Page:The Psychology of Shakespeare.pdf/35

20 He proposes a bumper health to the general joy of the whole table, and that in particular of “our dear friend Banquo,” this second reference shewing how his mind is fascinated with the idea of the dead man; and having the immediate effect of re-establishing the hallucination. Then comes that burst of despairing defiance, when the extremity of fear changes to audacity: “Avaunt and quit my sight! Let the earth hide thee! Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold : Thou hast no speculation in those eyes Which thou dost glare with.” “What man dare, I dare:

Approach thou like the rugged Russian bear, The arm'd rhinoceros, or the Hyrcan tiger, Take any shape but that, and my firm nerves Shall never tremble: Or, be alive again,

And dare me to the desert with thy sword; If trembling I exhibit then, protest me

The baby of a girl. Hence, horrible shadow ! Unreal mockery, hence —Why so;-being gone, I am a man again.—Pray you, sit still.” He is astonished that the others present are not moved by the object of his dread. Unlike the air-drawn dagger, which he recognized as an hallucination, he believes this appearance to have been most real. He does this notwithstanding his wife's assurance that—

“This is the very painting of your fear; This is the air-drawn dagger, which, you said, Led you to Duncan.” She gives no credence to matters which

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“Would well become

A woman's story, told by a winter's fire, Authorized by her grandam.” She taunts him, and assures him : “Why do you make such faces? When all's done, You look but on a stool.”

It is markworthy that the ghost of Banquo is seen to no