What bloody man is that? He can report,
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bloody = bleeding
As seemeth by his plight, of the revolt
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plight = situation (the Sergeant is still bleeding, and therefore only recently wounded); revolt = battle
The newest state.
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the most up-to-date news
Malcolm
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This is the sergeant
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Who like a good and hardy soldier fought
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'Gainst my captivity. Hail, brave friend!
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Malcolm was in danger of being captured; the Sergeant helped him escape
Say to the King the knowledge of the broil
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broil = battle
As thou didst leave it.
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Sergeant
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Doubtful it stood,
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As two spent swimmers that do cling together
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spent = exhausted
And choke their art. The merciless Macdonwald —
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choke their art = make each other's efforts useless; Macdonwald is an enemy
Worthy to be a rebel, for to that
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worthy to be a = deserving the disgraceful name of; for to that = because, in that regard
The multiplying villainies of nature
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multiplying villainies = numerous evils
Do swarm upon him — from the Western Isles
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swarm upon = are to be found in; Western Isles = Ireland
Of kerns and gallowglasses is supplied;
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of kerns and gallowglasses = with Irish foot soldiers
And Fortune, on his damned quarrel smiling,
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his = Macdonwald's; quarrel = war
Show'd like a rebel's whore. But all's too weak;
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show'd like = was revealed to be; rebel's whore = vile, deceitful woman; all's too weak = even that was not enough
For brave Macbeth — well he deserves that name —
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name = "brave," given almost as a formal honor
Disdaining Fortune, with his brandish'd steel,
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disdaining Fortune = fighting as if he did not care what Fate had ordained for him; brandish'd steel = drawn sword
Which smoked with bloody execution,
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smoked = gave off vapor
Like Valor's minion carved out his passage
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minion = favorite (the embodiment of Valor); carved out his passage = cut his way through the enemy troops
Till he faced the slave,
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slave = Macdonwald
Which ne'er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him,
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which = and
Till he unseam'd him from the nave to the chops,
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unseam'd him = slashed him open; nave = navel; chops = mouth
And fix'd his head upon our battlements.
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fix'd = placed; battlements = fortified camp
Duncan
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O valiant cousin! Worthy gentleman!
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in Shakespeare's source materials (Holinshed's Chronicles), Macbeth was in fact a cousin of Duncan
Sergeant
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As whence the sun 'gins his reflection
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'gins = begins
Shipwrecking storms and direful thunders break,
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So from that spring whence comfort seem'd to come
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Discomfort swells. Mark, King of Scotland, mark.
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mark = remember
No sooner justice had, with valor arm'd,
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Compell'd these skipping kerns to trust their heels,
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skipping = retreating; kerns = foot soldiers; trust their heels = run away
But the Norweyan lord, surveying vantage,
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Norweyan lord = Norwegian leader; surveying vantage = seeing an opportunity
With furbish'd arms and new supplies of men,
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furbish'd arms = new supplies of weapons
Began a fresh assault.
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Duncan
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Dismay'd not this
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Our captains, Macbeth and Banquo?
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Sergeant
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Yes,
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As sparrows eagles, or the hare the lion.
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in other words, not at all
If I say sooth, I must report they were
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sooth = truly
As cannons overcharged with double cracks, So they
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cracks = charges of gunpowder
Doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe.
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fought that much harder
Except they meant to bathe in reeking wounds,
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except they meant = whether they intended
Or memorize another Golgotha,
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memorize = create a scene as memorable as; Golgotha = the site of the Crucifixion (Golgotha literally means "place of the skull")
I cannot tell —
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But I am faint; my gashes cry for help.
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gashes = wounds
Duncan
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So well thy words become thee as thy wounds;
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your words are as well spoken as your wounds are well earned
They smack of honor both. Go, get him surgeons.
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they both mark you as a man of honor
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Exit Sergeant, attended.
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Enter Ross and Angus
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Who comes here?
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Malcolm
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The worthy Thane of Ross.
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Lennox
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What a haste looks through his eyes! So should he look
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haste looks through his eyes = how intent he is on speed; so should he look = it would be expected that a man would look that way
That seems to speak things strange.
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who has strange things to report
Ross
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God save the King!
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Duncan
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Whence camest thou, worthy Thane?
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Ross
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From Fife, great King,
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Fife = a district of Scotland
Where the Norweyan banners flout the sky
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Norweyan = Norwegian; flout = disobey (but in this case, "flout" could be taken to mean "flog" with the extra connotation of "unjustly")
And fan our people cold.
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strike fear in our people's hearts
Norway himself, with terrible numbers,
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Norway = the King of Norway; terrible numbers = terrifying numbers of soldiers
Assisted by that most disloyal traitor
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The Thane of Cawdor, began a dismal conflict,
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dismal = unrighteous
Till that Bellona's bridegroom, lapp'd in proof,
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Bellona's bridegroom = another description of Macbeth, this time as the husband of the goddess of war; lapp'd in proof = bloodstained
Confronted him with self-comparisons,
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him = the King of Norway; self-comparisons = matched him in valorous deeds
Point against point rebellious, arm 'gainst arm,
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sword against rebel's sword
Curbing his lavish spirit; and, to conclude,
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curbing his lavish spirit = bringing the King of Norway's passionate fighting under control
The victory fell on us.
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Duncan
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Great happiness!
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Ross
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That now
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Sweno, the Norways' king, craves composition;
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craves composition = desires terms of peace (surrender)
Nor would we deign him burial of his men
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deign = allow
Till he disbursed, at Saint Colme's Inch,
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disbursed = paid; Saint Colme's Inch = an island
Ten thousand dollars to our general use.
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Duncan
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No more that Thane of Cawdor shall deceive
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deceive = betray
Our bosom interest. Go pronounce his present death,
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bosom interest = heart's trust; pronounce his present death = announce and immediately carry out the sentence of death
And with his former title greet Macbeth.
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title = Thane of Cawdor
Ross
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I'll see it done.
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see it done = see to it that it happens
Duncan
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What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won.
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lost, through treachery; won, through valor
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Exeunt
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