| First folio  
 | Modern text 
 
 | Definitions 
 
 | Key line 
 
 |  | 
				| Enter Macbeths Wife alone with a Letter. | Enter Macbeth's Wife alone with a letter |  | Mac I.v.1 |  | 
				| Lady. | LADY |  |  |  | 
				| They met me in the day of successe: and I haue learn'd | They met me in the day of success, and I have learned |  | Mac I.v.1 |  | 
				| by the perfect'st report, they haue more in them, then mortall | by the perfectest report they have more in them than mortal |  | Mac I.v.2 |  | 
				| knowledge. When I burnt in desire to question them further, | knowledge. When I burned in desire to question them further, |  | Mac I.v.3 |  | 
				| they made themselues Ayre, into which they vanish'd. | they made themselves air, into which they vanished. |  | Mac I.v.4 |  | 
				| Whiles I stood rapt in the wonder of it, came Missiues from | Whiles I stood rapt in the wonder of it, came missives from |  | Mac I.v.5 |  | 
				| the King, who all-hail'd me Thane of Cawdor, by which | the King, who all-hailed me Thane of Cawdor; by which |  | Mac I.v.6 |  | 
				| Title before, these weyward Sisters saluted me, and referr'd me | title before these Weird Sisters saluted me, and referred me | weird (adj.)  controlling human fate or destiny, a weird sister was one of the Fates; only with reference to the witches in Macbeth | Mac I.v.7 |  | 
				| to the comming on of time, with haile King that shalt be. | to the coming on of time with, ‘ Hail, king that shalt be.’ |  | Mac I.v.8 |  | 
				| This haue I thought good to deliuer thee (my dearest Partner | This have I thought good to deliver thee, my dearest partner |  | Mac I.v.9 |  | 
				| of Greatnesse) that thou might'st not loose the dues of reioycing | of greatness, that thou mightest not lose the dues of rejoicing |  | Mac I.v.10 |  | 
				| by being ignorant of what Greatnesse is promis'd thee. | by being ignorant of what greatness is promised thee. |  | Mac I.v.11 |  | 
				| Lay it to thy heart and farewell. | Lay it to thy heart, and farewell. |  | Mac I.v.12 |  | 
				| Glamys thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be | Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be |  | Mac I.v.13 |  | 
				| What thou art promis'd: yet doe I feare thy Nature, | What thou art promised. Yet do I fear thy nature; |  | Mac I.v.14 |  | 
				| It is too full o'th' Milke of humane kindnesse, | It is too full o'the milk of human-kindness | human-kindness (n.)  natural feelings, human qualities | Mac I.v.15 |  | 
				| To catch the neerest way. Thou would'st be great, | To catch the nearest way. Thou wouldst be great, | catch (v.)  seize, get hold of, capture | Mac I.v.16 |  | 
				| Art not without Ambition, but without | Art not without ambition, but without |  | Mac I.v.17 |  | 
				| The illnesse should attend it. What thou would'st highly, | The illness should attend it. What thou wouldst highly | illness (n.)  wickedness, evil conduct, badness | Mac I.v.18 |  | 
				|  |  | highly (adv.)  ambitiously, to be in a high position |  |  | 
				|  |  | attend (v.)  accompany, follow closely, go with |  |  | 
				| That would'st thou holily: would'st not play false, | That wouldst thou holily, wouldst not play false, | false (adv.)  slanderously, faithlessly, with such calumny | Mac I.v.19 |  | 
				| And yet would'st wrongly winne. Thould'st haue, great Glamys, | And yet wouldst wrongly win. Thou'dst have, great Glamis, |  | Mac I.v.20 |  | 
				| that which cryes, Thus thou must doe, if thou haue it; | That which cries, ‘ Thus thou must do ’ if thou have it, |  | Mac I.v.21 |  | 
				| And that which rather thou do'st feare to doe, | And that which rather thou dost fear to do |  | Mac I.v.22 |  | 
				| Then wishest should be vndone. High thee hither, | Than wishest should be undone. Hie thee hither | hie (v.)  hasten, hurry, speed | Mac I.v.23 |  | 
				| That I may powre my Spirits in thine Eare, | That I may pour my spirits in thine ear, |  | Mac I.v.24 |  | 
				| And chastise with the valour of my Tongue | And chastise with the valour of my tongue |  | Mac I.v.25 |  | 
				| All that impeides thee from the Golden Round, | All that impedes thee from the golden round | round (n.)  circlet, ring, crown | Mac I.v.26 |  | 
				| Which Fate and Metaphysicall ayde doth seeme | Which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem | metaphysical (adj.)  supernatural, transcending the laws of nature | Mac I.v.27 |  | 
				| To haue thee crown'd withall. | To have thee crowned withal. |  | Mac I.v.28.1 |  | 
				| Enter Messenger. | Enter Messenger |  | Mac I.v.2 |  | 
				| What is your tidings? | What is your tidings? |  | Mac I.v.28.2 |  | 
				| Mess. | MESSENGER |  |  |  | 
				| The King comes here to Night. | The King comes here tonight. |  | Mac I.v.29.1 |  | 
				| Lady. | LADY |  |  |  | 
				| Thou'rt mad to say it. | Thou'rt mad to say it! |  | Mac I.v.29.2 |  | 
				| Is not thy Master with him? who, wer't so, | Is not thy master with him? Who, were't so, |  | Mac I.v.30 |  | 
				| Would haue inform'd for preparation. | Would have informed for preparation. |  | Mac I.v.31 |  | 
				| Mess. | MESSENGER |  |  |  | 
				| So please you, it is true: our Thane is comming: | So please you, it is true. Our Thane is coming; |  | Mac I.v.32 |  | 
				| One of my fellowes had the speed of him; | One of my fellows had the speed of him, |  | Mac I.v.33 |  | 
				| Who almost dead for breath, had scarcely more | Who, almost dead for breath, had scarcely more |  | Mac I.v.34 |  | 
				| Then would make vp his Message. | Than would make up his message. |  | Mac I.v.35.1 |  | 
				| Lady. | LADY |  |  |  | 
				| Giue him tending, | Give him tending: | tending (n.)  attendance, attention, care | Mac I.v.35.2 |  | 
				| He brings great newes, | He brings great news. |  | Mac I.v.36.1 |  | 
				| Exit Messenger. | Exit Messenger |  | Mac I.v.36 |  | 
				| The Rauen himselfe is hoarse, | The raven himself is hoarse |  | Mac I.v.36.2 |  | 
				| That croakes the fatall entrance of Duncan | That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan |  | Mac I.v.37 |  | 
				| Vnder my Battlements. Come you Spirits, | Under my battlements. Come, you spirits |  | Mac I.v.38 |  | 
				| That tend on mortall thoughts, vnsex me here, | That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here | mortal (adj.)  fatal, deadly, lethal | Mac I.v.39 |  | 
				|  |  | thought (n.)  intention, purpose, design |  |  | 
				|  |  | tend on / upon (v.)  serve, follow, wait upon, escort |  |  | 
				|  |  | unsex (v.)  take away one's sex; here: remove all feminine qualities |  |  | 
				| And fill me from the Crowne to the Toe, top-full | And fill me from the crown to the toe topfull | topfull, topful (adj.)  brimful, overfull | Mac I.v.40 |  | 
				|  |  | crown (n.)  head |  |  | 
				| Of direst Crueltie: make thick my blood, | Of direst cruelty. Make thick my blood; |  | Mac I.v.41 |  | 
				| Stop vp th' accesse, and passage to Remorse, | Stop up the access and passage to remorse, | remorse (n.)  pity, compassion, tenderness | Mac I.v.42 |  | 
				| That no compunctious visitings of Nature | That no compunctious visitings of nature | compunctious (adj.)  remorseful, contrite, conscience-stricken | Mac I.v.43 |  | 
				| Shake my fell purpose, nor keepe peace betweene | Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between | purpose (n.)  intention, aim, plan | Mac I.v.44 |  | 
				|  |  | fell (adj.)  mighty, terrible |  |  | 
				| Th' effect, and hit. Come to my Womans Brests, | The effect and it. Come to my woman's breasts | effect (n.)  result, end, outcome, fulfilment | Mac I.v.45 |  | 
				| And take my Milke for Gall, you murth'ring Ministers, | And take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers, | minister (n.)  messenger, agent, servant | Mac I.v.46 |  | 
				|  |  | gall (n.)  bile [reputed for its bitterness] |  |  | 
				| Where-euer, in your sightlesse substances, | Wherever, in your sightless substances, | sightless (adj.)  invisible, unseen, hidden | Mac I.v.47 |  | 
				| You wait on Natures Mischiefe. Come thick Night, | You wait on nature's mischief. Come, thick night, | mischief (n.)  catastrophe, calamity, misfortune | Mac I.v.48 |  | 
				|  |  | wait on / upon (v.)  accompany, attend |  |  | 
				| And pall thee in the dunnest smoake of Hell, | And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, | pall (v.)  wrap, cover, drape | Mac I.v.49 |  | 
				|  |  | smoke (n.)  mist, fog, vapours |  |  | 
				|  |  | dun (adj.)  dark, murky, gloomy |  |  | 
				| That my keene Knife see not the Wound it makes, | That my keen knife see not the wound it makes, |  | Mac I.v.50 |  | 
				| Nor Heauen peepe through the Blanket of the darke, | Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark |  | Mac I.v.51 |  | 
				| To cry, hold, hold. | To cry, ‘ Hold, hold!’ |  | Mac I.v.52.1 |  | 
				| Enter Macbeth. | Enter Macbeth |  | Mac I.v.52 |  | 
				| Great Glamys, worthy Cawdor, | Great Glamis, worthy Cawdor! |  | Mac I.v.52.2 |  | 
				| Greater then both, by the all-haile hereafter, | Greater than both by the all-hail hereafter! |  | Mac I.v.53 |  | 
				| Thy Letters haue transported me beyond | Thy letters have transported me beyond |  | Mac I.v.54 |  | 
				| This ignorant present, and I feele now | This ignorant present, and I feel now |  | Mac I.v.55 |  | 
				| The future in the instant. | The future in the instant. |  | Mac I.v.56.1 |  | 
				| Macb. | MACBETH |  |  |  | 
				| My dearest Loue, | My dearest love, |  | Mac I.v.56.2 |  | 
				| Duncan comes here to Night. | Duncan comes here tonight. |  | Mac I.v.57.1 |  | 
				| Lady. | LADY |  |  |  | 
				| And when goes hence? | And when goes hence? |  | Mac I.v.57.2 |  | 
				| Macb. | MACBETH |  |  |  | 
				| To morrow, as he purposes. | Tomorrow, as he purposes. | purpose (v.)  intend, plan | Mac I.v.58.1 |  | 
				| Lady. | LADY |  |  |  | 
				| O neuer, | O, never |  | Mac I.v.58.2 |  | 
				| Shall Sunne that Morrow see. | Shall sun that morrow see! | morrow (n.)  morning | Mac I.v.59 |  | 
				| Your Face, my Thane, is as a Booke, where men | Your face, my thane, is as a book where men |  | Mac I.v.60 |  | 
				| May reade strange matters, to beguile the time. | May read strange matters. To beguile the time | time (n.)  (the) world, (the) age, society | Mac I.v.61 |  | 
				|  |  | beguile (v.)  cheat, deceive, trick |  |  | 
				| Looke like the time, beare welcome in your Eye, | Look like the time, bear welcome in your eye, |  | Mac I.v.62 |  | 
				| Your Hand, your Tongue: looke like th' innocent flower, | Your hand, your tongue; look like the innocent flower, |  | Mac I.v.63 |  | 
				| But be the Serpent vnder't. He that's comming, | But be the serpent under't. He that's coming |  | Mac I.v.64 |  | 
				| Must be prouided for: and you shall put | Must be provided for; and you shall put |  | Mac I.v.65 |  | 
				| This Nights great Businesse into my dispatch, | This night's great business into my dispatch, | dispatch, despatch (n.)  management, direction, supervision | Mac I.v.66 |  | 
				| Which shall to all our Nights, and Dayes to come, | Which shall to all our nights and days to come |  | Mac I.v.67 |  | 
				| Giue solely soueraigne sway, and Masterdome. | Give solely sovereign sway and masterdom. | masterdom (n.)  supremacy, dominion, command | Mac I.v.68 |  | 
				|  |  | solely (adv.)  wholly, entirely, altogether |  |  | 
				|  |  | sway (n.)  power, dominion, rule |  |  | 
				| Macb. | MACBETH |  |  |  | 
				| We will speake further, | We will speak further. |  | Mac I.v.69.1 |  | 
				| Lady. | LADY |  |  |  | 
				| Onely looke vp cleare: | Only look up clear: | clear (adv.)  cheerfully, brightly, with unclouded face | Mac I.v.69.2 |  | 
				| To alter fauor, euer is to feare: | To alter favour ever is to fear. | favour (n.)  [facial] appearance, countenance, features, looks | Mac I.v.70 |  | 
				| Leaue all the rest to me. | Leave all the rest to me. |  | Mac I.v.71 |  | 
				| Exeunt. | Exeunt |  | Mac I.v.71 |  |