Macbeth, Act 5 Scene 4 runs 27 lines of dialogue, spoken by 5 speakers. That is shorter than the play’s average scene length of about 85 lines. This scene is part of Act 5 of Macbeth.
Full Dialogue
Malcolm ♂
Cousins, I hope the days are near at hand
That chambers will be safe.
That chambers will be safe.
Menteith ♂
We doubt it nothing.
Siward ♂
What wood is this before us?
Menteith ♂
The wood of Birnam.
Malcolm ♂
Let every soldier hew him down a bough
And bear't before him: thereby shall we shadow
The numbers of our host and make discovery
Err in report of us.
And bear't before him: thereby shall we shadow
The numbers of our host and make discovery
Err in report of us.
Soldiers ♂
It shall be done.
Siward ♂
We learn no other but the confident tyrant
Keeps still in Dunsinane, and will endure
Our setting down before 't.
Keeps still in Dunsinane, and will endure
Our setting down before 't.
Malcolm ♂
'Tis his main hope:
For where there is advantage to be given,
Both more and less have given him the revolt,
And none serve with him but constrained things
Whose hearts are absent too.
For where there is advantage to be given,
Both more and less have given him the revolt,
And none serve with him but constrained things
Whose hearts are absent too.
Macduff ♂
Let our just censures
Attend the true event, and put we on
Industrious soldiership.
Attend the true event, and put we on
Industrious soldiership.
Siward ♂
The time approaches
That will with due decision make us know
What we shall say we have and what we owe.
Thoughts speculative their unsure hopes relate,
But certain issue strokes must arbitrate:
Towards which advance the war.
That will with due decision make us know
What we shall say we have and what we owe.
Thoughts speculative their unsure hopes relate,
But certain issue strokes must arbitrate:
Towards which advance the war.
27 lines rendered verbatim from the dialogue corpus.
Who’s On Stage
Speaking characters in this scene
| Character | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Malcolm | 11 | 40.7% |
| Siward | 10 | 37.0% |
| Macduff | 3 | 11.1% |
| Menteith | 2 | 7.4% |
| Soldiers | 1 | 3.7% |
Line distribution
The top speaker in this scene delivers 11 lines, while the scene’s average per speaker is about 5 lines.
Total speakers on stage
5 named characters speak in this scene.
Scene in Context
Position within Act 5
This is Scene 4 of 8 in Act 5 of Macbeth.
Scene length vs. play average
At 27 lines, this scene is shorter than the Macbeth average scene in Macbeth (~85 lines).
Adjacent scenes
Previous: Act 5 Scene 3 · Next: Act 5 Scene 5