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From “Macbeth,” Act II. Sc. 2. S CENE in the Castle. Enter L ADY M ACBETH.
LADY MACBETH.—That which hath made them drunk hath made me bold, | |
| What hath quenched them hath given me fire. Hark!—Peace! | |
| It was the owl that shrieked, the fatal bellman, | |
| Which gives the stern’st good night. He is about it: | |
| The doors are open; and the surfeited grooms | 5 |
| Do mark their charge with snores: I have drugged their possets, | |
| That death and nature do contend about them, | |
| Whether they live or die. | |
| MACBETH (within).—Who ’s there? What, ho! | |
| LADY MACBETH.—Alack, I am afraid they have awaked | 10 |
| And ’t is not done:—the attempt and not the deed | |
| Confounds us.—Hark!—I laid their daggers ready; | |
| He could not miss them.—Had he not resembled | |
| My father, as he slept, I had done ’t.—My husband! | |
(Enter MACBETH.) MACBETH.—I have done the deed. Didst thou not hear a noise? | 15 |
| LADY MACBETH.—I heard the owl scream, and the crickets cry. | |
| Did not you speak? | |
MACBETH.—When?
LADY MACBETH.— Now.
MACBETH.— As I descended? | |
| LADY MACBETH.—Ay. | |
| MACBETH.—Hark!— | 20 |
Who lies i’ the second chamber?
LADY MACBETH.— Donalbain. | |
| MACBETH (looking on his hands).—This is a sorry sight. | |
| LADY MACBETH.—A foolish thought, to say a sorry sight. | |
| MACBETH.—There ’s one did laugh in ’s sleep, and one cried, “Murder!” | |
| That they did wake each other: I stood and heard them: | 25 |
| But they did say their prayers, and addressed them | |
| Again to sleep. | |
| LADY MACBETH.—There are two lodged together. | |
| MACBETH.—One cried, “God bless us!” and, “Amen,” the other; | |
| As they had seen me with these hangman’s hands. | 30 |
| Listening their fear, I could not say, “Amen,” | |
| When they did say, “God bless us.” | |
| LADY MACBETH.—Consider it not so deeply. | |
| MACBETH.—But wherefore could not I pronounce “Amen”? | |
| I had most need of blessing, and “Amen” | 35 |
| Stuck in my throat. | |
| LADY MACBETH.—These deeds must not be thought | |
| After these ways; so, it will make us mad. | |
| MACBETH.—Methought I heard a voice cry, “Sleep no more! | |
| Macbeth does murder sleep,”—the innocent sleep, | 40 |
| Sleep that knits up the ravelled sleave of care, | |
| The death of each day’s life, sore labor’s bath, | |
| Balm of hurt minds, great nature’s second course, | |
Chief nourisher in life’s feast,—
LADY MACBETH.— What do you mean? | |
| MACBETH.—Still it cried, “Sleep no more!” to all the house: | 45 |
| “Glamis hath murdered sleep; and therefore Cawdor | |
| Shall sleep no more,—Macbeth shall sleep no more!” | |
| LADY MACBETH.—Who was it that thus cried? Why, worthy thane, | |
| You do unbend your noble strength, to think | |
| So brainsickly of things.—Go, get some water, | 50 |
| And wash this filthy witness from your hand. | |
| Why did you bring these daggers from the place? | |
| They must lie there: go carry them; and smear | |
The sleepy grooms with blood.
MACBETH.— I ’ll go no more! | |
| I am afraid to think what I have done; | 55 |
Look on ’t again, I dare not.
LADY MACBETH.— Infirm of purpose! | |
| Give me the daggers: the sleeping, and the dead, | |
| Are but as pictures: ’t is the eye of childhood | |
| That fears a painted devil. If he do bleed, | |
| I ’ll gild the faces of the grooms withal; | 60 |
| For it must seem their guilt. [Exit. Knocking within. | |
| MACBETH.—Whence is that knocking? | |
| How is ’t with me, when every noise appalls me? | |
| What hands are here! Ha! they pluck out mine eyes! | |
| Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood | 65 |
| Clean from my hand? No; this my hand will rather | |
| The multitudinous seas incarnadine, | |
| Making the green—one red. | |
(Re-enter LADY MACBETH.) LADY MACBETH.—My hands are of your color; but I shame | |
| To wear a heart so white. (Knocking.) I hear a knocking | 70 |
| At the south entry:—retire we to our chamber: | |
| A little water clears us of this deed: | |
| How easy is it then! Your constancy | |
| Hath left you unattended. (Knocking.) Hark, more knocking. | |
| Get on your nightgown, lest occasion call us, | 75 |
| And show us to be watchers:—be not lost | |
| So poorly in your thoughts. | |
| MACBETH.—To know my deed, ’t were best not know myself. (Knocking.) | |
| Wake Duncan with thy knocking! I would thou couldst. | |
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