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The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 7 of 9]

Chapter 214: NOTES.
By William Shakespeare
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About This Book

This volume assembles several of the author's tragedies and histories, presenting edited texts alongside prefatory material, notes, and variant readings. It contains a romantic tragedy about feuding houses and ill-fated young lovers; a bitter portrayal of a wealthy figure whose generosity turns to misanthropy and ruin; a political drama depicting a leader's assassination and the ensuing struggle over public power and rhetoric; and a dark study of ambition, guilt, and the supernatural's effect on a ruler's conscience. Editorial commentary and textual emendations accompany each play to clarify language and stage practice.

Macb. They have tied me to a stake; I cannot fly,[4622]
 But bear-like I must fight the course. What's he
 That was not born of woman? Such a one
 Am I to fear, or none.

Enter young Siward.[4623]

Yo. Siw. What is thy name?
Macb. Thou'lt be afraid to hear it.
Yo. Siw. No; though thou call'st thyself a hotter name[4624]
 Than any is in hell.
Macb. My name 's Macbeth.
Yo. Siw. The devil himself could not pronounce a title
 More hateful to mine ear.
Macb. No, nor more fearful.
Yo. Siw. Thou liest, abhorred tyrant; with my sword[4625] 10
 I'll prove the lie thou speak'st.

[They fight, and young Siward is slain.[4626]

Macb. Thou wast born of woman.
 But swords I smile at, weapons laugh to scorn,
 Brandish'd by man that's of a woman born. [Exit.

Alarums. Enter Macduff.

Macd. That way the noise is. Tyrant, show thy face!
 If thou be'st slain and with no stroke of mine, 15
 My wife and children's ghosts will haunt me still.
 I cannot strike at wretched kerns, whose arms
 Are hired to bear their staves: either thou, Macbeth,[4627]
 Or else my sword, with an unbatter'd edge,[4628]
 I sheathe again undeeded. There thou shouldst be; 20
 By this great clatter, one of greatest note
 Seems bruited: let me find him, fortune![4629][4630]
 And more I beg not.[4629] [Exit. Alarums.[4631]

Enter Malcolm and old Siward.

Siw. This way, my lord; the castle's gently render'd:
 The tyrant's people on both sides do fight; 25
 The noble thanes do bravely in the war;
 The day almost itself professes yours,[4632]
 And little is to do.
Mal. We have met with foes[4633]
 That strike beside us.
Siw. Enter, sir, the castle.

[Exeunt. Alarum.[4634]

Scene VIII. Another part of the field.[4635]

Enter Macbeth.[4636]

Macb. Why should I play the Roman fool, and die
 On mine own sword? whiles I see lives, the gashes[4637]
 Do better upon them.

Enter Macduff.[4638]

Macd. Turn, hell-hound, turn!
Macb. Of all men else I have avoided thee:
 But get thee back; my soul is too much charged 5
 With blood of thine already.
Macd. I have no words:[4639]
 My voice is in my sword, thou bloodier villain
 Than terms can give thee out! [They fight.[4640]
Macb. Thou losest labour:
 As easy mayst thou the intrenchant air
 With thy keen sword impress as make me bleed: 10
 Let fall thy blade on vulnerable crests;
 I bear a charmed life, which must not yield
 To one of woman born.
Macd. Despair thy charm,
 And let the angel whom thou still hast served
 Tell thee, Macduff was from his mother's womb 15
 Untimely ripp'd.
Macb. Accursed be that tongue that tells me so,
 For it hath cow'd my better part of man!
 And be these juggling fiends no more believed,
 That palter with us in a double sense; 20
 That keep the word of promise to our ear,
 And break it to our hope. I 'll not fight with thee.[4641]
Macd. Then yield thee, coward,
 And live to be the show and gaze o' the time:
 We'll have thee, as our rarer monsters are, 25
 Painted upon a pole, and underwrit,[4642]
 'Here may you see the tyrant.'[4643]
Macb. I will not yield,
 To kiss the ground before young Malcolm's feet,
 And to be baited with the rabble's curse.
 Though Birnam wood be come to Dunsinane,[4644] 30
 And thou opposed, being of no woman born,[4645]
 Yet I will try the last: before my body
 I throw my warlike shield: lay on, Macduff;
 And damn'd be him that first cries 'Hold, enough!'[4646]

[Exeunt, fighting. Alarums.[4647]

Retreat. Flourish. Enter, with drum and colours, Malcolm, old Siward, Ross, the other Thanes, and Soldiers.[4648]

Mal. I would the friends we miss were safe arrived.[4649] 35
Siw. Some must go off: and yet, by these I see,
 So great a day as this is cheaply bought.
Mal. Macduff is missing, and your noble son.
Ross. Your son, my lord, has paid a soldier's debt:
 He only lived but till he was a man; 40
 The which no sooner had his prowess confirm'd[4650]
 In the unshrinking station where he fought,
 But like a man he died.
Siw. Then he is dead?[4651]
Ross. Ay, and brought off the field: your cause of sorrow[4652]
 Must not be measured by his worth, for then 45
 It hath no end.
Siw. Had he his hurts before?
Ross. Ay, on the front.
Siw. Why then, God's soldier be he!
 Had I as many sons as I have hairs,
 I would not wish them to a fairer death:
 And so his knell is knoll'd.
Mal. He's worth more sorrow, 50
 And that I'll spend for him.
Siw. He's worth no more:
 They say he parted well and paid his score:
 And so God be with him! Here comes newer comfort.[4653]

Re-enter Macduff, with Macbeth's head.[4654]

Macd. Hail, king! for so thou art: behold, where stands[4655]
 The usurper's cursed head: the time is free: 55
 I see thee compass'd with thy kingdom's pearl,[4656]
 That speak my salutation in their minds;
 Whose voices I desire aloud with mine:
 Hail, King of Scotland!
All. Hail, King of Scotland![4657] [Flourish.
Mal. We shall not spend a large expense of time[4658] 60
 Before we reckon with your several loves,
 And make us even with you. My thanes and kinsmen,[4659]
 Henceforth be earls, the first that ever Scotland
 In such an honour named. What's more to do,
 Which would be planted newly with the time, 65
 As calling home our exiled friends abroad
 That fled the snares of watchful tyranny,
 Producing forth the cruel ministers
 Of this dead butcher and his fiend-like queen,
 Who, as 'tis thought, by self and violent hands[4660] 70
 Took off her life; this, and what needful else[4661]
 That calls upon us, by the grace of Grace[4662]
 We will perform in measure, time and place:
 So thanks to all at once and to each one,
 Whom we invite to see us crown'd at Scone.[4663] 75

[Flourish. Exeunt.

FOOTNOTES:

[4506] two] too F1.

[4507] report] repeat Warburton conj.

[4508] Lady Macbeth,] Rowe. Lady, Ff. Queen, Staunton.

[4509] sense is] Rowe. sense are Ff. sense' are Dyce (S. Walker conj.).

[4510] [taking out his Tables. Capell.

satisfy] fortifie Warburton.

[4511] murky.] murky! Steevens. See note (IX).

[4512] afeard] afraid Rowe.

[4513] fear who ... account?] Theobald. feare? who ... accompt: F1F2. fear? who ... account: F3F4. fear who ... account—Rowe (ed. 2).

[4514] him?] Rowe. him. Ff.

[4515] [Sings. Nicholson conj.

[4516] this] F1. om. F2F3F4.

[4517] Go ... not.] Prose in Pope. Two lines in Ff.

[4518] of the blood] F1F2. of bloud F3F4.

[4519] well,—] well— Rowe. well. Ff.

[4520] which ... who] who ... to A. Hunter.

[4521] Banquo's] Duncan's Hunter conj.

[4522] on's] of his Pope. of's Capell.

[4523] [Exit.] Exit Lady. Ff.

[4524] God, God] Good God Pope.

[4525] she has] she 'as Pope.

[4526] [Exeunt.] Exeunt severally. Capell.

[4527] The country ...] Capell. A Field with a Wood at Distance. Rowe.

[4528] Caithness,] Dyce. Cathnes. Ff.

and] om. Ff.

[4529] Siward] Theobald. Seyward Ff.

[4530] for ... man.] Omit as spurious, Anon. conj.

[4531] causes] Quoted cause in Theobald's note.

[4532] Would ... alarm] F1. Omitted in F2F3F4.

[4533] mortified] milkiest Anon. conj.

[4534] I have] I've Pope.

[4535] unrough] Theobald. unruffe F1F2. unruff F3F4. unruff'd Pope. unwrought Mason conj. untough Collier MS.

[4536] tyrant?] F4. tyrant. F1F2F3.

[4537] hate] F1F2. hates F3F4.

[4538] cause] course Singer, ed. 2 (Collier MS. and S. Walker conj.). corse Anon. conj.

[4539] there?] Pope. there. Ff.

[4540] medicine] Med'cine Ff. medecin Steevens (Warburton conj.). med'cin Capell.

[4541] Make we] Make me Theobald (ed. 1). Make up Theobald (ed. 2).

Birnam] Birnan F4.

[Exeunt, marching.] Ff. Exeunt. Rowe.

[4542] Dunsinane. A room in the castle.] Capell. The Castle. Rowe. Dunsinane. Pope.

[4543] Birnam] F3 F4. Byrnane F1. Byrnam F2.

[4544] taint] faint S. Walker conj.

[4545] The spirits] Spirits Pope.

[4546] consequences have] consequents, Steevens (1793).

me thus] it Pope. me Capell.

[4547] upon] on Steevens (1793).

Then fly] Fly Pope.

[4548] sway] stay Anon. conj.

[4549] Enter a Servant.] F3 F4. Enter Servant. F1 F2. Enter an Attendant, hastily. Capell.

[4550] loon] F3. loone F1 F2. lown F4.

[4551] goose] ghost Anon. apud Rann conj.

[4552] is] are Rowe.

thousand—] Rowe. thousand. Ff.

[4553] whey-face] whay-face Ff.

[4554] [Exit Servant.] Dyce. om. Ff.

[4555] Seyton ... say!—] Pointed as in Rowe. Seyton, I ... hart, ... behold: Seyton, I say, Ff.

[4556] I am] I'm Pope.

[4557] cheer] F3 F4. cheere F1 F2. chair Dyce (Percy conj.).

disseat] Steevens (Jennens and Capell conj.). dis-eate F1. disease F2 F3 F4.

[4558] way] May Steevens, 1778, (Johnson conj.).

of] off Jackson conj.

[4559] and dare] but dare Reed (1803, 1813, 1821).

[4560] Seyton!] om. Rowe.

[4561] What's] What is Pope.

[4562] be] F1. is F2 F3 F4.

[4563] moe] F1 F2. more F3 F4.

skirr] scour A. Hunter.

[4564] talk of] F1 stand in F2 F3 F4.

[4565] Cure her] F2 F3 F4. Cure F1. Make cure Anon. conj.

of] F1 F2. from F3 F4.

[4566] not] om. Badham conj.

a mind] minds Pope.

[4567] Raze] F1 F2. Raise F3. Rase F4.

[4568] stuffd ... stuff] cloggd ... stuff or stuffd ... load Staunton conj.

stuffd] stufft F1. stuft F2 F3 F4. full Pope. foul A. Hunter (Steevens conj.). fraught Anon. conj. pressd Anon. conj.

stuff] F3 F4. stuffe F1 F2. tuft Jackson conj. grief Collier (Collier MS.). matter Keightley. slough Anon. conj.

[4569] to] F1. unto F2 F3 F4.

[4570] mine] F1 F2 F3. my F4.

[4571] pristine] pristine F1.

[4572] cyme] Cyme F1 Caeny F2 F3. senna F4. clysme Badham conj sene Wellesley conj. sirrah Bullock conj.

[4573] Birnam] Birnane. F1.

[Exit. Steevens (1793). Exeunt all except Doctor. Dyce.

[4574] [Aside] Hanmer.

[4575] [Exeunt.] Exit. Steevens (1793). Country ...] Edd. (Globe ed.). A Wood. Rowe. Birnam Wood. Pope. Plains leading to Dunsinane; a Wood adjacent. Capell. om. Steevens.

Drums and colours.] Ff. om. Rowe.

Enter ...] Enter Malcolme, Seyward, Macduffe, Seywards Sonne, Menteth, Cathnes, Angus, and Soldiers Marching. Ff.

[4576] Cousins] Cosins F1 F2. Cousin F3 F4.

[4577] Birnam] F3 F4. Byrnam F2. Birnane F1.

[4578] confident] confin'd Warburton.

[4579] where ... have given] when ... do give A. Hunter.

[4580] advantage to be given] a 'vantage to be gone Johnson conj. advantage to be gone Capell. advantage to be got Steevens conj. advantage to be taken Keightley (Chedworth conj.). advantage to be gain'd Singer conj. (withdrawn). advantage to be gotten Collier (Collier MS.).

[4581] Let ... Attend] F1. Let our best censures Before F2 F3 F4. Set our best censures Before Rowe. Let our best centuries Before:— Jackson conj.

[4582] Dunsinane. Within....] Malone. The Castle. Rowe. Dunsinane. Pope. The Castle of Dunsinane. Theobald. Before Dunsinane. Hanmer. Dunsinane. A Plat-form within the Castle. Capell.

[4583] ... drums and colours.] ... Drum and Dolours. F3.... Drums and Colours. F4.

[4584] banners on ... walls;] banners on ... walls, Ff. banners; on ... walls Anon. conj.

[4585] forced] 'forc'd Hanmer. farc'd Collier (Collier MS.).

[4586] [A cry ...] A Cry within of Women. Ff (after noise?).

[4587] [Exit.] Dyce. om. Ff. Retires. Collier conj. Enter an Attendant, who whispers Seyton. Anon. conj.

[4588] cool'd] 'coil'd Malone conj. quail'd Collier (Collier MS.).

[4589] sup'd full] surfeited Hanmer.

[4590] once] now Hanmer.

Re-enter Seyton.] Dyce. om. Ff.

[4591] my lord] om. Pope.

[4592] died hereafter; There] died: hereafter There Jackson conj.

[4593] time ... word.] time for—Such a world!— Johnson conj. (withdrawn).

[4594] Creeps] Creep Capell conj.

[4595] fools] foules Hunter conj.

[4596] dusty] F1. study F2 F3 F4. dusky Hanmer (Theobald conj.).

[4597] A poor ... more:] Omitted by A. Hunter.

[4598] Gracious my] F1. My gracious F2 F3 F4.

[4599] I say] I'd say Hanmer. om. Keightley, reading Gracious ... which as one line.

[4600] do it] Knight. doo't F1 F2. do't F3 F4.

say] say it Pope.

[4601] Birnam] F4. Byrnane F1. Byrnam F2 F3.

[4602] [Striking him. Rowe.

[4603] may you] F1 F2. you may F3 F4.

[4604] shalt] shall F1.

[4605] cling] clem Anon. conj.

[4606] pull] pall A. Hunter (Johnson conj.).

[4607] toward] towards Warburton.

[4608] If ... undone.] Omit as spurious, Anon. conj.

[4609] nor flying] F1 F2. no flying F3 F4.

[4610] a-weary] F1. a weary F2 F3 F4. weary Johnson.

[4611] the estate] th' estate Ff. the state Pope.

[4612] Ring ... bell] A stage direction, Theobald conj.

[4613] Dunsinane. Before ...] Before Macbeth's Castle. Rowe. Before Dunsinane. Pope.

[4614] Drum and colours.] Ff. om. Rowe.

Enter ... old Siward ...] Enter ... Seyward ... Ff.

[4615] Now ... down,] One line in Rowe. Two in Ff.

leavy] Ff. leafy Collier.

[4616] worthy] brave Pope.

[4617] upon 's] upon us Capell.

[4618] Do we] Let us Pope.

[4619] [Exeunt.] Capell. Exeunt. Alarums continued. Ff.

[4620] Scene VII.] Scena Septima. Ff. Rowe, Pope, &c. continue the Scene.

Another ...] The same. Another Part of the Plain. Capell.

[4621] Alarums.] Alarums, as of a Battle join'd. Skirmishings. Capell. Alarums continued. Ff (at end of Scene vi).

[4622] They have] They've Pope.

[4623] Enter young Siward.] Theobald. Enter young Seyward. Ff (yong F2).

[4624] hotter] hoter F1.

[4625] abhorred] F1. thou abhorred F2 F3 F4.

[4626] [They fight ...] Fight, and young Seyward slaine. F1 F2 (yong F2). Fight, and young Seyward's slain. F3 F4.

[4627] either] or Pope.

[4628] unbatter'd] Rowe. unbattered F1 F3 F4. unbatterred F2.

[4629] Seems ... And] As in Ff. One line in Hanmer.

[4630] bruited] bruited there Steevens conj.

find] but find Steevens conj.

[4631] Alarums.] Ff. Alarum. Rowe (ed. 2).

old Siward.] Seyward. Ff. Siward. Theobald. old Seyward. Capell.

[4632] itself professes] professes itself Johnson.

[4633] We have] We've Pope.

[4634] Alarum.] Ff. Alarums. Capell.

[4635] Scene viii]. Dyce. Scene VII. Pope. Scene continued in Ff.

... field.] ... plain. Dyce.

[4636] Enter ...] Ff. Re-enter ... Capell.

[4637] whiles] whilst Rowe.

[4638] Enter ...] Ff. Re-enter ... Capell.

[4639] I have] I've Pope.

[4640] [They fight.] Malone. Fight: Alarum. Ff. Fight. Capell.

[4641] I'll] I will S. Walker conj., ending the lines hope!... coward.

[4642] pole] cloth A. Hunter.

[4643] I will] I'll Pope.

[4644] Birnam] F4. Byrnane F1. Byrnam F2F3.

[4645] being] be Theobald.

[4646] him] he Pope.

[4647] [Exeunt, fighting. Alarums.] Pope. Exeunt fighting. Alarums. Enter Fighting, and Macbeth slaine. Ff. Exeunt, fighting. Capell.

[4648] Retreat. Flourish.] Retreat, and Flourish. Ff.

old Siward,] Seyward, Ff. Siward, Theobald, old Seyward, Capell.

the other Thanes,] Thanes, Ff. Lenox, Angus, Cathness, Menteth, Malone.

[4649] Scene VIII. Pope.

[4650] his prowess] he well A. Hunter.

[4651] he is] is he Pope.

[4652] cause] course Anon. conj.

[4653] And so] So Pope. And Collier MS.

be with] b' wi' Anon. conj.

[4654] Re-enter ...] Capell. Enter ... Ff.

...head.] Ff.... head on a pole. Malone (from Holinshed).... head on a pike. A. Hunter.

[4655] Hail ... stands] One line in Rowe. Two in Ff.

[Sticking the pike in the ground. Collier (Collier MS.).

[4656] pearl] F3F4. pearle F1F2. peers Rowe. pearls Anon. conj.

[4657] Scotland!] Scotland! hail! Hanmer.

All. Hail,] All. All hail, Anon. conj.

Hail ... Scotland!] King of Scotland, hail! Steevens (1793).

[4658] spend] make Keightley.

expense] extent Steevens conj. expanse Singer conj.

[4659] My] om. Pope.

[4660] self and] self-laid Anon. conj.

[4661] what] what's Hanmer.

[4662] Grace] heaven Pope. God Warburton.

[4663] Exeunt.] Exeunt omnes. Ff.

NOTES.

Note I.

I. 3. 21-24. Pope was the first to place the words 'Thus thou ... undone' in inverted commas, and was followed substantially by all subsequent editors with the exception of those we are about to mention. Hanmer printed in italics 'This thou must do if thou have it' only, and was followed by Capell and Mr. Staunton, except that they restore the original reading 'Thus' for 'This.' Johnson proposed to read 'me' for 'it' in line 22, printing in italics the same words which Pope included in inverted commas. His reading was adopted by Rann. Dr. A. Hunter (Harry Rowe) read: