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by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)

The Assassination
Language: English 
If it were done, when ’tis done, then ’twere well
It were done quickly: if the assassination
Could trammel up the consequence, and catch
With his surcease success; that but this blow
Might be the be-all and the end-all – here,
But here, upon this bank and shoal of time
We’d jump the life to come. But in these cases
We still have judgment here; that we but teach
Bloody instructions, which, being taught,
return to plague the inventor this even-handed justice
Commends the ingredients of our poison’d chalice
To our own lips.
He’s here in double trust:
First, as I am his kinsman and his subject,
Strong both against the deed; then, as his host,
Who should against his murderer shut the door,
Not bear the knife myself. 
I have no spur
To prick the sides of my intent, but only
Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself
And falls on the other.

Macbeth Act 1, Scene 7 Lines 1-16, 25-28

Text Authorship:

  • by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), appears in Macbeth [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

  • by Aija Draguns (b. 1999), "The Assassination", 2021 [ baritone and string quartet ]
        Score: Soundcloud [external link]  [sung text checked 1 time]

Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2025-11-08
Line count: 21
Word count: 152

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