Chapter: SCENE V.

Inverness. A Room in Macbeth's Castle.

[Enter Lady Macbeth, reading a letter.]

LADY MACBETH.
"They met me in the day of success; and I have
learned by the perfectest report they have more in them than
mortal knowledge. When I burned in desire to question them
further, they made themselves air, into which they vanished.
Whiles I stood rapt in the wonder of it, came missives from
the king, who all-hailed me, 'Thane of Cawdor'; by which title,
before, these weird sisters saluted me, and referred me to the
coming on of time, with 'Hail, king that shalt be!' This have
I thought good to deliver thee, my dearest partner of
greatness; that thou mightst not lose the dues of rejoicing, by
being ignorant of what greatness is promised thee. Lay it to thy
heart, and farewell."

Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be
What thou art promis'd; yet do I fear thy nature;
It is too full o' the milk of human kindness
To catch the nearest way: thou wouldst be great;
Art not without ambition; but without
The illness should attend it. What thou wouldst highly,
That wouldst thou holily; wouldst not play false,
And yet wouldst wrongly win: thou'dst have, great Glamis,
That which cries, "Thus thou must do, if thou have it:
And that which rather thou dost fear to do
Than wishest should be undone." Hie thee hither,
That I may pour my spirits in thine ear;
And chastise with the valor of my tongue
All that impedes thee from the golden round,
Which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem
To have thee crown'd withal.

[Enter an Attendant.]

What is your tidings?

ATTENDANT.
The king comes here tonight.

LADY MACBETH.
Thou'rt mad to say it:
Is not thy master with him? who, were't so,
Would have inform'd for preparation.

ATTENDANT.
So please you, it is true:--our thane is coming:
One of my fellows had the speed of him;
Who, almost dead for breath, had scarcely more
Than would make up his message.

LADY MACBETH.
Give him tending;
He brings great news.

[Exit Attendant.]

The raven himself is hoarse
That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan
Under my battlements. Come, you spirits
That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here;
And fill me, from the crown to the toe, top-full
Of direst cruelty! make thick my blood,
Stop up the access and passage to remorse,
That no compunctious visitings of nature
Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between
The effect and it! Come to my woman's breasts,
And take my milk for gall, your murdering ministers,
Wherever in your sightless substances
You wait on nature's mischief! Come, thick night,
And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell
That my keen knife see not the wound it makes
Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark
To cry, "Hold, hold!"

[Enter Macbeth.]

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 tonight.

LADY MACBETH.
And when goes hence?

MACBETH.
To-morrow,--as he purposes.

LADY MACBETH.
O, never
Shall sun that morrow see!
Your face, my thane, is as a book where men
May read strange matters:--to beguile the time,
Look like the time; bear welcome in your eye,
Your hand, your tongue: look like the innocent flower,
But be the serpent under't. He that's coming
Must be provided for: and you shall put
This night's great business into my despatch;
Which shall to all our nights and days to come
Give solely sovereign sway and masterdom.

MACBETH.
We will speak further.

LADY MACBETH.
Only look up clear;
To alter favor ever is to fear:
Leave all the rest to me.

[Exeunt.]

 This scene, set in Macbeth's castle Inverness, opens with Lady Macbeth reading a letter from her absent husband. In the letter, Macbeth tells about his encounter with the three witches whom he believes have "more than mortal knowledge." He tells her about their prediction that he would become the Thane of Cawdor  and the King of Scotland. Macbeth further indicates in the letter that he truly believes he will gain the throne, saying to his wife that he wanted her to know "what greatness is promised thee." Lady Macbeth is elated by the prospect of becoming the queen, but fearful that her husband may be too kind to carry out any plan that would insure he wears the crown. She immediately decides that she will help her husband by encouraging him to murder Duncan. As she ponders all the news of Macbeth's letter and her husband's character, an attendant enters to say that King Duncan is coming to Inverness this very day for an overnight visit. Her response to the news is that she welcomes "the fatal entrance of Duncan under my battlements. " She sees this as the perfect opportunity to have her husband murder the king. She begs the spirits to aid in the plan and to fill her with "direct cruelty" so nothing will "shake my fell purpose." As she has these darkest thoughts, Macbeth himself enters the scene, and she greets him as a king, calling him the "all- hail hereafter. " She wastes no time in sharing her murderous thoughts about taking immediate action against Duncan and says, "I feel now the future is in the instant." When Macbeth tells her that Duncan will only be staying one night and leaving tomorrow, Lady Macbeth replies that "never shall sun that morrow see!" Then she warns Macbeth that he cannot let his plans for murder show in his face. Instead, he must "look like the innocent flower but be the serpent underneath." Next Lady Macbeth indicates that she wants to be in control of the plans, telling her husband to "put this night's great business into my despatch." Macbeth understands and approves her plans and promises to speak further about them later in the day. The scene closes with Lady Macbeth telling Macbeth to stay calm and "leave the rest to me."

