cawdor too: went it not so? First Witch Banquo and Macbeth, all hail! BANQUO To the selfsame tune and words. Who's here? MACBETH Stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me more: Enter ROSS. 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,

Erin Merritt, copyright 2007 4 ROSS When those that gave the thane of Cawdor to me The king hath happily received, Macbeth, Promised no less to them? The news of thy success; and when he reads Thy personal venture in the rebels' fight, BANQUO His wonders and his praises do contend That trusted home Which should be thine or his. I am sent Might yet enkindle you unto the crown, To give thee from our royal master thanks; Besides the thane of Cawdor. But 'tis strange: Only to herald thee into his sight, And oftentimes, to win us to our harm, And, for an earnest of a greater honour, The instruments of darkness tell us truths, He bade me, from him, call thee thane of Cawdor: Win us with honest trifles, to betray's In which addition, hail, most worthy thane! In deepest consequence. For it is thine. Cousins, a word, I pray you.

BANQUO MACBETH What, can the devil speak true? [Aside] Two truths are told, As happy prologues to the swelling act MACBETH Of the imperial theme.—I thank you, gentlemen. The thane of Cawdor lives: why do you dress me Aside In borrow'd robes? Cannot be ill, cannot be good: if ill, Why hath it given me earnest of success, ROSS Commencing in a truth? I am thane of Cawdor: Who was the thane lives yet; If good, why do I yield to that suggestion But under heavy judgment bears that life Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair Which he deserves to lose. Whether he was combined And make my seated heart knock at my ribs, With those of Norway, or did line the rebel Against the use of nature? Present fears With hidden help and vantage, or that with both Are less than horrible imaginings: He labour'd in his country's wreck, I know not; My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, But treasons capital, confess'd and proved, Shakes so my single state of man that function Have overthrown him. Is smother'd in surmise, and nothing is But what is not. MACBETH [Aside] Glamis, and thane of Cawdor! BANQUO The greatest is behind. Look, how our partner's rapt. To ROSS Thanks for your pains. MACBETH To BANQUO [Aside] If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me, Do you not hope your children shall be kings, Without my stir.

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