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The Tragedy of Macbeth
The Tragedy of Macbeth

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of The Tragedy of Macbeth is here in full — 184 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/36 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Don.
To Ireland, I: Our seperated fortune shall keepe vs both the safer: Where we are, there's Daggers in mens smiles; The neere in blood, the neerer bloody Malc.
This murtherous Shaft that's shot, Hath not yet lighted: and our safest way, Is to auoid the ayme.
Therefore to Horse, And let vs not be daintie of leaue-taking, But shift away: there's warrant in that Theft, Which steales it selfe, when there's no mercie left.
Exeunt.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
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/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
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The Tragedy of Macbeth

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of The Tragedy of Macbeth is here in full — 184 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/36 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Don.
/dɑːn/
Line 2
To Ireland, I: Our seperated fortune shall keepe vs both the safer: Where we are, there's Daggers in mens smiles; The neere in blood, the neerer bloody Malc.
Line 3
This murtherous Shaft that's shot, Hath not yet lighted: and our safest way, Is to auoid the ayme.
Line 4
Therefore to Horse, And let vs not be daintie of leaue-taking, But shift away: there's warrant in that Theft, Which steales it selfe, when there's no mercie left.
Line 5
Exeunt.

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

Daggers noun US /ˈdæɡərz/

plural of “dagger” — a short knife with a pointed blade used for piercing or stabbing

From this reading “To Ireland, I: Our seperated fortune shall keepe vs both the safer: Where we are, there's Daggers in mens smiles; The neere in blood, the neerer bloody Malc.”

mens noun US /menz/

plural of “men” — the force of workers available

From this reading “To Ireland, I: Our seperated fortune shall keepe vs both the safer: Where we are, there's Daggers in mens smiles; The neere in blood, the neerer bloody Malc.”

safer adjective US /ˈseɪfər/

comparative of “safe” — free from danger or the risk of harm

From this reading “To Ireland, I: Our seperated fortune shall keepe vs both the safer: Where we are, there's Daggers in mens smiles; The neere in blood, the neerer bloody Malc.”

safest adjective US /ˈseɪfəst/

superlative of “safe” — free from danger or the risk of harm

From this reading “This murtherous Shaft that's shot, Hath not yet lighted: and our safest way, Is to auoid the ayme.”

Shaft noun US /ʃæft/

a line that forms the length of an arrow pointer

From this reading “This murtherous Shaft that's shot, Hath not yet lighted: and our safest way, Is to auoid the ayme.”

shift verb US /ʃɪft/

make a shift in or exchange of

From this reading “Therefore to Horse, And let vs not be daintie of leaue-taking, But shift away: there's warrant in that Theft, Which steales it selfe, when there's no mercie left.”

Theft noun US /θeft/

the act of taking something from someone unlawfully

From this reading “Therefore to Horse, And let vs not be daintie of leaue-taking, But shift away: there's warrant in that Theft, Which steales it selfe, when there's no mercie left.”

warrant noun US /ˈwɔːrənt/

a writ from a court commanding police to perform specified acts

From this reading “Therefore to Horse, And let vs not be daintie of leaue-taking, But shift away: there's warrant in that Theft, Which steales it selfe, when there's no mercie left.”

All words in this reading · 63

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading This murtherous Shaft that's shot, Hath not yet lighted: and our safest way, Is to auoid the ayme.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading To Ireland, I: Our seperated fortune shall keepe vs both the safer: Where we are, there's Daggers in mens smiles; The neere in blood, the neerer bloody Malc.

auoid

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading This murtherous Shaft that's shot, Hath not yet lighted: and our safest way, Is to auoid the ayme.

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading Therefore to Horse, And let vs not be daintie of leaue-taking, But shift away: there's warrant in that Theft, Which steales it selfe, when there's no mercie left.

ayme

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading This murtherous Shaft that's shot, Hath not yet lighted: and our safest way, Is to auoid the ayme.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Therefore to Horse, And let vs not be daintie of leaue-taking, But shift away: there's warrant in that Theft, Which steales it selfe, when there's no mercie left.

bloodnounUS /blʌd/

The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.

From this reading To Ireland, I: Our seperated fortune shall keepe vs both the safer: Where we are, there's Daggers in mens smiles; The neere in blood, the neerer bloody Malc.

bloodyadjectiveUS /ˈblʌdi/

having or covered with or accompanied by blood

From this reading To Ireland, I: Our seperated fortune shall keepe vs both the safer: Where we are, there's Daggers in mens smiles; The neere in blood, the neerer bloody Malc.

bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading To Ireland, I: Our seperated fortune shall keepe vs both the safer: Where we are, there's Daggers in mens smiles; The neere in blood, the neerer bloody Malc.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Therefore to Horse, And let vs not be daintie of leaue-taking, But shift away: there's warrant in that Theft, Which steales it selfe, when there's no mercie left.

DaggersnounUS /ˈdæɡərz/

plural of “dagger” — a short knife with a pointed blade used for piercing or stabbing

From this reading To Ireland, I: Our seperated fortune shall keepe vs both the safer: Where we are, there's Daggers in mens smiles; The neere in blood, the neerer bloody Malc.

daintie

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Therefore to Horse, And let vs not be daintie of leaue-taking, But shift away: there's warrant in that Theft, Which steales it selfe, when there's no mercie left.

DonnounUS /dɑːn/

a Spanish gentleman or nobleman

From this reading Don.

Exeunt

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Exeunt.

fortunenounUS /ˈfɔːrtʃən/

an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another

From this reading To Ireland, I: Our seperated fortune shall keepe vs both the safer: Where we are, there's Daggers in mens smiles; The neere in blood, the neerer bloody Malc.

Hathauxiliary verbUS /hæθ/

an old form of “has”

From this reading This murtherous Shaft that's shot, Hath not yet lighted: and our safest way, Is to auoid the ayme.

HorsenounUS /hɔːrs/

solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times

From this reading Therefore to Horse, And let vs not be daintie of leaue-taking, But shift away: there's warrant in that Theft, Which steales it selfe, when there's no mercie left.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading To Ireland, I: Our seperated fortune shall keepe vs both the safer: Where we are, there's Daggers in mens smiles; The neere in blood, the neerer bloody Malc.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading To Ireland, I: Our seperated fortune shall keepe vs both the safer: Where we are, there's Daggers in mens smiles; The neere in blood, the neerer bloody Malc.

IrelandnounUS /ˈaɪərlənd/

a republic consisting of 26 of 32 counties comprising the island of Ireland; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1921

From this reading To Ireland, I: Our seperated fortune shall keepe vs both the safer: Where we are, there's Daggers in mens smiles; The neere in blood, the neerer bloody Malc.

Isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading This murtherous Shaft that's shot, Hath not yet lighted: and our safest way, Is to auoid the ayme.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Therefore to Horse, And let vs not be daintie of leaue-taking, But shift away: there's warrant in that Theft, Which steales it selfe, when there's no mercie left.

keepe

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading To Ireland, I: Our seperated fortune shall keepe vs both the safer: Where we are, there's Daggers in mens smiles; The neere in blood, the neerer bloody Malc.

leaue-taking

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Therefore to Horse, And let vs not be daintie of leaue-taking, But shift away: there's warrant in that Theft, Which steales it selfe, when there's no mercie left.

leftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading Therefore to Horse, And let vs not be daintie of leaue-taking, But shift away: there's warrant in that Theft, Which steales it selfe, when there's no mercie left.

letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading Therefore to Horse, And let vs not be daintie of leaue-taking, But shift away: there's warrant in that Theft, Which steales it selfe, when there's no mercie left.

lightedadjectiveUS /ˈlaɪtəd/

set afire or burning

From this reading This murtherous Shaft that's shot, Hath not yet lighted: and our safest way, Is to auoid the ayme.

Malc

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading To Ireland, I: Our seperated fortune shall keepe vs both the safer: Where we are, there's Daggers in mens smiles; The neere in blood, the neerer bloody Malc.

mensnounUS /menz/

plural of “men” — the force of workers available

From this reading To Ireland, I: Our seperated fortune shall keepe vs both the safer: Where we are, there's Daggers in mens smiles; The neere in blood, the neerer bloody Malc.

mercie

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Therefore to Horse, And let vs not be daintie of leaue-taking, But shift away: there's warrant in that Theft, Which steales it selfe, when there's no mercie left.

murtherous

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading This murtherous Shaft that's shot, Hath not yet lighted: and our safest way, Is to auoid the ayme.

neere

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading To Ireland, I: Our seperated fortune shall keepe vs both the safer: Where we are, there's Daggers in mens smiles; The neere in blood, the neerer bloody Malc.

neerer

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading To Ireland, I: Our seperated fortune shall keepe vs both the safer: Where we are, there's Daggers in mens smiles; The neere in blood, the neerer bloody Malc.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Therefore to Horse, And let vs not be daintie of leaue-taking, But shift away: there's warrant in that Theft, Which steales it selfe, when there's no mercie left.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading This murtherous Shaft that's shot, Hath not yet lighted: and our safest way, Is to auoid the ayme.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Therefore to Horse, And let vs not be daintie of leaue-taking, But shift away: there's warrant in that Theft, Which steales it selfe, when there's no mercie left.

OurdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading To Ireland, I: Our seperated fortune shall keepe vs both the safer: Where we are, there's Daggers in mens smiles; The neere in blood, the neerer bloody Malc.

saferadjectiveUS /ˈseɪfər/

comparative of “safe” — free from danger or the risk of harm

From this reading To Ireland, I: Our seperated fortune shall keepe vs both the safer: Where we are, there's Daggers in mens smiles; The neere in blood, the neerer bloody Malc.

safestadjectiveUS /ˈseɪfəst/

superlative of “safe” — free from danger or the risk of harm

From this reading This murtherous Shaft that's shot, Hath not yet lighted: and our safest way, Is to auoid the ayme.

selfe

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Therefore to Horse, And let vs not be daintie of leaue-taking, But shift away: there's warrant in that Theft, Which steales it selfe, when there's no mercie left.

seperated

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading To Ireland, I: Our seperated fortune shall keepe vs both the safer: Where we are, there's Daggers in mens smiles; The neere in blood, the neerer bloody Malc.

ShaftnounUS /ʃæft/

a line that forms the length of an arrow pointer

From this reading This murtherous Shaft that's shot, Hath not yet lighted: and our safest way, Is to auoid the ayme.

shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading To Ireland, I: Our seperated fortune shall keepe vs both the safer: Where we are, there's Daggers in mens smiles; The neere in blood, the neerer bloody Malc.

shiftverbUS /ʃɪft/

make a shift in or exchange of

From this reading Therefore to Horse, And let vs not be daintie of leaue-taking, But shift away: there's warrant in that Theft, Which steales it selfe, when there's no mercie left.

shotnounUS /ʃɑːt/

the act of firing a projectile

From this reading This murtherous Shaft that's shot, Hath not yet lighted: and our safest way, Is to auoid the ayme.

smilesnounUS /smaɪlz/

plural of “smile” — a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement

From this reading To Ireland, I: Our seperated fortune shall keepe vs both the safer: Where we are, there's Daggers in mens smiles; The neere in blood, the neerer bloody Malc.

steales

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Therefore to Horse, And let vs not be daintie of leaue-taking, But shift away: there's warrant in that Theft, Which steales it selfe, when there's no mercie left.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Therefore to Horse, And let vs not be daintie of leaue-taking, But shift away: there's warrant in that Theft, Which steales it selfe, when there's no mercie left.

that's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading This murtherous Shaft that's shot, Hath not yet lighted: and our safest way, Is to auoid the ayme.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading To Ireland, I: Our seperated fortune shall keepe vs both the safer: Where we are, there's Daggers in mens smiles; The neere in blood, the neerer bloody Malc.

TheftnounUS /θeft/

the act of taking something from someone unlawfully

From this reading Therefore to Horse, And let vs not be daintie of leaue-taking, But shift away: there's warrant in that Theft, Which steales it selfe, when there's no mercie left.

there's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading To Ireland, I: Our seperated fortune shall keepe vs both the safer: Where we are, there's Daggers in mens smiles; The neere in blood, the neerer bloody Malc.

ThereforeadverbUS /ˈðerfɔːr/

for that reason; as a result

From this reading Therefore to Horse, And let vs not be daintie of leaue-taking, But shift away: there's warrant in that Theft, Which steales it selfe, when there's no mercie left.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading This murtherous Shaft that's shot, Hath not yet lighted: and our safest way, Is to auoid the ayme.

ToparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading To Ireland, I: Our seperated fortune shall keepe vs both the safer: Where we are, there's Daggers in mens smiles; The neere in blood, the neerer bloody Malc.

vs

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading To Ireland, I: Our seperated fortune shall keepe vs both the safer: Where we are, there's Daggers in mens smiles; The neere in blood, the neerer bloody Malc.

warrantnounUS /ˈwɔːrənt/

a writ from a court commanding police to perform specified acts

From this reading Therefore to Horse, And let vs not be daintie of leaue-taking, But shift away: there's warrant in that Theft, Which steales it selfe, when there's no mercie left.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading This murtherous Shaft that's shot, Hath not yet lighted: and our safest way, Is to auoid the ayme.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading To Ireland, I: Our seperated fortune shall keepe vs both the safer: Where we are, there's Daggers in mens smiles; The neere in blood, the neerer bloody Malc.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Therefore to Horse, And let vs not be daintie of leaue-taking, But shift away: there's warrant in that Theft, Which steales it selfe, when there's no mercie left.

WhereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading To Ireland, I: Our seperated fortune shall keepe vs both the safer: Where we are, there's Daggers in mens smiles; The neere in blood, the neerer bloody Malc.

WhichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Therefore to Horse, And let vs not be daintie of leaue-taking, But shift away: there's warrant in that Theft, Which steales it selfe, when there's no mercie left.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading This murtherous Shaft that's shot, Hath not yet lighted: and our safest way, Is to auoid the ayme.

Chapter 3 of The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare holds 184 sentences, grouped into 37 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 3 of The Tragedy of Macbeth contain?

Chapter 3 holds 184 sentences of The Tragedy of Macbeth, unabridged, divided into 37 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 184 sentences, grouped into 37 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 3 of The Tragedy of Macbeth?

Work through the 37 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 37 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 3 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading The Tragedy of Macbeth

Common questions about reading The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Tragedy of Macbeth?

Yes. All 1310 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1129 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Tragedy of Macbeth is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1129, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Tragedy of Macbeth take to read?

About 109 minutes of reading across 262 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Tragedy of Macbeth section by section

How to work through The Tragedy of Macbeth section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 7 chapters of The Tragedy of Macbeth to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Tragedy of Macbeth

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Tragedy of Macbeth, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Addition
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Tragedy of Macbeth; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Notes
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Tragedy of Macbeth; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Below
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Tragedy of Macbeth; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Think
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Tragedy of Macbeth; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.