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SCENE III
Dunsinane. A room in the castle.

Enter MACBETH, Doctor, and Attendants

MACBETH
Bring me no more reports; let them fly all:
Till Birnam wood remove to Dunsinane,
I cannot taint with fear.¹ What's the boy Malcolm?
Was he not born of woman? The spirits that know
All mortal consequences have pronounced me thus:
'Fear not, Macbeth; no man that's born of woman
Shall e'er have power upon thee.'² 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.

Enter a Servant

The devil damn thee black, thou cream-faced loon!
Where got'st thou that goose look?

Servant
There is ten thousand-

MACBETH
Geese, villain!

Servant
Soldiers, sir.

MACBETH
Go prick thy face, and over-red thy fear,
Thou lily-liver'd boy.³ What soldiers, patch?
Death of thy soul! those linen cheeks of thine
Are counsellors to fear. What soldiers, whey-face?⁴

Servant
The English force, so please you.

MACBETH
Take thy face hence.⁵

Exit Servant

Seyton! - I am sick at heart,
When I behold - Seyton, I say! -This push
Will cheer me ever, or disseat me now.⁶
I have lived long enough: my way of life
Is fall'n into the sear, 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
What is your gracious pleasure?

MACBETH
What news more?

SEYTON
All is confirm'd, my lord, which was reported.

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

SEYTON
'Tis not needed yet.

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?

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

MACBETH
Cure her of that.
Canst thou not minister to a mind diseased,⁷
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?

Doctor
Therein the patient
Must minister to himself.

MACBETH
Throw physic to the dogs; I'll none of it..⁸
Come, put mine armour on; give me my staff.
Seyton, send out. Doctor, the thanes fly from me.
Come, sir, dispatch. If thou couldst, doctor, cast
The water of my land, find her disease,
And purge it to a sound and pristine health,.⁹
I would applaud thee to the very echo,
That should applaud again.- Pull't off, I say.-
What rhubarb, cyme, or what purgative drug,
Would scour these English hence? Hear'st thou of them?

Doctor
Ay, my good lord; your royal preparation
Makes us hear something.

MACBETH
Bring it after me..¹⁰
I will not be afraid of death and bane,
Till Birnam forest come to Dunsinane.

Doctor
[Aside] Were I from Dunsinane away and clear,
Profit again should hardly draw me here.¹¹

Exeunt

FOOTNOTES

¹ Don't bring me anymore reports. I don't care if all the thanes desert me. Until Birnam Wood starts moving toward Dunsinane, I'm not scared.
² The witches' spirits told me "Don't be afraid, Macbeth. No man born from a woman will ever defeat you."
³ Pinch your cheeks and put some color back into your face, you cowardly boy.
⁴ Milk-face
⁵ Get out of my face!
⁶ This battle will either secure my reign forever or will topple me from the throne.
⁷ Can't you treat a sick mind?
⁸ Medicine is for dogs; I don't want anything to do with it.
⁹ Can you figure out what's wrong with my country by examining its urine? Can you bring it back to health for me?
¹⁰ Bring my armor and follow me.
¹¹ I wish I wasn't in Dunsinane. You couldn't pay me to return here.

SUMMARY

Macbeth in one of Dunsinane castle's halls with the doctor and his attendants, saying he is not scared of Malcolm or the English army because the witches had told him he would never be harmed. His servant Seyton says an army of 10,000 Englishmen are approaching the castle. Macbeth insists on wearing his armor even though it's not battletime yet. The doctor tells Macbeth that Lady Macbeth must get rest - Macbeth orders him to cure her of her delusions.

Photo Credit:
Cowardly Lion