Lincoln went to Ford Theater for the last time today in 1865

In the later afternoon of today (April 14) in 1845, Lincoln, with Captain Crook, walked to the War Department (he often visited the telegraph office there); Lincoln said to Crook, “Crook, do you know, I believe there are men who want to take my life?” and after a pause, half to himself, “And I have no doubt they will do it.” Hours later John Wilkes Booth did it.

After visiting Grant at City Point, Virginia, Lincoln sailed up the Potomac back to Washington on April 9, 1865. He read aloud from Shakespeare’s to entertain his entourage, concentrating on Macbeth, expounding several lines on the murder of Duncan. As we know King Claudius (of Hamlet) is an objectively bad man whereas “Duncan is a good man, a trusty, sagacious and kind ruler who does nothing to deserve death.” And 5-6 days after Lincoln met the same fate as Duncan did.

I believe Lincoln was reciting the lines of Macbeth in Act 3 Scene 2:

Duncan is in his grave;
After life’s fitful fever he sleeps well;
Treason has done his worst: nor steel, nor poison,
Malice domestic, foreign levy, nothing,
Can touch him further.