First folio
| Modern text
| Definitions
| Key line
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| Thunder. Enter the three Witches, meeting Hecat | Thunder. Enter the three Witches, meeting Hecat | Hecat, Hecate (n.) [pron: 'hekat, 'hekatee] Greek goddess of the underworld; associated with magic, ghosts, witchcraft | Mac III.v.1.1 | |
| 1. | FIRST WITCH | | | |
| Why how now i, you looke angerly? | Why, how now, Hecat? You look angerly. | angerly (adv.)angrily, grouchily, testily | Mac III.v.1 | |
| Hec. | HECAT | | | |
| Haue I not reason (Beldams) as you are? | Have I not reason, beldams, as you are | beldam, beldame (n.)hag, witch, loathsome old woman | Mac III.v.2 | |
| Sawcy, and ouer-bold, how did you dare | Saucy and overbold? How did you dare | saucy (adj.)insolent, impudent, presumptuous, defiant | Mac III.v.3 | |
| To Trade, and Trafficke with Macbeth, | To trade and traffic with Macbeth | | Mac III.v.4 | |
| In Riddles, and Affaires of death; | In riddles and affairs of death, | | Mac III.v.5 | |
| And I the Mistris of your Charmes, | And I, the mistress of your charms, | | Mac III.v.6 | |
| The close contriuer of all harmes, | The close contriver of all harms, | close (adj.)secret, concealed, hidden | Mac III.v.7 | |
| | contriver (n.)intriguer, schemer, plotter | | |
| Was neuer call'd to beare my part, | Was never called to bear my part, | | Mac III.v.8 | |
| Or shew the glory of our Art? | Or show the glory of our art? | | Mac III.v.9 | |
| And which is worse, all you haue done | And, which is worse, all you have done | | Mac III.v.10 | |
| Hath bene but for a wayward Sonne, | Hath been but for a wayward son, | | Mac III.v.11 | |
| Spightfull, and wrathfull, who (as others do) | Spiteful and wrathful, who, as others do, | | Mac III.v.12 | |
| Loues for his owne ends, not for you. | Loves for his own ends, not for you. | | Mac III.v.13 | |
| But make amends now: Get you gon, | But make amends now: get you gone, | | Mac III.v.14 | |
| And at the pit of Acheron | And at the pit of Acheron | Acheron (n.)[pron: 'akeron] Underworld abyss and river, which souls of the dead must cross | Mac III.v.15 | |
| Meete me i'th' Morning: thither he | Meet me i'the morning. Thither he | | Mac III.v.16 | |
| Will come, to know his Destinie. | Will come, to know his destiny. | | Mac III.v.17 | |
| Your Vessels, and your Spels prouide, | Your vessels and your spells provide, | | Mac III.v.18 | |
| Your Charmes, and euery thing beside; | Your charms and everything beside. | | Mac III.v.19 | |
| I am for th' Ayre: This night Ile spend | I am for the air; this night I'll spend | | Mac III.v.20 | |
| Vnto a dismall, and a Fatall end. | Unto a dismal and a fatal end. | end (n.)outcome, result, issue | Mac III.v.21 | |
| | dismal (adj.)disastrous, calamitous, devastating | | |
| Great businesse must be wrought ere Noone. | Great business must be wrought ere noon. | | Mac III.v.22 | |
| Vpon the Corner of the Moone | Upon the corner of the moon: | | Mac III.v.23 | |
| There hangs a vap'rous drop, profound, | There hangs a vaporous drop profound; | profound (adj.)with powerful qualities, with secret powers | Mac III.v.24 | |
| | vaporous (adj.)misty, damp-filled, foggy | | |
| Ile catch it ere it come to ground; | I'll catch it ere it come to ground; | | Mac III.v.25 | |
| And that distill'd by Magicke slights, | And that distilled by magic sleights | sleight (n.)cunning, trickery, crafty deceit | Mac III.v.26 | |
| Shall raise such Artificiall Sprights, | Shall raise such artificial sprites | artificial (adj.)produced by the black arts | Mac III.v.27 | |
| As by the strength of their illusion, | As by the strength of their illusion | illusion (n.)deception, delusion, deceit | Mac III.v.28 | |
| Shall draw him on to his Confusion. | Shall draw him on to his confusion. | confusion (n.)destruction, overthrow, ruin | Mac III.v.29 | |
| He shall spurne Fate, scorne Death, and beare | He shall spurn fate, scorn death, and bear | spurn (v.)reject, scorn, despise, treat with contempt | Mac III.v.30 | |
| His hopes 'boue Wisedome, Grace, and Feare: | His hopes 'bove wisdom, grace, and fear. | | Mac III.v.31 | |
| And you all know, Security | And you all know security | security (n.)over-confidence, carelessness | Mac III.v.32 | |
| Is Mortals cheefest Enemie. | Is mortals' chiefest enemy. | | Mac III.v.33 | |
| Musicke, and a Song. | Music and a song | | Mac III.v.33 | |
| Hearke, I am call'd: my little Spirit see | Hark! I am called. My little spirit, see, | | Mac III.v.34 | |
| Sits in Foggy cloud, and stayes for me. | Sits in a foggy cloud and stays for me. | | Mac III.v.35 | |
| Sing within. Come away, come away, &c. | Sing within: ‘ Come away, come away,’ etc, | | Mac III.v.35 | |
| 1 | FIRST WITCH | | | |
| Come, let's make hast, shee'l soone be / Backe againe. | Come, let's make haste; she'll soon be back again. | | Mac III.v.36 | |
| Exeunt. | Exeunt | | Mac III.v.36 | |