MACBETH ~ Act IV, Scene I

This is one of my favorites….

https://youtu.be/VY0Hyza6C-U

MACBETH ~ Act IV, Scene I

First Witch

Round about the cauldron go;
In the poison’d entrails throw.
Toad, that under cold stone
Days and nights has thirty-one
Swelter’d venom sleeping got,
Boil thou first i’ the charmed pot.

ALL

Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.

Second Witch

Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the cauldron boil and bake;
Eye of newt and toe of frog,
Wool of bat and tongue of dog,
Adder’s fork and blind-worm’s sting,
Lizard’s leg and owlet’s wing,
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.

ALL

Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and cauldron bubble.

Third Witch

Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf,
Witches’ mummy, maw and gulf
Of the ravin’d salt-sea shark,
Root of hemlock digg’d i’ the dark,
Finger of birth-strangled babe
Ditch-deliver’d by a drab,
Make the gruel thick and slab:
Add thereto a tiger’s chaudron,
For the ingredients of our cauldron.

ALL

Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and cauldron bubble. 

Second Witch

Cool it with a baboon’s blood,
Then the charm is firm and good.

By the pricking of my thumbs,
Something wicked this way comes.

Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and caldron bubble.

One of my favorite plays for Shakespeare, Macbeth.

William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

from Macbeth

A dark Cave. In the middle, a Caldron boiling. Thunder.

Enter the three Witches.

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

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

3 WITCH.  Harpier cries:—’tis time! ’tis time!

1 WITCH.  Round about the caldron go;

In the poison’d entrails throw.—

Toad, that under cold stone,

Days and nights has thirty-one;

Swelter’d venom sleeping got,

Boil thou first i’ the charmed pot!

ALL.  Double, double toil and trouble;

Fire burn, and caldron bubble.

2 WITCH.  Fillet of a fenny snake,

In the caldron boil and bake;

Eye of newt, and toe of frog,

Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,

Adder’s fork, and blind-worm’s sting,

Lizard’s leg, and owlet’s wing,—

For a charm of powerful trouble,

Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.

ALL.  Double, double toil and trouble;

Fire burn, and caldron bubble.

3 WITCH.  Scale of dragon; tooth of wolf;

Witches’ mummy; maw and gulf

Of the ravin’d salt-sea shark;

Root of hemlock digg’d i the dark;

Liver of blaspheming Jew;

Gall of goat, and slips of yew

Sliver’d in the moon’s eclipse;

Nose of Turk, and Tartar’s lips;

Finger of birth-strangled babe

Ditch-deliver’d by a drab,—

Make the gruel thick and slab:

Add thereto a tiger’s chaudron,

For the ingrediants of our caldron.

ALL.  Double, double toil and trouble;

Fire burn, and caldron bubble.

2 WITCH.  Cool it with a baboon’s blood,

Then the charm is firm and good.

Shakespeare’s Macbeth-Enter the Witches one of my favorites.

    William Shakespeare (1564-1616)                      from Macbeth
A dark Cave. In the middle, a Caldron boiling. Thunder.
                Enter the three Witches.
       1 WITCH. Thrice the brinded cat hath mew’d. 

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

       3 WITCH. Harpier cries:—’tis time! ’tis time! 

       1 WITCH. Round about the caldron go; 

    In the poison’d entrails throw.— 

    Toad, that under cold stone, 

    Days and nights has thirty-one; 

    Swelter’d venom sleeping got, 

    Boil thou first i’ the charmed pot! 

       ALL. Double, double toil and trouble; 

    Fire burn, and caldron bubble. 

       2 WITCH. Fillet of a fenny snake, 

    In the caldron boil and bake; 

    Eye of newt, and toe of frog, 

    Wool of bat, and tongue of dog, 

    Adder’s fork, and blind-worm’s sting, 

    Lizard’s leg, and owlet’s wing,— 

    For a charm of powerful trouble, 

    Like a hell-broth boil and bubble. 

       ALL. Double, double toil and trouble; 

    Fire burn, and caldron bubble. 

       3 WITCH. Scale of dragon; tooth of wolf; 

    Witches’ mummy; maw and gulf 

    Of the ravin’d salt-sea shark; 

    Root of hemlock digg’d i the dark; 

    Liver of blaspheming Jew; 

    Gall of goat, and slips of yew 

    Sliver’d in the moon’s eclipse; 

    Nose of Turk, and Tartar’s lips; 

    Finger of birth-strangled babe 

    Ditch-deliver’d by a drab,— 

    Make the gruel thick and slab: 

    Add thereto a tiger’s chaudron, 

    For the ingrediants of our caldron. 

       ALL. Double, double toil and trouble; 

    Fire burn, and caldron bubble. 

       2 WITCH. Cool it with a baboon’s blood, 

    Then the charm is firm and good.
 
brinded – having obscure dark streaks or flecks on gray 

gulf – the throat 

drab – prostitute 

chaudron – entrails

The above appears at the beginning of Act IV, Scene 1 as found in:

Shakespeare, William. The Globe Illustrated Shakespeare: The Complete Works Annotated. Howard Staunton ed. New York: Gramercy Books, 1993.