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MACBETH
Methought I heard a voice cry, “Sleep no more!
Macbeth does murder sleep”—the innocent
sleep,
Sleep that knits up the raveled 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.
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MACBETH
I thought I heard a voice cry, “Sleep no more! Macbeth
is murdering sleep.” Innocent sleep. Sleep that soothes
away all our worries. Sleep that puts each day to rest. Sleep that
relieves the weary laborer and heals hurt minds. Sleep, the main
course in life’s feast, and the most nourishing.
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LADY MACBETH
What
do you mean?
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LADY MACBETH
What are you talking about?
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MACBETH
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.”
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MACBETH
The voice kept crying, “Sleep no more!” to
everyone in the house. “Macbeth has murdered sleep, and
therefore Macbeth will sleep no more.”
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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.
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LADY MACBETH
Who said that? Why, my worthy lord, you let yourself become weak
when you think about things in this cowardly way. Go get some water
and wash this bloody evidence from your hands. Why did you carry
these daggers out of the room? They have to stay there. Go take them
back and smear the sleeping guards with the blood.
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MACBETH
I’ll
go no more:
I am afraid to think what I have done;
Look on ’t again I dare not.
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MACBETH
I can’t go back. I’m afraid even to think about
what I’ve done. I can’t stand to look at it
again.
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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.
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LADY MACBETH
Coward! Give me the daggers. Dead and sleeping people
can’t hurt you any more than pictures can. Only children
are afraid of scary pictures. If Duncan bleeds I’ll paint
the servants' faces with his blood. We must make it seem
like they’re guilty.
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Exit |
LADY MACBETH
exits. |
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Knock within |
A sound of knocking from offstage. |
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