SCENE II. The same. The Tragedy of Macbeth  Shakespeare homepage  |  Macbeth  | Act 2, Scene 2 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE II. The same. 

 Enter LADY MACBETH  LADY MACBETH  That which hath made them drunk hath made me bold; 

 What hath quench'd them hath given me fire. 

 Hark! Peace! 

 It was the owl that shriek'd, the fatal bellman, 

 Which gives the stern'st good-night. He is about it: 

 The doors are open; and the surfeited grooms 

 Do mock their charge with snores: I have drugg'd 

 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, 

 And 'tis not done. The attempt and not the deed 

 Confounds us. Hark! I laid their daggers ready; 

 He could not miss 'em. Had he not resembled 

 My father as he slept, I had done't. 



 Enter MACBETH  My husband! 

 MACBETH  I have done the deed. Didst thou not hear a noise? 

 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! 

 Who lies i' the second chamber? 

 LADY MACBETH  Donalbain. 

 MACBETH  This is a sorry sight. 



 Looking on his hands  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: 

 But they did say their prayers, and address'd 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. 

 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' 

 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, 

 Sleep that knits up the ravell'd sleeve of care, 

 The death of each day's life, sore labour'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: 

 'Glamis hath murder'd 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, 

 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; 

 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: 'tis the eye of childhood 

 That fears a painted devil. If he do bleed, 

 I'll gild the faces of the grooms withal; 

 For it must seem their guilt. 



 Exit. Knocking within  MACBETH  Whence is that knocking? 

 How is't with me, when every noise appals me? 

 What hands are here? ha! they pluck out mine eyes. 

 Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood 

 Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather 

 The multitudinous seas in incarnadine, 

 Making the green one red. 



 Re-enter LADY MACBETH  LADY MACBETH  My hands are of your colour; but I shame 

 To wear a heart so white. 



 Knocking within  I hear a knocking 

 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 within  Hark! more knocking. 

 Get on your nightgown, lest occasion call us, 

 And show us to be watchers. Be not lost 

 So poorly in your thoughts. 

 MACBETH  To know my deed, 'twere best not know myself. 



 Knocking within  Wake Duncan with thy knocking! I would thou couldst! 



 Exeunt  Shakespeare homepage  |  Macbeth  | Act 2, Scene 2 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene 