54 LITERATURE AND DRAMA 



Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark, 

 To cry ' Hold, hold ! ' 12 



Enter MACBETH. 



13 Great Glamis ! worthy Cawdor ! 

 Greater than both, by the all-hail hereafter ! 

 Thy letters have transported me beyond 

 This ignorant present, and I feel now 

 The future in the instant. 



Macbeth. My dearest love, 



Duncan comes here to-night. 



Lady.^ And when goes hence ? 



Macbeth. To-morrow, as he purposes. 



Lady. O, never x 



(never) Shall sun that morrow see s ! 15 



16 Your face, my thane, is as a book where men 

 May read strange matters. To beguile the time, 

 Look like the time ; i6 bear welcome in your eye, 

 Your hand, your tongue : look like the innocent flower, 



17 But be the serpent under '. He that's coming 

 Must be provided for : and you shall put 



This night's great business into my dispatch ; 



18 Which shall to all our nights and days to come 

 Give solely sovereign sway and masterdom. 18 



Macbeth. We will speak further. 



Lady. Only look up clear ; 



19 To alter favour ever is to fear : 



Leave all the rest to me.l 9 [Exeunt. 



13 Loud, triumphant and wild in her air. 



14 High purpose working in her mind. 



15 0, never N . A long pause, turned from him, her eye steadfast. Strong 

 dwelling emphasis on ' never,' with deep downward inflection, ' never shall sun 

 that morrow see ! ' Low, very slow sustained voice, her eye and her mind 

 occupied steadfastly in the contemplation of her horrible purpose, pronuncia- 

 tion almost syllabic, note unvaried. Her self-collected solemn energy, her 

 fixed posture, her determined eye and full deep voice of fixed resolve never 

 should be forgot, cannot be conceived nor described. 



16 Observing the effect of what she has said on him, now first turning her 

 eye upon his face. 



17 Very slow, severe and cruel expression, her gesture impressive. 



18 Voice changes to assurance and gratulation. 



19 Leading him out, cajoling him, her hand on his shoulder clapping him. 

 This vulgar gives a mean conception of Macbeth, unlike the high mental 

 working by which he is turned to her ambitious purpose. 



