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And 'tis not done. The attempt and not the deed `
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Confounds us. Hark! I laid their daggers ready; `
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He could not miss 'em. Had he not resembled `
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My father as he slept, I had done't. `
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Enter Macbeth, `
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My husband! `
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MACBETH. I have done the deed. Didst thou not hear a noise? `
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LADY MACBETH. I heard the owl scream and the crickets cry. `
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Did not you speak? `
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MACBETH. When? `
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LADY MACBETH. Now. `
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MACBETH. As I descended? `
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LADY MACBETH. Ay. `
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MACBETH. Hark! `
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Who lies i' the second chamber? `
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LADY MACBETH. Donalbain. `
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MACBETH. This is a sorry sight. [Looks on his hands. `
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LADY MACBETH. A foolish thought, to say a sorry sight. `
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MACBETH. There's one did laugh in 's sleep, and one cried, `
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"Murther!" `
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That they did wake each other. I stood and heard them, `
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But they did say their prayers and address'd them `
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Again to sleep. `
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LADY MACBETH. There are two lodged together. `
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MACBETH. One cried, "God bless us!" and "Amen" the other, `
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As they had seen me with these hangman's hands. `
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Listening their fear, I could not say "Amen," `
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When they did say, "God bless us!" `
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LADY MACBETH. Consider it not so deeply. `
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MACBETH. But wherefore could not I pronounce "Amen"? `
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I had most need of blessing, and "Amen" `
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Stuck in my throat. `
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LADY MACBETH. These deeds must not be thought `
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After these ways; so, it will make us mad. `
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MACBETH. I heard a voice cry, "Sleep no more! `
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Macbeth does murther sleep" -the innocent sleep, `
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Sleep that knits up the ravel'd sleave of care, `
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The death of each day's life, sore labor's bath, `
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Balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course, `
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Chief nourisher in life's feast- `
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LADY MACBETH. What do you mean? `
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MACBETH. Still it cried, "Sleep no more!" to all the house; `
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"Glamis hath murther'd sleep, and therefore Cawdor `
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Shall sleep no more. Macbeth shall sleep no more." `
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LADY MACBETH. Who was it that thus cried? Why, worthy Thane, `
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You do unbend your noble strength, to think `
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So brainsickly of things. Go, get some water `
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And wash this filthy witness from your hand. `
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Why did you bring these daggers from the place? `
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They must lie there. Go carry them, and smear `
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The sleepy grooms with blood. `
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MACBETH. I'll go no more. `
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I am afraid to think what I have done; `
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Look on't again I dare not. `
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LADY MACBETH. Infirm of purpose! `
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Give me the daggers. The sleeping and the dead `
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Are but as pictures; 'tis the eye of childhood `
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That fears a painted devil. If he do bleed, `
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I'll gild the faces of the grooms withal, `
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For it must seem their guilt. Exit. Knocking within. `
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MACBETH. Whence is that knocking? `
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How is't with me, when every noise appals me? `
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What hands are here? Ha, they pluck out mine eyes! `
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Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood `
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Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather `
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The multitudinous seas incarnadine, `
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Making the green one red. `
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Re-enter Lady Macbeth. `
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LADY MACBETH. My hands are of your color, but I shame `
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To wear a heart so white. [Knocking within.] I hear knocking `
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At the south entry. Retire we to our chamber. `
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A little water clears us of this deed. `
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How easy is it then! Your constancy `
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Hath left you unattended. [Knocking within.] Hark, more `
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knocking. `
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Get on your nightgown, lest occasion call us `
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And show us to be watchers. Be not lost `
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So poorly in your thoughts. `
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MACBETH. To know my deed, 'twere best not know myself. `
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Knocking within. `
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Wake Duncan with thy knocking! I would thou couldst! `
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Exeunt. `
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SCENE III. `
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The same. `
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Enter a Porter. Knocking within. `
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PORTER. Here's a knocking indeed! If a man were porter of Hell `
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Gate, he should have old turning the key. [Knocking within.] `
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Knock, knock, knock! Who's there, i' the name of Belzebub? `
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Here's `
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a farmer that hanged himself on th' expectation of plenty. `
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Come `
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in time! Have napkins enow about you; here you'll sweat fort. `
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[Knocking within.] Knock, knock! Who's there, in th' other `
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devil's name? Faith, here's an equivocator that could swear `
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in `
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both the scales against either scale, who committed treason `
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enough for God's sake, yet could not equivocate to heaven. O, `
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come in, equivocator. [Knocking within.] Knock, knock, knock! `
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Who's there? Faith, here's an English tailor come hither, for `
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stealing out of a French hose. Come in, tailor; here you may `
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roast your goose. [Knocking within.] Knock, knock! Never at `
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quiet! What are you? But this place is too cold for hell. `
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I'll `
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devil-porter it no further. I had thought to have let in some `
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of `
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all professions, that go the primrose way to the everlasting `
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bonfire. [Knocking within.] Anon, anon! I pray you, remember `
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the `
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porter. `
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Opens the gate. `
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Enter Macduff and Lennox. `
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MACDUFF. Was it so late, friend, ere you went to bed, `
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That you do lie so late? `
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PORTER. Faith, sir, we were carousing till the second cock; and `
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drink, sir, is a great provoker of three things. `
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MACDUFF. What three things does drink especially provoke? `
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PORTER. Marry, sir, nose-painting, sleep, and urine. Lechery, `
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sir, `
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it provokes and unprovokes: it provokes the desire, but it `
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takes `
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away the performance. Therefore much drink may be said to be `
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an `
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equivocator with lechery: it makes him, and it mars him; it `
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sets `
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him on, and it takes him off; it persuades him and `
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disheartens `
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him; makes him stand to and not stand to; in conclusion, `
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equivocates him in a sleep, and giving him the lie, leaves `
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him. `
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MACDUFF. I believe drink gave thee the lie last night. `
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PORTER. That it did, sir, i' the very throat on me; but `
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requited `
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him for his lie, and, I think, being too strong for him, `
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though `
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he took up my legs sometime, yet I made shift to cast him. `
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MACDUFF. Is thy master stirring? `
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Enter Macbeth. `
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Our knocking has awaked him; here he comes. `
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LENNOX. Good morrow, noble sir. `
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MACBETH. morrow, both. `
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MACDUFF. Is the King stirring, worthy Thane? `
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MACBETH. Not yet. `
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MACDUFF. He did command me to call timely on him; `
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I have almost slipp'd the hour. `
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MACBETH. I'll bring you to him. `
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MACDUFF. I know this is a joyful trouble to you, `
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But yet 'tis one. `
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MACBETH. The labor we delight in physics pain. `
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This is the door. `
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MACDUFF I'll make so bold to call, `
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For 'tis my limited service. Exit. `
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LENNOX. Goes the King hence today? `
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MACBETH. He does; he did appoint so. `
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LENNOX. The night has been unruly. Where we lay, `
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Our chimneys were blown down, and, as they say, `
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Lamentings heard i' the air, strange screams of death, `
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And prophesying with accents terrible `
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Of dire combustion and confused events `
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New hatch'd to the woeful time. The obscure bird `
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Clamor'd the livelong night. Some say the earth `
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Was feverous and did shake. `
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MACBETH. 'Twas a rough fight. `
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LENNOX. My young remembrance cannot parallel `
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A fellow to it. `
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Re-enter Macduff. `
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MACDUFF. O horror, horror, horror! Tongue nor heart `
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Cannot conceive nor name thee. `
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MACBETH. LENNOX. What's the matter? `
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MACDUFF. Confusion now hath made his masterpiece. `
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Most sacrilegious murther hath broke ope `
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The Lord's anointed temple and stole thence `
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The life o' the building. `
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MACBETH. What is't you say? the life? `
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LENNOX. Mean you his Majesty? `
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MACDUFF. Approach the chamber, and destroy your sight `
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With a new Gorgon. Do not bid me speak; `
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See, and then speak yourselves. `
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Exeunt Macbeth and Lennox. `
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Awake, awake! `
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Ring the alarum bell. Murther and treason! `
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Banquo and Donalbain! Malcolm, awake! `
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Shake off this downy sleep, death's counterfeit, `
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And look on death itself! Up, up, and see `
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The great doom's image! Malcolm! Banquo! `
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As from your graves rise up, and walk like sprites `
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