Macbeth by Skakespeare / Act V

 

William Shakespeare

MACBETH

by William Shakespeare

ACT V

SCENE I. Dunsinane. A Room in the Castle.

Enter a Doctor of Physic and a Waiting-Gentlewoman.

DOCTOR.
I have two nights watched with you, but can perceive no truth in your report. When was it she last walked?

GENTLEWOMAN.
Since his Majesty went into the field, I have seen her rise from her bed, throw her nightgown upon her, unlock her closet, take forth paper, fold it, write upon’t, read it, afterwards seal it, and again return to bed; yet all this while in a most fast sleep.

Macbeth by Shakespeare / Act IV

 

Orson Welles in Macbeth (1948)

MACBETH

by William Shakespeare

ACT IV

SCENE I. A dark Cave. In the middle, a Cauldron Boiling.

Thunder. Enter the three Witches.

FIRST WITCH.
Thrice the brinded cat hath mew’d.

SECOND WITCH.
Thrice, and once the hedge-pig whin’d.

THIRD WITCH.
Harpier cries:—’Tis time, ’tis time.

Macbeth by Shakespeare / Act III

MACBETH

by William Shakespeare

ACT III

SCENE I. Forres. A Room in the Palace.

Enter Banquo.

BANQUO.
Thou hast it now, King, Cawdor, Glamis, all,
As the Weird Women promis’d; and, I fear,
Thou play’dst most foully for’t; yet it was said
It should not stand in thy posterity;
But that myself should be the root and father
Of many kings. If there come truth from them
(As upon thee, Macbeth, their speeches shine)
Why, by the verities on thee made good,
May they not be my oracles as well,
And set me up in hope? But hush; no more.

Sennet sounded. Enter Macbeth as King, Lady Macbeth as Queen;Lennox, Ross, Lords, and Attendants.

MACBETH.
Here’s our chief guest.

Macbeth by Skakespeare / Act ll

 

[Pg 

MACBETH

by William Shakespeare

ACT II

SCENE I. Inverness. Court within the Castle.

Enter Banquo and Fleance with a torch before him.

BANQUO.
How goes the night, boy?

FLEANCE.
The moon is down; I have not heard the clock.

BANQUO.
And she goes down at twelve.

FLEANCE.
I take’t, ’tis later, sir.

BANQUO.
Hold, take my sword.—There’s husbandry in heaven;
Their candles are all out. Take thee that too.
A heavy summons lies like lead upon me,
And yet I would not sleep. Merciful powers,
Restrain in me the cursed thoughts that nature
Gives way to in repose!

Enter Macbeth and a Servant with a torch.

Give me my sword.—Who’s there?

MACBETH

A friend.

Macbeth by Shakespeare / Act l

 

MACBETH

by William Shakespeare

Dramatis Personæ

DUNCAN, King of Scotland.
MALCOLM, his Son.
DONALBAIN, his Son.
MACBETH, General in the King’s Army.
BANQUO, General in the King’s Army.
MACDUFF, Nobleman of Scotland.
LENNOX, Nobleman of Scotland.
ROSS, Nobleman of Scotland.
MENTEITH, Nobleman of Scotland.
ANGUS, Nobleman of Scotland.
CAITHNESS, Nobleman of Scotland.
FLEANCE, Son to Banquo.
SIWARD, Earl of Northumberland, General of the English Forces.
YOUNG SIWARD, his Son.
SEYTON, an Officer attending on Macbeth.
BOY, Son to Macduff.
An English Doctor.
A Scottish Doctor.
A Soldier.
A Porter.
An Old Man.

LADY MACBETH.
LADY MACDUFF.
Gentlewoman attending on Lady Macbeth.
HECATE, and three Witches.

Lords, Gentlemen, Officers, Soldiers, Murderers, Attendants and Messengers.

The Ghost of Banquo and several other Apparitions.

009 Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 1813

009

Pride and Prejudice

by Jane Austen

1813

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Austen’s second published novel gave us Lizzy Bennet, Mr Darcy – and arguably the original romantic comedy. The ironic humour, the lovable Bennet clan and the brooding, arrogant Darcy have inspired ardent fans ever since, with popular adaptations ranging from the classic 90s TV drama to the Keira Knightley film, and of course the inspiration for Mark Darcy in Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones series.

First sentence

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”

Total votes 20

• Meg Rosoff

  ,
• Yael van der Wouden

  ,
• Esi Edugyan

  ,
• Yan Lianke

  ,
• Sarah Churchwell

  ,
• Steven Poole

  ,
• Lucy Knight

  ,
• John Mullan

  ,
• Siri Hustvedt

  ,
• Michael Chabon

  ,
• Kathryn Hughes

  ,
• Ahdaf Soueif

  ,
• Parinoush Saniee

  ,
• Jennifer Egan

  ,
• Sara Collins

  ,
• Ian McEwan

  ,
• Marcel Theroux

  ,
• Ben Okri

  ,
• Elizabeth Day

  ,
• Lily King

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008 Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë 1847

008

Jane Eyre

by Charlotte Brontë

1847

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The tale of poor governess Jane, her unlikely love affair with Mr Rochester, and the madwoman in his attic was a bestseller on publication. (Her sister Emily’s novel Wuthering Heights came out two months later.) Published under the pen name Currer Bell, its innovative first-person narrative, gothic and erotic themes thrilled contemporary readers.

First sentence

“There was no possibility of taking a walk that day.”

Total votes 21

• Maggie O’Farrell

  ,
• Kit de Waal

  ,
• Sarah Moss

  ,
• Imogen Russell Williams

  ,
• Fiona Sturges

  ,
• Sarah Churchwell

  ,
• Blake Morrison

  ,
• Rachel Kushner

  ,
• Elif Batuman

  ,
• Katharine Viner

  ,
• Lara Feigel

  ,
• Claire Armitstead

  ,
• Kathryn Hughes

  ,
• Lisa Tuttle

  ,
• Matt Haig

  ,
• Sophie Mackintosh

  ,
• Tessa Hadley

  ,
• Susanna Rustin

  ,
• Dinah Birch

  ,
• Tahmima Anam

  ,
• Doireann Ní Ghríofa

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