daggers ready for Macbeth to use to kill the sleeping King Duncan. Macbeth
comes back to report that he has murdered him. in this scene ... 58. Inside the
castle.
Act 2 Scene 2
Act 2 Scene 2 In this scene ...
• Macbeth returns from Duncan’s chamber and tells Lady Macbeth how he killed the King.
• Lady Macbeth is appalled to see that Macbeth has brought the bloody
daggers away from Duncan’s chamber. As he is too frightened to take them back, she does it herself. • Hearing a knocking at the castle gates, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth go to wash the blood from their hands. Lady Macbeth has drugged the attendants and has left their daggers ready for Macbeth to use to kill the sleeping King Duncan. Macbeth comes back to report that he has murdered him.
2 quenched them: i.e. made them
3 fatal bellman: man who rang the bell
4 stern’st: harshest (because the owl’s
Inside the castle. Enter Lady Macbeth, alone.
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 goodnight. He is about it! The doors are open, and the surfeited grooms Do mock their charge with snores. I have drugged their possets – That death and nature do contend about them, Whether they live or die.
unconscious before an execution or during a funeral hoot signals that someone is about to die) about it: performing the murder 5–6 the surfeited … charge: Duncan’s attendants, who have drunk too much, make a mockery of their job 6 possets: late-night alcoholic drinks 7–8 That … die: i.e. so that they seem half dead 11 Confounds us: causes our downfall 13 had done ’t: would have done it
Macbeth
5
(Calling from a distance) 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 them! – Had he not resembled My father as he slept, I had done ’t. – My husband!
10
Enter Macbeth (with two bloodstained daggers). Language • Sometimes a single line of verse is split between speakers. What is the dramatic effect of breaking up line 16 into four short speeches, three of which are questions? In what ways does it add to the tension? What does it show about the state of mind of the two characters? Think about how the actors might deliver those speeches.
Macbeth
15 crickets: Their chirping was thought to
foretell death.
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 (Looking at his bloody hands) This is a sorry sight. Lady Macbeth A foolish thought, to say a sorry sight. 58
59
15
Act 2 Scene 2
Act 2 Scene 2
Macbeth is greatly shaken because he could not say ‘Amen’ and because he heard a voice tell him that he would never be able to sleep again. Lady Macbeth is shocked that he has brought the bloodstained daggers away with him.
Macbeth
21 That: so that
23 lodged together: sleeping in the same
22 addressed them: got ready
room
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 addressed them Again to sleep.
Lady Macbeth
Macbeth
25 As: as if
hangman’s hands: executioner’s bloody hands
There are two lodged together.
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
28 wherefore: why
31 After: in
32 Methought: It seemed to me
34 ravelled sleave: tangled thread
Macbeth
Performance and staging
But wherefore could not I pronounce ‘Amen’? I had most need of blessing, and ‘Amen’ Stuck in my throat.
• If you were directing a film of Macbeth, would you show the scene in which Macbeth murders Duncan (as Macbeth describes it in lines 19 to 40)? Think about what you would gain by showing it, and what you would lose. Characterisation
These deeds must not be thought After these ways: so, it will make us mad.
35 sore … bath: i.e. sleep eases the aches
caused by hard work 36 Balm of: soothing oil for second course: the main course in a meal 39 Glamis … Cawdor: Macbeth is Thane
of Glamis and Thane of Cawdor.
Methought I heard a voice cry, ‘Sleep no more! – Macbeth does murder sleep!’ – the innocent sleep – Sleep that knits up the ravelled sleave 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
Macbeth
25
Consider it not so deeply.
Lady Macbeth
Macbeth
20
30
35
What do you mean?
Still it cried, ‘Sleep no more!’ to all the house: ‘Glamis hath murdered sleep – and therefore Cawdor Shall sleep no more. Macbeth shall sleep no more!’
40
Lady Macbeth Who was it that thus cried? Why, worthy thane,
41 unbend: weaken 43 brainsickly: feverishly 44 filthy witness: evidence of horrible
deeds
• In what ways have Macbeth and Lady Macbeth already been affected by the murder of the King?
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.
60
61
45
Act 2 Scene 2
Act 2 Scene 2
Lady Macbeth angrily takes the daggers back herself because Macbeth refuses to. They hear a knocking at the castle gates. They go to wash the blood from their hands, Macbeth already regretting what he has done.
49 Infirm of purpose: Weak-willed man
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.
51–2 ’tis … devil: i.e. only children are frightened of pictures 53 gild: paint (with gold) 54 seem their guilt: i.e. look as though they have committed the murder
50
Exit. A knocking is heard.
54 Whence … knocking: Where’s that
56 They … eyes: i.e. he wants to pull his
knocking coming from eyes out so that they can no longer see his bloody hands 57 Neptune: the Roman god of the sea 58–60 this … red: my hand is more likely to turn the countless green seas blood red Characterisation • What does Macbeth’s reaction in lines 14 to 40 to the sounds he has heard (or thinks he has heard) suggest about his state of mind? Look at line 55, for example. Structure and form • Lady Macbeth says, ‘A little water clears us of this deed’ (line 64). In what ways might this be viewed as dramatic irony?
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 incarnadine, Making the green one red.
55
60
Re-enter Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth My hands are of your colour – but I shame
62 white: i.e. cowardly
63 Retire … chamber: Let’s go to our
65 constancy … unattended: firmness of
To wear a heart so white! (Knocking heard again) 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 again) Hark! – more knocking. Get on your night-gown, lest occasion call us, And show us to be watchers. – Be not lost So poorly in your thoughts!
bedroom purpose has deserted you 67–8 lest … watchers: in case people call us and realise we have been up and awake
Macbeth
To know my deed, ’twere best not know myself.
Knocking heard again.
71 I … couldst: I wish you could
Wake Duncan with thy knocking! I would thou couldst!
Language
Exeunt.
• What do you think Macbeth means by ‘To know my deed, ’twere best not know myself’ (line 70)?
62
63
65
70
