No Fear Shakespeare

Macbeth

William Shakespeare

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Act 2, Scene 2, Page 2

Original Text

Modern Text


LADY MACBETH
     Now.
LADY MACBETH
Just now.

MACBETH
     As I descended?
MACBETH
As I came down?

LADY MACBETH
Ay.
LADY MACBETH
Yes.

MACBETH
     Hark! Who lies i' th' second chamber?
MACBETH
Listen! Who’s sleeping in the second chamber?

LADY MACBETH
Donalbain.
LADY MACBETH
Donalbain.

20
MACBETH
(looking at his hands) This is a sorry sight.
MACBETH
(looking at his bloody hands) This is a sorry sight.

LADY MACBETH
A foolish thought, to say a sorry sight.
LADY MACBETH
That’s a stupid thing to say.




25
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 addressed them
Again to sleep.
MACBETH
One of the servants laughed in his sleep, and one cried, “Murder!” and they woke each other up. I stood and listened to them, but then they said their prayers and went back to sleep.

LADY MACBETH
     There are two lodged together.
LADY MACBETH
Malcolm and Donalbain are asleep in the same room.




MACBETH
One cried, “God bless us!” and “Amen” the other,
As they had seen me with these hangman’s hands.
List'ning their fear I could not say “Amen,”
When they did say “God bless us!”
MACBETH
One servant cried, “God bless us!” and the other replied, “Amen,” as if they had seen my bloody hands. Listening to their frightened voices, I couldn’t reply “Amen” when they said “God bless us!”

30
LADY MACBETH
Consider it not so deeply.
LADY MACBETH
Don’t think about it so much.



MACBETH
But wherefore could not I pronounce “Amen”?
I had most need of blessing, and “Amen”
Stuck in my throat.
MACBETH
But why couldn’t I say “Amen”? I desperately needed God’s blessing, but the word “Amen” stuck in my throat.


LADY MACBETH
     These deeds must not be thought
After these ways. So, it will make us mad.
LADY MACBETH
We can’t think that way about what we did. If we do, it’ll drive us crazy.

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