To feeling as to sight? or art thou but
A dagger of the mind, a false creation,
Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?
I see thee yet, in form as palpable

As this which now I draw.

Thou marshall'st me the way that I was going; And such an instrument I was to use.

Mine eyes are made the fools o' the other senses,
Or else worth all the rest; I see thee still,
And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood,
Which was not so before. There's no such thing:
It is the bloody business which informs

Thus to mine eyes. Now o'er the one half-world
Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse
The curtain'd sleep; witchcraft celebrates
Pale Hecate's offerings, and wither'd murder,
Alarum'd by his sentinel, the wolf,

Whose howl's his watch, thus with his stealthy

pace,

With Tarquin's ravishing strides, towards his design Moves like a ghost. Thou sure and firm-set earth, Hear not my steps, which way they walk, for fear Thy very stones prate of my whereabout,

And take the present horror from the time,

Which now suits with it. Whiles I threat, he lives: Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives. [A bell rings.

I

go, and it is done; the bell invites me. Hear it not, Duncan; for it is a knell

That summons thee to heaven or to hell.

[Exit.

SCENE II.

The same.

Enter LADY MACBETH.

LADY M. That which hath made them drunk hath made me bold;

What hath quench'd them hath given me fire.
Hark! Peace!

It was the owl that shriek'd, the fatal bellman,
Which gives the stern'st good-night. He is about it:
The doors are open; and the surfeited grooms
Do mock their charge with snores: I have drugg'd
their possets,

That death and nature do contend about them,
Whether they live or die.

MACB. [Within] Who's there? what, ho!

LADY M. 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 'em. Had he not resembled My father as he slept, I had done 't.

Enter MACBETH.

My husband!

MACB. I have done the deed. Didst thou not

LADY M. Ay.

MACB. Hark!

Who lies i' the second chamber?

LADY M.

Donalbain.

MACB. This is a sorry sight. [Looking on his hands. LADY M. A foolish thought, to say a sorry sight. MACB. 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 address'd them Again to sleep.

LADY M.

There are two lodged together.

MACB. 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 M.

Consider it not so deeply.

MACB. But wherefore could not I pronounce

Amen?

I had most need of blessing, and Amen

Stuck in my throat.

LADY M. These deeds must not be thought After these ways; so, it will make us mad.

MACB. Methought I heard a voice cry Sleep no

more!

Macbeth does murder sleep, the innocent sleep,
Sleep that knits up the ravell'd 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 M.

What do you mean?

MACB. Still it cried, Sleep no more! to all the

house :

Glamis hath murder'd sleep, and therefore Cawdor
Shall sleep no more; Macbeth shall sleep no more.
LADY M. 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.

MACB.

I'll go no more: I am afraid to think what I have done;

Look on 't again I dare not.

LADY M.

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.

MACB.

[Exit. Knocking within. 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.

Re-enter LADY MACBETH.

LADY M. My hands are of your colour; but I shame

To wear a heart so white. [Knocking within.] 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 within.]
Hark! more knocking.

Get on your nightgown, lest occasion call us,
And show us to be watchers. Be not lost

So poorly in your thoughts.

MACB. To know my deed, 'twere best not know

myself.

[Knocking within. Wake Duncan with thy knocking! I would thou

couldst !

SCENE III.

The same.

[Exeunt.

Knocking within. Enter a Porter.

PORTER. Here's a knocking indeed! If a man were porter of hell-gate, he should have old turning the key. [Knocking within.] Knock, knock, knock! who's there, i' the name of Beelzebub? Here's a farmer, that hanged himself on the expectation of plenty: come in time; have napkins enow about you; here you'll sweat for 't. [Knocking within.] Knock, knock! Who's there, in the other devil's name?