Macbeth Act 5 Scene 6 - harbingers of blood and death

Macbeth

Please see the bottom of this page for full explanatory notes and helpful Macbeth resources.

ACT V SCENE VI	Dunsinane. Before the castle.
[ Drum and colours. Enter MALCOLM, SIWARD, MACDUFF, and their Army, with boughs ]
MALCOLM	Now near enough: your leafy screens throw down.
	And show like those you are. You, worthy uncle,
	Shall, with my cousin, your right-noble son,
	Lead our first battle: worthy Macduff and we
	Shall take upon 's what else remains to do,	5
	According to our order.
SIWARD	Fare you well.
	Do we but find the tyrant's power to-night,
	Let us be beaten, if we cannot fight.
MACDUFF	Make all our trumpets speak; give them all breath,
	Those clamorous harbingers of blood and death.
[Exeunt]

Next: Macbeth, Act 5, Scene 7
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Explanatory Notes for Act 5, Scene 6
From Macbeth. Ed. Thomas Marc Parrott. New York: American Book Co.
(Line numbers have been altered.)
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2. show like those you are, appear in your true shapes.

7. Do we but find, if we can but meet.

7. to-night. It seems as if they had planned to assault Dunsinane toward the end of the day. There is a picturesque justice in Macbeth's meeting his fate in the gathering gloom of twilight.

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How to cite the explanatory notes:
Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Ed. Thomas Marc Parrott. New York: American Book Co., 1904. Shakespeare Online. 10 Aug. 2010. (date when you accessed the information) < http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/macbeth_5_6.html >.

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