Thunder. The three WITCHES enter.
FIRST WITCH
Where have you been, sister?
SECOND WITCH
Killing pigs.
THIRD WITCH
And you, sister?
FIRST WITCH
A sailor's wife had chestnuts in her lap and munched away at them. "Give me one," I said. "Get away from me, witch!" the fat woman cried. Her husband has sailed off to Aleppo as master of a ship called the Tiger. I'll sail there in a kitchen strainer, turn myself into a tailless rat, and do things to him—
SECOND WITCH
I'll give you some wind to sail there.
FIRST WITCH
How nice of you!
THIRD WITCH
And I will give you some more.
FIRST WITCH
I already have control of all the other winds, along with the ports from which they blow and every direction on the sailor's compass in which they can go. I'll drain the life out of him. He won't catch a wink of sleep, either at night or during the day. He will live as a cursed man. For eighty-one weeks he will waste away in agony.
Although I can't make his ship disappear, I can still make his journey miserable. Look what I have here.
SECOND WITCH
Show me, show me.
FIRST WITCH
Here I have the thumb of a pilot who was drowned while trying to return home.
A drum sounds offstage.
THIRD WITCH
A drum, a drum! Macbeth has come.
ALL
(dancing together in a circle) We weird sisters, hand in hand, swift travelers over the sea and land, dance around and around like so. Three times to yours, and three times to mine, and three times again, to add up to nine. Enough! The charm is ready.
MACBETH and BANQUO enter.
MACBETH
(to BANQUO) I have never seen a day that was so good and bad at the same time.
BANQUO
How far is it supposed to be to Forres? (he sees the WITCHES) What are these creatures? They're so withered-looking and crazily dressed. They don't look like they belong on this planet, but I see them standing here on Earth. (to the WITCHES) Are you alive? Can you answer questions? You seem to understand me, because each of you has put a gruesome finger to her skinny lips. You look like women, but your beards keep me from believing that you really are.
MACBETH
Speak, if you can. What kind of creatures are you?
FIRST WITCH
All hail, Macbeth! Hail to you, thane of Glamis!
SECOND WITCH
All hail, Macbeth! Hail to you, thane of Cawdor!
THIRD WITCH
All hail, Macbeth, the future king!
BANQUO
My dear Macbeth, why do you look so startled and afraid of these nice things they're saying? (to the WITCHES) Tell me honestly, are you illusions, or are you really what you seem to be? You've greeted my noble friend with honors and talk of a future so glorious that you've made him speechless. But you don't say anything to me. If you can see the future and say how things will turn out, tell me. I don't want your favors and I'm not afraid of your hatred.
FIRST WITCH
Hail!
SECOND WITCH
Hail!
THIRD WITCH
Hail!
FIRST WITCH
You are lesser than Macbeth but also greater.
SECOND WITCH
You are not as happy as Macbeth, yet much happier.
THIRD WITCH
Your descendants will be kings, even though you will not be one. So all hail, Macbeth and Banquo!
FIRST WITCH
Banquo and Macbeth, all hail!
MACBETH
Wait! You only told me part of what I want to know. Stay and tell me more. I already know I am the thane of Glamis because I inherited the position when my father, Sinel, died. But how can you call me the thane of Cawdor? The thane of Cawdor is alive, and he's a rich and powerful man. And for me to be the king is completely impossible, just as it's impossible for me to be thane of Cawdor. Tell me where you learned these strange things, and why you stop us at this desolate place with this prophetic greeting? Speak, I command you.
The WITCHES vanish.
BANQUO
The earth has bubbles, just like the water, and these creatures must have come from a bubble in the earth. Where did they disappear to?
MACBETH
Into thin air. Their bodies melted like breath in the wind. I wish they had stayed!
BANQUO
Were these things we're talking about really here? Or are we both on drugs?
MACBETH
Your children will be kings.
BANQUO
You will be the king.
MACBETH
And thane of Cawdor too. Isn't that what they said?
BANQUO
That's exactly what they said. Who's this?
ROSS and ANGUS enter.
ROSS
The king was happy to hear of your success, Macbeth. Whenever he hears the story of your exploits in the fight against the rebels, he becomes so amazed it makes him speechless. He was also shocked to learn that on the same day you fought the rebels you also fought against the army of Norway, and that you weren't the least bit afraid of death, even as you killed everyone around you. Messenger after messenger delivered news of your bravery to the king with praise for how you defended his country.
ANGUS
The king sent us to give you his thanks and to bring you to him. Your real reward won't come from us.
ROSS
And to give you a taste of what's in store for you, he told me to call you the thane of Cawdor. So hail, thane of Cawdor! That title belongs to you now.
BANQUO
(shocked) Can the devil tell the truth?
MACBETH
The thane of Cawdor is still alive. Why are you giving me his title?
ANGUS
The man who was the thane of Cawdor is still alive, but he's been sentenced to death, and he deserves to die. I don't know whether he fought on Norway's side, or if he secretly aided the rebels, or if he fought with both of our enemies. But his treason, which has been proven, and to which he's confessed, means he's finished.
MACBETH
(to himself) It's just like they said—now I'm the thane of Glamis and the thane of Cawdor. And the best part of what they predicted is still to come. (to ROSS and ANGUS) Thank you for the news. (speaking so that only BANQUO can hear) Aren't you beginning to hope your children will be kings? After all, the witches who said I was thane of Cawdor promised them nothing less.
BANQUO
If you trust what they say, you might be on your way to becoming king, as well as thane of Cawdor. But this whole thing is strange. The agents of evil often tell us part of the truth in order to lead us to our destruction. They earn our trust by telling us the truth about little things, but then they betray us when it will damage us the most. (to ROSS and ANGUS) Gentlemen, I'd like to have a word with you, please.
ROSS, ANGUS, and BANQUO move to one side.
MACBETH
(to himself) So far the witches have told me two things that came true, so it seems like this will culminate in my becoming king. (to ROSS and ANGUS) Thank you, gentlemen. (to himself) This supernatural temptation doesn't seem like it can be a bad thing, but it can't be good either. If it's a bad thing, why was I promised a promotion that turned out to be true? Now I'm the thane of Cawdor, just like they said I would be. But if this is a good thing, why do I find myself thinking about murdering King Duncan, a thought so horrifying that it makes my hair stand on end and my heart pound inside my chest? The dangers that actually threaten me here and now frighten me less than the horrible things I'm imagining.
Even though it's just a fantasy so far, the mere thought of committing murder shakes me up so much that I hardly know who I am anymore. My ability to act is stifled by my thoughts and speculations, and the only things that matter to me are things that don't really exist.
BANQUO
Look at Macbeth—he's in a daze.
MACBETH
(to himself) If fate wants me to be king, perhaps fate will just make it happen and I won't have to do anything.
BANQUO
(to ROSS and ANGUS) Macbeth is not used to his new titles. They're like new clothes: they don't fit until you break them in over time.
MACBETH
(to himself) One way or another, what's going to happen is going to happen.
BANQUO
Good Macbeth, we're ready when you are.
MACBETH
I beg your pardon; I was distracted. Kind gentlemen, I won't forget the trouble you've taken for me whenever I think of this day. Let's go to the king. (speaking so that only BANQUO can hear) Think about what happened today, and when we've both had time to consider things, let's talk.
BANQUO
Absolutely.
MACBETH
Until then, we've said enough. (to ROSS and ANGUS) Let's go, my friends.
They all exit.