The Tragedy Of Macbeth

1 Enter Lady Macbeth.
2 LADY MACBETH.
3 That which hath made them drunk hath made me bold:
4 What hath quench’d them hath given me fire.—Hark!—Peace!
5 It was the owl that shriek’d, the fatal bellman,
6 Which gives the stern’st good night. He is about it.
7 The doors are open; and the surfeited grooms
8 Do mock their charge with snores: I have drugg’d their possets,
9 That death and nature do contend about them,
10 Whether they live or die.
11 MACBETH.
12 [_Within._] Who’s there?—what, ho!
13 LADY MACBETH.
14 Alack! I am afraid they have awak’d,
15 And ’tis not done. Th’ attempt and not the deed
16 Confounds us.—Hark!—I laid their daggers ready;
17 He could not miss ’em.—Had he not resembled
18 My father as he slept, I had done’t.—My husband!
19 Enter Macbeth.
20 MACBETH.
21 I have done the deed.—Didst thou not hear a noise?
22 LADY MACBETH.
23 I heard the owl scream and the crickets cry.
24 Did not you speak?
25 MACBETH.
26 When?
27 LADY MACBETH.
28 Now.
29 MACBETH.
30 As I descended?
31 LADY MACBETH.
32 Ay.
33 MACBETH.
34 Hark!—Who lies i’ th’ second chamber?
35 LADY MACBETH.
36 Donalbain.
37 MACBETH.
38 This is a sorry sight.
39 [_Looking on his hands._]
40 LADY MACBETH.
41 A foolish thought, to say a sorry sight.
42 MACBETH.
43 There’s one did laugh in’s sleep, and one cried, “Murder!”
44 That they did wake each other: I stood and heard them.
45 But they did say their prayers, and address’d them
46 Again to sleep.
47 LADY MACBETH.
48 There are two lodg’d together.
49 MACBETH.
50 One cried, “God bless us!” and, “Amen,” the other,
51 As they had seen me with these hangman’s hands.
52 List’ning their fear, I could not say “Amen,”
53 When they did say, “God bless us.”
54 LADY MACBETH.
55 Consider it not so deeply.
56 MACBETH.
57 But wherefore could not I pronounce “Amen”?
58 I had most need of blessing, and “Amen”
59 Stuck in my throat.
60 LADY MACBETH.
61 These deeds must not be thought
62 After these ways; so, it will make us mad.
63 MACBETH.
64 Methought I heard a voice cry, “Sleep no more!
65 Macbeth does murder sleep,”—the innocent sleep;
66 Sleep that knits up the ravell’d sleave of care,
67 The death of each day’s life, sore labour’s bath,
68 Balm of hurt minds, great nature’s second course,
69 Chief nourisher in life’s feast.
70 LADY MACBETH.
71 What do you mean?
72 MACBETH.
73 Still it cried, “Sleep no more!” to all the house:
74 “Glamis hath murder’d sleep, and therefore Cawdor
75 Shall sleep no more. Macbeth shall sleep no more!”
76 LADY MACBETH.
77 Who was it that thus cried? Why, worthy thane,
78 You do unbend your noble strength to think
79 So brainsickly of things. Go get some water,
80 And wash this filthy witness from your hand.—
81 Why did you bring these daggers from the place?
82 They must lie there: go carry them, and smear
83 The sleepy grooms with blood.
84 MACBETH.
85 I’ll go no more:
86 I am afraid to think what I have done;
87 Look on’t again I dare not.
88 LADY MACBETH.
89 Infirm of purpose!
90 Give me the daggers. The sleeping and the dead
91 Are but as pictures. ’Tis the eye of childhood
92 That fears a painted devil. If he do bleed,
93 I’ll gild the faces of the grooms withal,
94 For it must seem their guilt.
95 [_Exit. Knocking within._]
96 MACBETH.
97 Whence is that knocking?
98 How is’t with me, when every noise appals me?
99 What hands are here? Ha, they pluck out mine eyes!
100 Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood
101 Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather
102 The multitudinous seas incarnadine,
103 Making the green one red.
104 Enter Lady Macbeth.
105 LADY MACBETH.
106 My hands are of your color, but I shame
107 To wear a heart so white. [_Knocking within._] I hear knocking
108 At the south entry:—retire we to our chamber.
109 A little water clears us of this deed:
110 How easy is it then! Your constancy
111 Hath left you unattended.—[_Knocking within._] Hark, more knocking.
112 Get on your nightgown, lest occasion call us
113 And show us to be watchers. Be not lost
114 So poorly in your thoughts.
115 MACBETH.
116 To know my deed, ’twere best not know myself. [_Knocking within._]
117 Wake Duncan with thy knocking! I would thou couldst!
118 [_Exeunt._]