Go get some water

And wash this filthy witness from your hand.50

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.

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,59

For it must seem their guilt.
      Knock within.

Exit.60

MACBETH                     Whence is that knocking?

How is’t with me when every noise appalls 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,65

Making the green one red.66 s

Enter Lady [Macbeth].

LADY MACBETH

My hands are of your color, but I shame

To wear a heart so white.

Knock.             I hear a knocking

At the south entry. Retire we to our chamber.

70 A little water clears us of this deed.

How easy is it then! Your constancy

72 Hath left you unattended.

Knock. Hark, more knocking.

73 Get on your nightgown, lest occasion call us

74 And show us to be watchers. Be not lost

So poorly in your thoughts.

MACBETH

To know my deed, ’twere best not know myself.

Knock.

Wake Duncan with thy knocking–I would thou couldst.

Exeunt.

 

II.3Enter a Porter. Knocking within.

PORTER Here’s a knocking indeed. If a man were porter 2 of hell gate, he should have old turning the key. (Knock.) Knock, knock, knock. Who’s there, i’ th’ name 4 of Beelzebub? Here’s a farmer that hanged himself on th’ 5 expectation of plenty. Come in time–have napkins enow about you; here you’ll sweat for’t. (Knock.) Knock, knock. Who’s there, in th’ other devil’s name? Faith, 8 here’s an equivocator, that could swear in both the scales against either scale; who committed treason enough for 10 God’s sake, yet could not equivocate to heaven. O come in, equivocator. (Knock.) Knock, knock, knock. Who’s there? Faith, here’s an English tailor come hither for stealing out of a French hose. Come in, tailor. Here you13 may roast your goose. (Knock.) Knock, knock. Never at14 quiet! What are you?–But this place is too cold for hell. I’ll devil-porter it no further. I had thought to have let in some of all professions that go the primrose way to th’ everlasting bonfire. (Knock.) Anon, anon! [Opens the door.] I pray you remember the porter.19
      Enter Macduff and Lennox.

MACDUFF

Was it so late, friend, ere you went to bed,20

That you do lie so late?

PORTER Faith, sir, we were carousing till the second22 cock; and drink, sir, is a great provoker of three things.

MACDUFF What three things does drink especially provoke?

PORTER Marry, sir, nose-painting, sleep, and urine.26 Lechery, sir, it provokes, and unprovokes: it provokes the desire, but it takes away the performance. Therefore much drink may be said to be an equivocator with lechery: it makes him, and it mars him; it sets him on,30 and it takes him off; it persuades him, and disheartens him; makes him stand to, and not stand to; in conclusion,32 equivocates him in a sleep, and, giving him the33 lie, leaves him.

MACDUFF I believe drink gave thee the lie last night.35

PORTER That it did, sir, i’ the very throat on me; but I36 requited him for his lie; and, I think, being too strong 38 for him, though he took up my legs sometime, yet I 39 made a shift to cast him.

40MACDUFF Is thy master stirring? Enter Macbeth.

Our knocking has awaked him: here he comes.

LENNOX

Good morrow, noble sir.

MACBETH                       Good morrow, both.

MACDUFF

Is the king stirring, worthy thane?

MACBETH                       Not yet.

MACDUFF

44 He did command me to call timely on him;

45 I have almost slipped the hour.

MACBETH             I’ll bring you to him.

MACDUFF

I know this is a joyful trouble to you;

But yet ’tis one.

MACBETH

48 The labor we delight in physics pain.

This is the door.

MACDUFF                  I’ll make so bold to call,

50 For ’tis my limited service.

Exit Macduff.

LENNOX

Goes the king hence today?

MACBETH                     He does–he did appoint so.

LENNOX

The night has been unruly. Where we lay,

Our chimneys were blown down; and, as they say,

Lamentings heard i’ th’ air, strange screams of death,

And prophesying, with accents terrible,

56 Of dire combustion and confused events

New hatched to th’ woeful time. The obscure bird57

Clamored the livelong night. Some say the earth

Was feverous and did shake.

MACBETH                     ’Twas a rough night.

LENNOX

My young remembrance cannot parallel60

A fellow to it. Enter Macduff.

MACDUFF

O horror, horror, horror–

Tongue nor heart cannot conceive nor name thee!

MACBETH AND LENNOX     What’s the matter?

MACDUFF

Confusion now hath made his masterpiece:65

Most sacrilegious murder hath broke ope

The Lord’s anointed temple and stole thence

The life o’ th’ building!

MACBETH                     What is’t you say? the life?

LENNOX

Mean you his majesty?

MACDUFF

Approach the chamber and destroy your sight70

With a new Gorgon. Do not bid me speak.71

See, and then speak yourselves.

Exeunt Macbeth and Lennox.

Awake, awake!

Ring the alarum bell! Murder and treason!

Banquo and Donalbain! Malcolm, awake!

Shake off this downy sleep, death’s counterfeit,

And look on death itself.