Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Double Double

William Shakespeare (1564-1616) from Macbeth - Act IV, Scene 1


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.
green butterfly




0 - v
    

14 comments:

  1. The wordless nature of this spell puzzles me.

    ReplyDelete
  2. He had a great way of using humor to ease the tension of drama.

    ReplyDelete
  3. There is nothing like a bit of true Shakespeare drama to get me going in the morning.;))
    xo
    Zuzana

    ReplyDelete
  4. Very interesting. These are some potions I would say :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I might brew me up some today! Very nice job here :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Reminds me of my D&D days.

    Talent is just pouring out of you.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Those witches are scary today! Can I have a bed in the barn for this one day, please?
    ..

    ReplyDelete
  8. I had to memorize that in high school. All forgotten now except the double double toil and trouble part.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Ah, that one brought back memories!! I could use a few potions today!! Have a great day, Nessa!

    Sylvia

    ReplyDelete
  10. Heya Nessa :) That is quite the word filled, wordless Wednesday! hehe

    ReplyDelete
  11. Little on the anti-Semitic side, wasn't he?

    ReplyDelete