Macbeth

The multiplying villanies of nature

Do swarm upon him-from the western isles
Of kerns and gallowglasses is supplied;
And fortune on his damnéd quarrel smiling,
Show'd like a rebel's whore: but all's too weak:
For brave Macbeth-well he deserves that name-
Disdaining fortune, with his brandish'd steel,
Which sınoked with bloody execution,

Like valour's minion carvéd out his passage
Till he faced the slave;

Which ne'er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him,
Till he unseam'd him from the nave to the chaps,
And fix'd his head upon our battlements.

Dun. O valiant cousin! worthy gentleman!
Ser. As whence the sun 'gins his reflection
Shipwrecking storms and direful thunders break,
So from that spring whence comfort seem'd to come
Discomfort swells. Mark, King of Scotland, mark:
No sooner justice had with valour arm'd

11, 12. The multiplying villanies, etc. Villainy finding in him a natural home for development, as flies swarm and multiply on foul matter. Notice the change in spelling the word villainy.

13. Of kerns, with kerns. Cf. the French muni de=furnished of.

13. kerns, light-armed soldiers. See Glossary. 13. gallowglasses, heavyarmed soldiers. See Glossary.

15. Show'd, etc. Fortune seemed to smile upon the rebel's quarrel as a harlot lavishes her smiles upon her lover.

15. all's too weak, all his forces and the seeming smiles of fortune prove useless; or, perhaps, all words are too weak to express what took place."

17. Disdaining fortune, mocking the advantages which fortune seemed to give the rebel.

17. steel, for sword, an example of Metonymy.

18. execution. Five syllables, ex-e-cu-ti-on.

19. minion. Fr. mignon = darling, is a word which has suffered degradation in meaning, like knave, wench, and many others. Notice the short line following.

21. Which. We should now use "and."

22. unseam'd him, cut him in two, ripped him up. 22. nave, the navel. 22. chaps, the jaws.

25-28. As whence, etc. storms and thunderstorms break out from the eastern sky, where the bright sun begins his daily course, so from what seemed success broke out a further trouble. Reflection has four syllables; cf. execution, l. 18 above.

29. justice, with valour arm'd, the justice of our aim, armed with the valour of Macbeth.

Compell'd these skipping kerns to trust their heels,
But the Norweyan lord surveying vantage,
With furbish'd arms and new supplies of men
Began a fresh assault.

Dun.:

Dismay'd not this Our captains, Macbeth and Banquo? Ser.:

Yes;

As sparrows eagles, or the hare the lion.

If I say sooth, I must report they were

As cannons overcharged with double cracks, so they
Doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe:

Except they meant to bathe in reeking wounds,
Or memorise another Golgotha,

I cannot tell.

But I am faint, my gashes cry for help.

Dun.: So well thy words become thee as thy wounds;

They smack of honour both. Go get him surgeons.

Exit Sergeant, attended.

words sooth-sayer, forsooth, and the expression sooth to say, are still used.

37. double cracks, double charges. Cannon, however, were not used till about the time of the battle of Crecy, so that this is an anachronism of 300 years.

39. Except, unless.

39. reeking, literally "smoking."

40. memorise, to make memorable.

40. Golgotha. Cf. Matthew xxvii. 33. 'A place called Golgotha, that is to say, A place of a skull." To make the place memorable for great slaughter. 41. I cannot tell. The short line marks the speaker's pause from faintness.

42. my gashes. An example of Metonymy. See Introduction: 'Figures of Speech."

43. So well. In Mod. Eng., As well.

44. smack, taste. They both are honourable to thee.

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