Uneasy in this scene — he can't sleep, he's been dreaming of the Witches, something in him senses something wrong. But he cannot name it. He refuses Macbeth's offer with perfect courtesy ('so I lose none / In seeking to augment it, good repose') but he refuses it clearly. He will support Macbeth only if his conscience stays clean. Watch how his caution functions: he won't be recruited, but he also won't accuse. He's careful, not heroic.
How goes the night, boy?
How late is it, boy?
What time is it?
what time
The moon is down; I have not heard the clock.
The moon has set. I haven't heard the clock strike.
The moon's gone. I didn't hear a bell.
moon down no clock yet
And she goes down at twelve.
And it sets at midnight.
The moon sets at twelve.
sets at 12
I take’t, ’tis later, sir.
I believe it's later than that, sir.
I think it's later than that, sir.
later than midnight.
Hold, take my sword.—There’s husbandry in heaven;
Their candles are all out. Take thee that too.
A heavy summons lies like lead upon me,
And yet I would not sleep. Merciful powers,
Restrain in me the cursed thoughts that nature
Gives way to in repose!
Take my sword—there's economy in heaven. Even the stars have gone dark. Here, take this too. A heavy weight presses down on me like lead, and yet I cannot sleep. Merciful powers, keep away the cursed thoughts that nature wants to give me in sleep.
Take my sword. Even the stars have gone out—heaven is saving its light. I'm exhausted but can't sleep. God, please don't let me have the dark dreams that are coming.
take my sword stars are out im so tired but cant sleep keep bad dreams away
Give me my sword.—Who’s there?
Hand me my sword.—Who approaches?
Give me my sword.—Who is it?
my sword—who's coming?
A friend.
I'm a friend.
A friend.
friend
What, sir, not yet at rest? The King’s abed:
He hath been in unusual pleasure and
Sent forth great largess to your offices.
This diamond he greets your wife withal,
By the name of most kind hostess, and shut up
In measureless content.
Not yet at rest, sir? The King has gone to bed. He's been unusually happy and generous. He sent great rewards to your officers. He's given this diamond to your wife with his gratitude, calling her the finest hostess, and he's shut himself away in complete contentment.
You're still up? The King's asleep. He was in a great mood and gave out lots of gifts. He sent your wife a diamond and said she was the best hostess, and he went to bed very happy.
king sleeping he was happy gave gifts diamond 4 ur wife called her best hostess going to bed pleased
Being unprepar’d,
Our will became the servant to defect,
Which else should free have wrought.
Because we were unprepared, our will became limited by what we lacked, when we otherwise could have given freely.
We weren't ready for the King. If we'd had more time, we could have done better.
didnt expect him could have done more if wed prepared
All’s well.
I dreamt last night of the three Weird Sisters:
To you they have show’d some truth.
All is well. I dreamed last night of the three Witches. To you they showed some truth.
It's fine. I've been dreaming about those three witches. Some of what they said to you has come true.
all good dreamed of the witches their predictions some true
I think not of them:
Yet, when we can entreat an hour to serve,
We would spend it in some words upon that business,
If you would grant the time.
I don't think about them. But when we have time later, we should discuss that business, if you'll allow it.
I haven't thought about them. But we should talk about it sometime, if you want.
not thinking about them but we should talk later if u want
At your kind’st leisure.
Whenever it's convenient for you.
Whenever you want.
anytime
If you shall cleave to my consent, when ’tis,
It shall make honour for you.
If you stand with me when the time comes, it will bring you honor.
If you support me when this happens, you'll benefit greatly.
if u stick w me u'll get honor and power
So I lose none
In seeking to augment it, but still keep
My bosom franchis’d, and allegiance clear,
I shall be counsell’d.
As long as I don't lose my honor by seeking more, and keep my conscience clear and my loyalty pure, I'll listen to what you have to say.
As long as I don't have to betray myself or my king, I'll hear you out.
only if i keep my conscience clean and loyalty clear then im listening
Good repose the while!
Sleep well.
Get some sleep.
rest well
Thanks, sir: the like to you.
Thank you, sir. And the same to you.
Thanks. Sleep well too.
thanks u 2
Go bid thy mistress, when my drink is ready,
She strike upon the bell. Get thee to bed.
Go tell your mistress that when my drink is ready, she should ring the bell. Then go to bed.
Tell your lady to ring the bell when the drink is ready. Then get out of here.
tell mistress ring bell when drink ready then sleep
Is this a dagger which I see before me,
The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee:—
I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.
Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible
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 off’rings; and wither’d murder,
Do I really see a dagger before me, its handle toward my hand? Come, let me grab it— I can't hold it, yet I still see it. Can't you be felt as well as seen, deadly vision? Or are you just a product of my mind, an illusion coming from my stressed brain? I still see you, as solid as this dagger I'm drawing. You're showing me the path I was going to take, and such a tool I was meant to use. Either my eyes are deceiving me or they're the most important sense; either way, I still see you. And on your blade and handle, drops of blood that weren't there before.—There's no such thing. It's the murder I'm about to commit that makes me see this.—Now, over half the world, nature seems dead, and evil dreams torment the sleeping. Witchcraft celebrates the goddess Hecate's offerings, and murder walks,
Is there really a dagger in front of me? The handle pointing at my hand? Come on, let me grab it— but I can't hold it, and yet I keep seeing it. Can you be touched as well as seen, deadly phantom? Or are you just something my mind made up, an illusion from my guilt and fear? But I still see you, as real as the dagger I'm actually drawing. You're pointing me toward what I was planning to do anyway, and you're the tool I was going to use. Maybe my eyes are lying to me, or maybe they're the only sense I can trust; either way, I see you. And there's blood on your blade and handle, blood that wasn't there before.—No, that's not real. It's just my guilty mind showing me what I'm about to do.—Now, it's like death has spread over half the world, and evil dreams torture the sleeping. Witchcraft is being performed, and murder is walking,
is that a real dagger handle toward my hand let me grab it i can't hold it but i see it can u be touched or just seen or r u just in my mind an illusion from guilt but i still see u as real as the actual dagger i'm holding u're showing me what i planned u're the tool i need maybe my eyes r lying or maybe they're the only true sense either way i see blood on u blood that wasn't there before no it's not real it's my guilt making me see what i'm about to do
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.
Moving with stealthy steps like a ghost—the killing moves with the velocity of Tarquin's violent strides, toward its goal. Earth that is certain and fixed, do not hear my footsteps or reveal where I'm going, for fear your very stones will betray my location, and destroy the perfect dread of this moment which now fits it so well. While I speak, Duncan lives. Words cool the fire of deeds with their slow breath.
The murder is moving forward like a ghost, with violent, aggressive strides toward Duncan. Oh, solid earth, don't reveal my footsteps or where I'm going, don't let your stones give me away, and don't ruin the perfect horror of this moment. While I'm talking, Duncan is still alive. Talking makes me lose my nerve.
murder moves like ghost w violent strides toward duncan earth don't reveal my steps don't let stones betray me don't ruin this moment while i talk he's still alive talk kills the nerve
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.
I go, and it is done. The bell calls me. Duncan, do not hear it, for it is a death knell that summons you to heaven or to hell.
I'm going now, and it's going to happen. That bell is calling me. Duncan, don't listen to it, because it's a death knell that's summoning you to heaven or to hell.
i'm going it's happening the bell's calling duncan don't hear it it's calling u to heaven or hell
The Reckoning
The castle is dark, Duncan is sleeping, and the play slows to a walk for one of its most carefully controlled build-sequences. Banquo encounters Macbeth by accident — neither expected the other. The brief exchange reveals that the Witches are on Banquo's mind; he's been dreaming of them. Macbeth lies smoothly ('I think not of them') and makes a proposal that Banquo politely declines: there might be honor in this if you follow along. Banquo will support Macbeth only with his 'bosom franchis'd' — his conscience free. He will not be recruited. The dagger soliloquy that follows is one of the most studied speeches in the play and also one of the most misread. It is not a vision urging Macbeth forward. It is a vision that Macbeth uses to diagnose his own state: is this real, or is his mind creating what he desires? 'Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible to feeling as to sight?' He reaches out and can't touch it. He concludes it is 'a dagger of the mind, a false creation, proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain.' He knows he's hallucinating. He goes anyway. The bell is Lady Macbeth's signal. 'Hear it not, Duncan; for it is a knell / That summons thee to heaven or to hell.' The scene ends before the murder begins — the curtain falls on his decision, not his act.
If this happened today…
It's 3am. You run into someone in the dark hallway who you didn't expect. They mention something they've been thinking about — something that touches the thing you're about to do. You say 'no no, I'm not thinking about that.' You're both pretending the meeting is accidental. Then they leave, and alone in the dark you see the thing you're about to do as if it's already real, as if it's already been decided. A clock sounds. You go.