Thrice the brinded cat hath mew’d.
The spotted cat has meowed three times.
The tabby cat's meowed three times.
striped cat meowed 3 times
Thrice, and once the hedge-pig whin’d.
Three times, and one more, the hedgehog whined.
A hedgehog's yelped three times... and then once more.
hedgehog squealed 3x + once more
Harpier cries:—’Tis time, ’tis time.
Harpier calls out: it's time, it's time.
Harpier's calling—it's time, it's time.
harpier says: time, time
Round about the cauldron go;
In the poison’d entrails throw.—
Toad, that under cold stone
Days and nights has thirty-one
Swelter’d venom sleeping got,
Boil thou first i’ th’ charmed pot!
Circle around the cauldron; throw in the poisoned entrails.— Toad, who has spent thirty-one days and nights under cold stone accumulating venom while sleeping, boil first in this magic pot!
Move around the cauldron; throw the poisoned guts in.— Toad that's lived thirty-one days and nights under cold rock, soaking up poison in sleep, boil up first in this enchanted pot!
circle the cauldron throw poisoned guts in toad slept 31 days under stones with venom boil first in magic pot
Double, double, toil and trouble;
Fire, burn; and cauldron, bubble.
Multiply, multiply, work and difficulty; fire, burn; and cauldron, bubble.
Twice over, trouble and toil; fire burn hot, cauldron bubble.
double the trouble fire burn cauldron bubble
Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the cauldron boil and bake;
Eye of newt, and toe of frog,
Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,
Adder’s fork, and blind-worm’s sting,
Lizard’s leg, and howlet’s wing,
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
Snake fillet from the marsh, boil and cook it in the cauldron; newt eye and frog toe, bat hair and dog tongue, viper's forked tongue and blindworm's sting, lizard leg and owlet wing, for a powerful curse, like hellish broth, boil and bubble.
Strips of marsh snake, boiling in the cauldron; newt's eye, frog's toe, bat fur, dog tongue, viper's forked tongue, blindworm's sting, lizard leg, owl wing, for a seriously dark curse, like hellish soup, boiling and bubbling.
marsh snake newt eye, frog toe bat hair, dog tongue viper fork, blindworm sting lizard leg, owl wing for dark magic boil like hell broth
Double, double, toil and trouble;
Fire, burn; and cauldron, bubble.
Multiply, multiply, work and difficulty; fire, burn; and cauldron, bubble.
Twice over, trouble and toil; fire burn hot, cauldron bubble.
double the trouble fire burn cauldron bubble
Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf,
Witch’s mummy, maw and gulf
Of the ravin’d salt-sea shark,
Root of hemlock digg’d i’ th’ dark,
Liver of blaspheming Jew,
Gall of goat, and slips of yew
Sliver’d in the moon’s eclipse,
Nose of Turk, and Tartar’s lips,
Finger of birth-strangled babe
Ditch-deliver’d by a drab,
Make the gruel thick and slab:
Add thereto a tiger’s chaudron,
For th’ ingredients of our cauldron.
Dragon scale, wolf tooth, mummified witch remains, gullet and throat of a ravenous salt-sea shark, root of hemlock dug in darkness, liver of a blaspheming man, goat gall and yew branches sliced during the moon's eclipse, Turkish nose and Tartar lips, finger of a baby strangled at birth delivered in a ditch by a prostitute, make the soup thick and slimy: add to it a tiger's heart, for the ingredients of our cauldron.
Dragon scales, wolf teeth, mummified witch guts, throat and stomach of a raging shark from the salt sea, hemlock root dug in darkness, a blasphemer's liver, goat bile and yew twigs cut when the moon's eclipsed, Turkish nose and Tartar mouth, finger of a baby murdered at birth tossed in a ditch by a prostitute— make it thick and disgusting: toss in a tiger's heart too, for everything we need in the pot.
dragon scale, wolf tooth mummy witch bits, shark throat hemlock root from dark blasphemer's liver goat bile, yew from eclipse turk nose, tartar lips baby finger (birth-murdered) ditch baby make it thick tiger heart for our cauldron
Double, double, toil and trouble;
Fire, burn; and cauldron, bubble.
Multiply, multiply, work and difficulty; fire, burn; and cauldron, bubble.
Twice over, trouble and toil; fire burn hot, cauldron bubble.
double the trouble fire burn cauldron bubble
Cool it with a baboon’s blood.
Then the charm is firm and good.
Cool it with baboon blood. Then the spell is solid and effective.
Cool it down with baboon blood. Then the spell's solid and works.
cool with baboon blood spell is locked in
O, well done! I commend your pains,
And everyone shall share i’ th’ gains.
And now about the cauldron sing,
Like elves and fairies in a ring,
Enchanting all that you put in.
Oh, well done! I praise your work, and everyone will share in the rewards. And now sing around the cauldron, like magical creatures in a circle, enchanting everything you put inside.
Oh wow, great job! I'm impressed with your work, and everyone gets a cut of what you gain. Now sing around the cauldron, like sprites in a ring, making magic on everything you throw in.
well done you all get paid sing around cauldron like magical creatures enchant everything
By the pricking of my thumbs,
Something wicked this way comes.
Open, locks,
Whoever knocks!
From the tingling in my thumbs, something evil is coming this way. Open, locks, whoever is knocking!
My thumbs are tingling— something bad's heading this way. Unlock the doors, whoever's knocking, let them in!
my thumbs tingle something wicked coming open up locks open
How now, you secret, black, and midnight hags!
What is’t you do?
What now, you secretive, dark, midnight-dwelling hags! What is it that you do?
Well, well, you sneaky, dark, midnight witches! What exactly are you doing?
yo secret dark midnight hags what u doing?
The witches' prophecies in Act 4 operate through equivocation — a rhetorical technique of speaking misleadingly while remaining technically truthful. The term had specific political resonance in 1606: the year before, the Gunpowder Plot had failed, and the subsequent trials revealed that Jesuit priests had used equivocation to avoid self-incrimination under oath (one could mentally reserve the 'true' meaning of a statement while speaking its false surface). The practice was widely condemned and associated with Catholic deception. Shakespeare's witches practice a supernatural version: their prophecies are technically true, carefully worded to produce false confidence. 'None of woman born' is literally true — Macduff wasn't 'born' but 'ripped.' 'Birnam Wood to Dunsinane' is literally fulfilled — soldiers carry branches. The equivocators are not wrong; they are weaponizing ambiguity. Macbeth's tragedy is that he chose to hear the comfortable meaning of each prophecy rather than the dangerous one.
A deed without a name.
An act that has no name.
Something too horrible to name.
unspeakable act
I conjure you, by that which you profess,
(Howe’er you come to know it) answer me:
Though you untie the winds, and let them fight
Against the churches; though the yesty waves
Confound and swallow navigation up;
Though bladed corn be lodg’d, and trees blown down;
Though castles topple on their warders’ heads;
Though palaces and pyramids do slope
Their heads to their foundations; though the treasure
Of nature’s germens tumble all together,
Even till destruction sicken, answer me
To what I ask you.
I command you by your magic powers, (however you came to have them) answer me: Even if you release the winds to fight against the churches; even if foamy waves confuse and destroy ships; even if crops are beaten down and trees torn up; even if castles collapse on the guards' heads; even if palaces and pyramids tilt down to their foundations; even if nature's seeds tumble together, until destruction itself becomes sick, answer me about what I ask you.
I'm commanding you by your power— (no matter how you got it) answer me: Even if you let the winds loose to fight the churches; even if foaming waves wipe out ships; even if crops get flattened and trees blow down; even if castles crash on the guards; even if palaces and pyramids tip over straight down to their bases; even if all of nature's seeds fall apart together, until destruction itself gets tired, answer me— tell me what I want to know.
i command you by magic answer me even if winds fight churches foamy waves destroy ships crops flatten, trees down castles crash palaces tip all nature falls answer what i ask
Speak.
Speak.
speak.
speak.
Demand.
Demand.
demand.
demand.
We’ll answer.
We’ll answer.
we’ll answer.
we’ll answer.
Say, if thou’dst rather hear it from our mouths,
Or from our masters?
Say, if you would rather hear it from our mouths, or from our masters?
So, would you rather hear it from us, or from our masters?
wanna hear from us or our masters?
Call ’em, let me see ’em.
Call them, let me see them.
Summon them—I want to see them.
bring em out
Pour in sow’s blood, that hath eaten
Her nine farrow; grease that’s sweaten
From the murderer’s gibbet throw
Into the flame.
Pour in the blood of a female pig that has eaten her nine piglets; grease that's dripped from the murderer's gallows throw into the flame.
Dump in blood from a pig that's eaten her nine babies; toss in the fat that's dripped off a hanged murderer into the fire.
pig blood (ate her 9 babies) fat from murderer's gallows into flame
Come, high or low;
Thyself and office deftly show!
Come, from high or low; yourself and your role show skillfully!
Come on out, whoever you are; show yourself and what you do!
come high or low show yourself
Tell me, thou unknown power,—
Tell me, unknown force,—
Tell me, mysterious power,—
tell me mystery power
He knows thy thought:
Hear his speech, but say thou naught.
He knows your thoughts: listen to his speech, but say nothing.
He knows what you're thinking: listen to what he says, but don't speak.
he knows your thoughts listen but dont speak
Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff;
Beware the Thane of Fife.—Dismiss me.—Enough.
Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Watch out for Macduff; watch out for the lord of Fife.—dismiss me.—enough.
Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Look out for Macduff; look out for the Thane of Fife.—let me go.—that's all.
macbeth watch out for macduff thane of fife is danger done
Whate’er thou art, for thy good caution, thanks;
Thou hast harp’d my fear aright.—But one word more.
Whatever you are, I thank you for your good warning; you have recognized my fear correctly.—but one more thing.
Whatever you are, thanks for that good warning; you've nailed my fear perfectly.—but wait, one more question.
thanks for warning you got my fear one more thing
He will not be commanded. Here’s another,
More potent than the first.
He will not take commands. Here's another, stronger than the first.
He won't listen to orders. Here's another one, more powerful than that.
he wont obey here's another stronger
Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth!
Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth!
macbeth! macbeth! macbeth!
macbeth! macbeth! macbeth!
Macbeth was written approximately 1606, soon after James I acceded to the English throne. James was famously obsessed with witchcraft — he had written a treatise called Daemonologie (1597) and attended the witch trials of the North Berwick witches, who were accused of using sea-storms to try to sink his ship. The play's witch scenes are in direct dialogue with James's beliefs: the witches are malevolent, they use real practices from contemporary witch-hunting literature, and they are ultimately defeated. The vision of the eight kings in 4-1 is a direct compliment to James: he claimed descent from Banquo (a historical fiction, but a politically important one), and the eighth king's mirror showing 'many more' could be made to reflect James's own descendants. The Globe audience would have understood immediately. Shakespeare was flattering his new patron while writing the most psychologically sophisticated play of his career.
Had I three ears, I’d hear thee.
If I had three ears, I would listen to you.
If I had three ears, I'd definitely hear you.
if i had 3 ears id hear
Be bloody, bold, and resolute. Laugh to scorn
The power of man, for none of woman born
Shall harm Macbeth.
Be violent, bold, and determined. Mock the strength of men, because no one born of a woman will harm Macbeth.
Be ruthless, be bold, be tough. Laugh at how weak men really are, because nobody born from a woman can touch Macbeth.
be violent bold determined laugh at men no one born of woman can hurt macbeth
Then live, Macduff: what need I fear of thee?
But yet I’ll make assurance double sure,
And take a bond of fate. Thou shalt not live;
That I may tell pale-hearted fear it lies,
And sleep in spite of thunder.
Then live, Macduff: what should I fear from you? But still I'll make certainty even more certain, and force fate to guarantee it. You will not live; so that I can tell timid fear it's a lie, and sleep despite thunder.
So Macduff can live—why would I fear him? But I'll still make absolutely sure, and lock down my fate. You won't survive; so I can tell my fear it's lying, and sleep even through a storm.
macduff can live why fear him? ill make sure twice over lock fate you die i sleep without fear
What is this,
That rises like the issue of a king,
And wears upon his baby brow the round
And top of sovereignty?
What is this that rises like a king's child and wears the crown and peak of power on its baby brow?
What is this appearing before me? It looks like a king's son, wearing a crown right on its baby face as if it rules.
what is this looks like a royal baby wearing a crown
Listen, but speak not to’t.
Listen, but do not speak to it.
Listen up, but don't talk back.
listen dont talk
Be lion-mettled, proud, and take no care
Who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are:
Macbeth shall never vanquish’d be, until
Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill
Shall come against him.
Be fierce like a lion, be proud, and ignore who complains, who worries, or where plotters gather: Macbeth will never be defeated, until great Birnam forest moves to high Dunsinane hill against him.
Have the courage of a lion, be proud, don't care who's upset, who's anxious, or where the traitors are: Macbeth will never be beaten, until the great Birnam wood marches to the high Dunsinane hill against him.
be lion fierce proud ignore complainers macbeth never loses until birnam wood comes to dunsinane
That will never be:
Who can impress the forest; bid the tree
Unfix his earth-bound root? Sweet bodements, good!
Rebellious head, rise never till the wood
Of Birnam rise, and our high-plac’d Macbeth
Shall live the lease of nature, pay his breath
To time and mortal custom.—Yet my heart
Throbs to know one thing: tell me, if your art
Can tell so much, shall Banquo’s issue ever
Reign in this kingdom?
That will never happen: who can command a forest to move; tell a tree to pull up its earth-bound roots? Good prophecies! My rebellious head will never rise until the wood of Birnam rises, and our powerful Macbeth will live the length of nature's life, give up his breath to time and natural death.—but my heart beats to know one thing: tell me, if your magic can reveal this much, will Banquo's descendants ever rule this kingdom?
That'll never happen: who can push a forest around; make a tree rip up its roots from the ground? Great prophecies! I won't worry till the Birnam wood moves, and our powerful Macbeth will live as long as nature lets him, die when his time comes.—but my heart is desperate to know one thing: tell me, if your magic can show us this much, will Banquo's kids ever be kings of this kingdom?
never happen forests dont move birnam wood wont come macbeth lives til nature ends but will banquo's kids ever rule?
Seek to know no more.
Stop trying to find out any more.
Don't ask for anything else.
stop asking
I will be satisfied: deny me this,
And an eternal curse fall on you! Let me know.
Why sinks that cauldron? and what noise is this?
I will get an answer: if you deny me this, an eternal curse will fall on you! Let me know. Why is that cauldron sinking? and what is this noise?
I'm getting an answer: you deny me this, and a curse forever on you! Tell me. Why's the cauldron sinking? What's that noise?
tell me or curse on you why cauldron sinking? what noise?
Show!
Show!
show!
show!
Show!
Show!
show!
show!
Show!
Show!
show!
show!
Show his eyes, and grieve his heart;
Come like shadows, so depart!
Show your eyes and sadden his heart; come like shadows, then disappear!
Show yourself and crush his heart; come like shadows, then vanish!
show yourself break his heart come like shadows vanish
The final decision of Act 4 scene 1 — to kill Macduff's wife and children — is the moment critics point to when they say Macbeth crosses from tragic hero to tyrant. The previous murders had logic, however twisted: Duncan for the crown, Banquo for security, the grooms to suppress evidence. The murder of Macduff's family serves no strategic purpose (Macduff is already in England), harms people who have done nothing against Macbeth, and targets children. Macbeth's own phrasing reveals the transformation: 'the firstlings of my heart shall be the firstlings of my hand.' He has eliminated the reflective space between impulse and action. This was the space where his conscience lived. By resolving to bypass it entirely, he is engineering his own dehumanization — moving from the tortured man who couldn't kill without going mad to someone who kills without thinking. The next scene will show us what that looks like from the outside: Lady Macduff and her son, talking about ordinary life.
Thou are too like the spirit of Banquo. Down!
Thy crown does sear mine eyeballs:—and thy hair,
Thou other gold-bound brow, is like the first.
A third is like the former.—Filthy hags!
Why do you show me this?—A fourth!—Start, eyes!
What, will the line stretch out to th’ crack of doom?
Another yet!—A seventh!—I’ll see no more:—
And yet the eighth appears, who bears a glass
Which shows me many more; and some I see
That twofold balls and treble sceptres carry.
Horrible sight!—Now I see ’tis true;
For the blood-bolter’d Banquo smiles upon me,
And points at them for his.—What! is this so?
You look too much like Banquo's spirit. Go away! Your crown burns my eyes—and your hair, the next one with the gold crown, looks like the first. A third looks the same.—Dirty witches! Why are you showing me this?—A fourth!—Eyes, wake up! Will this line of ghosts stretch all the way to the end of the world? Another!—A seventh!—I don't want to see anymore:— And yet an eighth appears, holding a mirror which shows me many more; and some I see wear two crowns and three scepters. Horrible vision!—Now I see it's true; Banquo with blood matted in his hair smiles at me, and points to them as his descendants.—Really? Is this happening?
You look just like Banquo's ghost. Get out of here! Your crown is blinding me—and your hair, next crowned head looks just like the first one. The third one's the same.—Filthy witches! Why are you showing me this?—Another one!—Eyes open! Will this keep going forever, to the end of time? Yet another!—Seventh one!—I can't watch anymore:— And now an eighth one shows up with a mirror that shows me tons more; I see some carrying two crowns and three scepters. Nightmare stuff!—So it's real; Banquo with blood stuck in his hair is grinning at me, pointing to them like they're his family line.—Seriously? This is actually happening?
banquo's ghost get out crown blinds me more heads like first why show me more more more line stretches forever blood soaked banquo grins points to his kids they got crowns they got scepters its real
Ay, sir, all this is so:—but why
Stands Macbeth thus amazedly?—
Come, sisters, cheer we up his sprites,
And show the best of our delights.
I’ll charm the air to give a sound,
While you perform your antic round;
That this great king may kindly say,
Our duties did his welcome pay.
Yes, sir, all this is true:—but why stands Macbeth here so amazed?— Come, sisters, let's lift up his spirits, and show him the best of our delights. I'll enchant the air to make a sound, while you do your strange dance; so this great king will graciously say, our work has made him welcome.
Yeah, sir, it's all real:—but why's Macbeth just standing there stunned?— Come on, sisters, let's pump him up, and show him the best we've got. I'll put magic in the air for music, while you dance your wild dance; so this king will say thanks, that your work gave him a proper welcome.
yes its all true why macbeth shocked? sisters cheer him show best stuff ill magic air for music you dance wild king says thanks
Where are they? Gone?—Let this pernicious hour
Stand aye accursed in the calendar!—
Come in, without there!
Where are they? Gone?—Let this harmful hour stay forever cursed in the calendar!— Come in, whoever's out there!
Where'd they go? Vanished?—This evil hour better stay cursed forever in history!— Somebody come in here!
where'd they go gone? curse this evil hour somebody come
What’s your Grace’s will?
What do you wish, your highness?
What do you need, your highness?
what do you want?
Saw you the Weird Sisters?
Did you see the Weird Sisters?
You see those weird witches?
spot the witches?
No, my lord.
No, my lord.
no, my lord.
no, my lord.
Came they not by you?
Did they not pass by you?
They didn't come past you?
they pass by you?
No, indeed, my lord.
No, certainly not, my lord.
No, definitely not, my lord.
no my lord
Infected be the air whereon they ride;
And damn’d all those that trust them!—I did hear
The galloping of horse: who was’t came by?
Let the air they travel on be infected; and curse all those who trust them!—I heard the galloping of horses: who came by?
Let the air they ride on be poisoned; and curse everyone who trusts them!—I heard horses galloping past: who was that?
poison the air they ride curse anyone who trusts them i heard horses who came by?
’Tis two or three, my lord, that bring you word
Macduff is fled to England.
There are two or three, my lord, who bring you the news that Macduff has fled to England.
It's two or three people, my lord, bringing word that Macduff ran away to England.
2-3 guys here macduff fled to england
Fled to England!
Fled to England!
fled to england!
fled to england!
Ay, my good lord.
Yes, my good lord.
Absolutely, my lord.
yep
Time, thou anticipat’st my dread exploits:
The flighty purpose never is o’ertook
Unless the deed go with it. From this moment
The very firstlings of my heart shall be
The firstlings of my hand. And even now,
To crown my thoughts with acts, be it thought and done:
The castle of Macduff I will surprise;
Seize upon Fife; give to th’ edge o’ th’ sword
His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls
That trace him in his line. No boasting like a fool;
This deed I’ll do before this purpose cool:
But no more sights!—Where are these gentlemen?
Come, bring me where they are.
Time, you're rushing ahead of my terrible plans: impulsive intention never gets caught up unless the action follows it immediately. From now on, whatever my heart wants first will be what my hand does first. And right now, to match action to thought, let thought and deed be one: I will attack Macduff's castle; seize Fife; kill with the sword his wife, his children, and all unfortunate people connected to him through blood. No bragging like a fool; I'll do this before my resolve weakens: but no more visions!—where are these men? come, take me to where they are.
Time, you're jumping ahead of my horrifying plans: rash decisions never work out unless you act right away. From this point on, whatever my heart wants first is what my hand will do first. And right now, to turn thoughts into action, thought and deed become one: I'm going to attack Macduff's castle; grab hold of Fife; slaughter with swords his wife, his kids, and everybody else connected to him by blood. No stupid boasting; I'll do it before I change my mind: but no more ghost stories!—where are those guys? come on, take me where they are.
time youre rushing my plans i cant wait to act thoughts become deeds now ill attack macduff's castle seize fife kill his wife kids everyone no more visions where are these guys? take me there
The Reckoning
The great theatre scene of the play. The cauldron speech is Shakespeare at his most deliberately theatrical — a catalog of horror that is also a recipe, a ritual, a spectacle. Then Macbeth arrives and the scene becomes something more disturbing: the delivery of prophecies that are technically true and functionally deceptive. Each apparition tells Macbeth something he wants to hear. Together they produce exactly the overconfidence Hecate designed in 3-5. The irony is total: the armed head warns him about Macduff, which Macbeth should take seriously; the bloody child says no man of woman born will harm him, which he takes as absolute protection; the crowned child says he won't be conquered until Birnam Wood moves. He treats the last two as guarantees and the first as a mere precaution. He is building a false fortress out of equivocal prophecy. The vision of Banquo's royal descendants — eight kings stretching to the crack of doom — destroys him temporarily; his response is to kill Macduff's family immediately, which is the action that will destroy him morally and ultimately bring the resistance to full force.
If this happened today…
A criminal on trial gets three consulting opinions. First: 'Your main enemy will come for you — be careful.' Second: 'No one born by normal means can harm you.' Third: 'You won't be caught until the physically impossible happens.' He hears #2 and #3 as guarantees, ignores the danger in #1, and goes home feeling invincible. His lawyer watches with dread.