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Macbeth - Act 5, scene 3

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Act 5, scene 3.

Reports are brought to Macbeth of the Scottish and English forces massed against him. He seeks assurance in the apparitions’ promise of safety for himself. But he is anxious about Lady Macbeth’s condition and impatient with her doctor’s inability to cure her.

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William Shakespeare

• Literature Notes
• Macbeth at a Glance
• Play Summary
• About Macbeth
• Character List
• Summary and Analysis
• Act I: Scene 1
• Act I: Scene 2
• Act I: Scene 3
• Act I: Scene 4
• Act I: Scene 5
• Act I: Scene 6
• Act I: Scene 7
• Act II: Scene 1
• Act II: Scene 2
• Act II: Scene 3
• Act II: Scene 4
• Act III: Scene 1
• Act III: Scene 2
• Act III: Scene 3
• Act III: Scene 4
• Act III: Scene 5
• Act III: Scene 6
• Act IV: Scene 1
• Act IV: Scene 2
• Act IV: Scene 3
• Act V: Scene 1
• Act V: Scene 2
• Act V: Scene 3
• Act V: Scene 4
• Act V: Scene 5
• Act V: Scene 6
• Act V: Scene 7
• Act V: Scene 8
• Act V: Scene 9
• Character Analysis
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Summary and Analysis Act V: Scene 3

Macbeth dismisses reports of invasion by trusting to the prophecies of the apparitions, which seemed to promise him invincibility in battle. When a servant enters to announce the approach of a huge army, Macbeth appears momentarily to lose courage and then angrily spurns his servant and orders his armor to be put on. The Doctor, whose news concerning Lady Macbeth is just as grim, is treated with similar contempt.

Macbeth's tone is typically brazen. The reports he has heard can have no consequence, given the prophecies of the three apparitions of Act IV, Scene 1. Throughout this scene, any doubts he may have are quelled by his bold imperatives: "Bring me no more reports," "Fly, false thanes," and more. We see a man completely self-assured, a "confident tyrant," as Siward calls him in the subsequent scene. These angry words do much to assert his own manhood, in contrast to the cowardice he perceives in others — not only his servant, whom he calls "cream-faced" and "lily-livered," but also the rebel soldiers, whom he insultingly refers to as "epicures" (that is, self-indulgent and lazy).

In the dialogue with the servant, Macbeth orders him to "prick his cheeks" in order to "put colour" back in his face, an ironic reminder of the earlier color symbolism when Macbeth was accused by his wife of having a white heart, as opposed to her own red hands. Another imperative — "Give me my armour" — has to be repeated when Macbeth's armourer, Seyton, initially refuses to do so. Similarly, when the Doctor confesses that he has been unable to cure Lady Macbeth's madness, Macbeth mocks his ability, challenging him to "Throw physic (medicine) to the dogs."

But there is also another Macbeth, who admits to being "sick at heart" and who feels he has entered the season of the "yellow leaf," that is, literally, the fall of his own reputation; and who, in a further moment of self-realization, recognizes the sickness of his own land: "If thou could'st, Doctor, cast / The water of my land, find her disease, / And purge it to a sound and pristine health / I would applaud thee to the very echo / That should applaud again" (50-54).

Earlier, referring to his wife's sickness, Macbeth has questioned the doctor's ability to remove from her those thoughts and feelings "Which weigh upon the heart." The Doctor's response: "Therein the patient must minister to himself" is particularly interesting. Where we expect " her self," Shakespeare instead uses the masculine pronoun, referring to a patient of either sex, particularly in proverbial statements such as this one. The suggestion is that Macbeth, too, must find the cure to his own disease. Macbeth's military preparation, which the Doctor says he has heard about, is unlikely to be any more effective than a medicinal preparation or remedy which he might prescribe for the sick nation of Scotland.

English epicures (8) the self-indulgent English

sway (9) command

goose (12) cowardly

sere (23) dry

fain (28) rather

skirr (35) scour

oblivious (43) that brings oblivion

physic (47) medicine

cast the water (50) examine the urine (here, used metaphorically)

rhubarb . . . drug (55) purgatives

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Macbeth Act 5 Scene 3

Macbeth act 5 scene 3 lyrics.

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Macbeth dismisses reports of the invading army, believing the Apparitions' prophecies make his defeat impossible. He berates a terrified Servant who tries to update him on the threat. Informed by the Doctor that Lady Macbeth is still tormented by hallucinations, Macbeth scoffs and dismisses him too.

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

• 1. Macbeth (Characters of the Play)
• 2. Macbeth Act 1 Scene 1
• 3. Macbeth Act 1 Scene 2
• 4. Macbeth Act 1 Scene 3
• 5. Macbeth Act 1 Scene 4
• 6. Macbeth Act 1 Scene 5
• 7. Macbeth Act 1 Scene 6
• 8. Macbeth Act 1 Scene 7
• 9. Macbeth Act 2 Scene 1
• 10. Macbeth Act 2 Scene 2
• 11. Macbeth Act 2 Scene 3
• 12. Macbeth Act 2 Scene 4
• 13. Macbeth Act 3 Scene 1
• 14. Macbeth Act 3 Scene 2
• 15. Macbeth Act 3 Scene 3
• 16. Macbeth Act 3 Scene 4
• 17. Macbeth Act 3 Scene 5
• 18. Macbeth Act 3 Scene 6
• 19. Macbeth Act 4 Scene 1
• 20. Macbeth Act 4 Scene 2
• 21. Macbeth Act 4 Scene 3
• 22. Macbeth Act 5 Scene 1
• 23. Macbeth Act 5 Scene 2
• 24. Macbeth Act 5 Scene 3
• 25. Macbeth Act 5 Scene 4
• 26. Macbeth Act 5 Scene 5
• 27. Macbeth Act 5 Scene 6
• 28. Macbeth Act 5 Scene 7
• 29. Macbeth Act 5 Scene 8 (Final Scene)
• 30. Out, Damned Spot!
• 31. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

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Macbeth Shakescleare Translation

Macbeth Translation Act 5, Scene 3

MACBETH, a DOCTOR, and attendants enter.

Bring me no more reports. Let them fly all. Till Birnam Wood remove to Dunsinane I cannot taint with fear. 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.” 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.

Don’t bring me any more reports. Let all the thanes run from me. Until Birnam Wood moves to Dunsinane, I’ll be unaffected by fear. What’s the boy Malcolm? Wasn’t he born from a woman? The spirits that know the future have told me this: “Do not fear, Macbeth. No man born from a woman will ever overpower you.” So run, disloyal thanes, and join the soft and self-indulgent English! My mind and heart will never waver with doubt or shake with fear.

A SERVANT enters.

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

May the devil turn you black, you pale-faced fool! Why do you look as frightened as a goose?

There is ten thousand—

There are ten thousand—

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Geese, villain?

Geese, fool?

Soldiers, sir.

Go, prick thy face and over-red thy fear, Thou lily-livered boy. What soldiers, patch? Death of thy soul! Those linen cheeks of thine Are counselors to fear. What soldiers, whey-face?

Go prick your cheeks so blood will hide their whiteness, you cowardly boy. What soldiers, fool? Damn you! That pale face of yours will influence the others to be afraid as well. What soldiers, milk-face?

The English force, so please you.

The English army, sir.

Take thy face hence.

Get your face out of here.

The SERVANT exits.

Seyton!—I am sick at heart, When I behold—Seyton, I say!— This push Will cheer me ever, or disseat me now. I have lived long enough. My way of life Is fall’n into the sere, the yellow leaf, And that which should accompany old age, As honor, love, obedience, troops of friends, I must not look to have, but, in their stead, Curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honor, breath Which the poor heart would fain deny and dare not. Seyton!

Seyton! I’m sick at heart when I see—Seyton, come here!— This battle will either secure my place forever or knock me from my throne. I have lived long enough. The path of my life now leads me toward withering and death, like a yellowing leaf. And I cannot hope to have those things that should be a part of old age, like honor, love, obedience, and loyal friends. Instead, men curse me, quietly but with profound hate; people honor me with words but not in their hearts. My heart would happily end my life, and yet does not dare to do it. Seyton!

SEYTON enters.

What’s your gracious pleasure?

What do you desire, your Grace?

What news more?

Is there more news?

All is confirmed, my lord, which was reported.

All the rumors have been confirmed, my lord.

I’ll fight till from my bones my flesh be hacked. Give me my armor.

I’ll fight until they hack the flesh off my bones. Give me my armor.

‘Tis not needed yet.

It’s not needed yet.

I’ll put it on. Send out more horses. Skirr the country round. Hang those that talk of fear. Give me mine armor. How does your patient, doctor?

I’ll put it on anyway. Send out more cavalry. Search the entire country. Hang anyone talking of fear. Give me my armor. 

[To the DOCTOR] How is your patient, doctor?

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

She is not physically sick, my lord. But she is troubled with constant visions that keep her from sleeping.

Cure her of that. Canst thou not minister to a mind diseased, Pluck from the memory a rooted sorrow, Raze out the written troubles of the brain And with some sweet oblivious antidote Cleanse the stuffed bosom of that perilous stuff Which weighs upon the heart?

Cure her of that. Can’t you heal a diseased mind? Remove from her mind the memory of sorrow? Eliminate the troubling thoughts from her brain, and use some sweet medicine to clean her chest of that awful stuff that weighs upon her heart?

Therein the patient Must minister to himself.

For that kind of relief, the patient must heal herself.

Throw physic to the dogs; I’ll none of it. Come, put mine armor 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, I would applaud thee to the very echo, That should applaud again.— Pull ’t off, I say.— What rhubarb, senna, or what purgative drug, Would scour these English hence? Hear’st thou of them?

Medicine is for the dogs. I will have nothing to do with it. 

[To SEYTON] Come, put on my armor. Give me my lance. Seyton, send out the soldiers. 

[To the DOCTOR] Doctor, the thanes run from me. 

[To SEYTON] Come on, sir, hurry up. 

[To the DOCTOR] Doctor, if you could please examine my country's urine, diagnose what ails it, and bring my country back to health, I will applaud you so loudly that you will hear it echo back from the end of the world.

[To SEYTON] Pull it off, I tell you. 

[To the DOCTOR] What drug would purge the English from this country? Have you heard of any?

Ay, my good lord. Your royal preparation Makes us hear something.

Yes, my good lord. Your war preparations sounds like such a drug.

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

[To SEYTON] Follow me with the armor. I will not be afraid of death and destruction until Birnam Forest comes to Dunsinane.

(aside) Were I from Dunsinane away and clear, Profit again should hardly draw me here.

[To himself] If I were only far away and free from Dunsinane, no amount of money could bring me back.

They all exit.

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