Act 5, Scene 3 — Macbeth — Study Shakespeare

The argument Macbeth in Dunsinane, fortified and defiant, clings to the witches' prophecies. He dismisses news of the English army. He lashes out at his servants. He questions the Doctor about Lady Macbeth's condition and demands a medicine for a mind diseased. The Doctor privately resolves to leave.

Enter Macbeth, Doctor and Attendants.

MACBETH ≋ verse MACBETH

Bring me no more reports; let them fly all:

Till Birnam wood remove to Dunsinane

I cannot taint with fear. What’s the boy Malcolm?

Was he not born of woman? The spirits that know

All mortal consequences have pronounc’d me thus:

“Fear not, Macbeth; no man that’s born of woman

Shall e’er have power upon thee.”—Then fly, false thanes,

And mingle with the English epicures:

The mind I sway by, and the heart I bear,

Shall never sag with doubt nor shake with fear.

Bring me no more reports; let them fly all: Till Birnam wood remove to Dunsinane I cannot taint with fear. What’s the boy Malcolm? Was he not born of woman? The spirits that know All mortal consequences have pronounc’d me thus: “Fear not, Macbeth; no man that’s born of woman Shall e’er have power upon thee.”—Then fly, false thanes, And mingle with the English epicures: The mind I sway by, and the heart I bear, Shall never sag with doubt nor shake with fear.

bring me no more reports; let them fly all: till birnam wood remove to dunsinane i cannot taint with fear. what’s the boy malcolm? was he not born of woman? the spirits that know all mortal consequences have pronounc’d me thus: “fear not, macbeth; no man that’s born of woman shall e’er have power upon thee.”—then fly, false thanes, and mingle with the english epicures: the mind i sway by, and the heart i bear, shall never sag with doubt nor shake with fear.

bring me no more reports; let them fly all: till birnam wood

Enter a Servant.

The devil damn thee black, thou cream-fac’d loon!

Where gott’st thou that goose look?

SERVANT SERVANT

There is ten thousand—

there is ten thousand—

MACBETH MACBETH

Geese, villain?

geese, villain?

SERVANT SERVANT

Soldiers, sir.

soldiers, sir.

MACBETH ≋ verse MACBETH

Go prick thy face and over-red thy fear,

Thou lily-liver’d boy. What soldiers, patch?

Death of thy soul! those linen cheeks of thine

Are counsellors to fear. What soldiers, whey-face?

Go prick thy face and over-red thy fear, Thou lily-liver’d boy. What soldiers, patch? Death of thy soul! those linen cheeks of thine Are counsellors to fear. What soldiers, whey-face?

go prick thy face and over-red thy fear, thou lily-liver’d boy. what soldiers, patch? death of thy soul! those linen cheeks of thine are counsellors to fear. what soldiers, whey-face?

go prick thy face and over-red thy fear, thou lily-liver’d b

SERVANT SERVANT

The English force, so please you.

the english force, so please you.

MACBETH MACBETH

Take thy face hence.

take thy face hence.

[_Exit Servant._]

Seyton!—I am sick at heart,

When I behold—Seyton, I say!—This push

Will cheer me ever or disseat me now.

I have liv’d long enough: my way of life

Is fall’n into the sere, the yellow leaf;

And that which should accompany old age,

As honour, love, obedience, troops of friends,

I must not look to have; but, in their stead,

Curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honour, breath,

Which the poor heart would fain deny, and dare not.

Seyton!—

Enter Seyton.

SEYTON SEYTON

What’s your gracious pleasure?

what’s your gracious pleasure?

MACBETH MACBETH

What news more?

what news more?

SEYTON SEYTON

All is confirm’d, my lord, which was reported.

all is confirm’d, my lord, which was reported.

MACBETH ≋ verse MACBETH

I’ll fight till from my bones my flesh be hack’d.

Give me my armour.

I’ll fight till from my bones my flesh be hack’d. Give me my armour.

i’ll fight till from my bones my flesh be hack’d. give me my armour.

i’ll fight till from my bones my flesh be hack’d. give me my

SEYTON SEYTON

’Tis not needed yet.

’tis not needed yet.

MACBETH ≋ verse MACBETH

I’ll put it on.

Send out more horses, skirr the country round;

Hang those that talk of fear. Give me mine armour.—

How does your patient, doctor?

I’ll put it on. Send out more horses, skirr the country round; Hang those that talk of fear. Give me mine armour.— How does your patient, doctor?

i’ll put it on. send out more horses, skirr the country round; hang those that talk of fear. give me mine armour.— how does your patient, doctor?

i’ll put it on. send out more horses, skirr the country roun

DOCTOR ≋ verse DOCTOR

Not so sick, my lord,

As she is troubled with thick-coming fancies,

That keep her from her rest.

Not so sick, my lord, As she is troubled with thick-coming fancies, That keep her from her rest.

not so sick, my lord, as she is troubled with thick-coming fancies, that keep her from her rest.

not so sick, my lord, as she is troubled with thick-coming f

MACBETH ≋ verse MACBETH

Cure her of that:

Canst thou not minister to a mind diseas’d,

Pluck from the memory a rooted sorrow,

Raze out the written troubles of the brain,

And with some sweet oblivious antidote

Cleanse the stuff’d bosom of that perilous stuff

Which weighs upon the heart?

Cure her of that: Canst thou not minister to a mind diseas’d, Pluck from the memory a rooted sorrow, Raze out the written troubles of the brain, And with some sweet oblivious antidote Cleanse the stuff’d bosom of that perilous stuff Which weighs upon the heart?

cure her of that: canst thou not minister to a mind diseas’d, pluck from the memory a rooted sorrow, raze out the written troubles of the brain, and with some sweet oblivious antidote cleanse the stuff’d bosom of that perilous stuff which weighs upon the heart?

cure her of that: canst thou not minister to a mind diseas’d

DOCTOR ≋ verse DOCTOR

Therein the patient

Must minister to himself.

Therein the patient Must minister to himself.

therein the patient must minister to himself.

MACBETH ≋ verse MACBETH

Throw physic to the dogs, I’ll none of it.

Come, put mine armour on; give me my staff:

Seyton, send out.—Doctor, the Thanes fly from me.—

Come, sir, despatch.—If thou couldst, doctor, cast

The water of my land, find her disease,

And purge it to a sound and pristine health,

I would applaud thee to the very echo,

That should applaud again.—Pull’t off, I say.—

What rhubarb, senna, or what purgative drug,

Would scour these English hence? Hear’st thou of them?

Throw physic to the dogs, I’ll none of it. Come, put mine armour on; give me my staff: Seyton, send out.—Doctor, the Thanes fly from me.— Come, sir, despatch.—If thou couldst, doctor, cast The water of my land, find her disease, And purge it to a sound and pristine health, I would applaud thee to the very echo, That should applaud again.—Pull’t off, I say.— What rhubarb, senna, or what purgative drug, Would scour these English hence? Hear’st thou of them?

throw physic to the dogs, i’ll none of it. come, put mine armour on; give me my staff: seyton, send out.—doctor, the thanes fly from me.— come, sir, despatch.—if thou couldst, doctor, cast the water of my land, find her disease, and purge it to a sound and pristine health, i would applaud thee to the very echo, that should applaud again.—pull’t off, i say.— what rhubarb, senna, or what purgative drug, would scour these english hence? hear’st thou of them?

throw physic to the dogs, i’ll none of it. come, put mine ar

DOCTOR ≋ verse DOCTOR

Ay, my good lord. Your royal preparation

Makes us hear something.

Ay, my good lord. Your royal preparation Makes us hear something.

ay, my good lord. your royal preparation makes us hear something.

ay, my good lord. your royal preparation makes us hear somet

MACBETH ≋ verse MACBETH

Bring it after me.—

I will not be afraid of death and bane,

Till Birnam forest come to Dunsinane.

Bring it after me.— I will not be afraid of death and bane, Till Birnam forest come to Dunsinane.

bring it after me.— i will not be afraid of death and bane, till birnam forest come to dunsinane.

bring it after me.— i will not be afraid of death and bane,

[_Exeunt all except Doctor._]

DOCTOR ≋ verse DOCTOR

Were I from Dunsinane away and clear,

Profit again should hardly draw me here.

Were I from Dunsinane away and clear, Profit again should hardly draw me here.

were i from dunsinane away and clear, profit again should hardly draw me here.

were i from dunsinane away and clear, profit again should ha

[_Exit._]

The Reckoning

This is Macbeth at his most contradictory: the man who declared he would feel nothing is clearly feeling everything. He dismisses the approaching army ('till Birnam Wood remove to Dunsinane / I cannot taint with fear'), then immediately calls for his armor before the battle begins. He speaks his most beautiful and resigned speech: 'I have lived long enough: my way of life / Is fall'n into the sear, the yellow leaf.' He knows, somewhere, that the life he was living has been over for some time. He asks for comfort from the doctor — who is treating Lady Macbeth — and receives none. He demands medicine for a mind diseased and then dismisses the question ('throw physic to the dogs'). He cannot heal her, cannot heal himself, cannot stop what is coming. But he puts on his armor anyway.

If this happened today…

A CEO in a locked boardroom, being told by every department head that the company is done. He fires the one who tells him the stock is tanking, refuses to read the reports, shouts for his briefcase. Then, quiet for a moment, he says to the CFO: 'I've lived long enough to know this was the wrong life.' The CFO asks about his wife. 'She'll be fine. Throw that report out the window. Where's my briefcase.'

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