Act 2, Scene 2 — Macbeth — Study Shakespeare

The argument Immediately after the murder. Macbeth enters with bloody daggers, unable to function. Lady Macbeth takes the daggers back to plant them. Macbeth cannot stop washing his hands in his imagination. A knocking starts at the gate.

Enter Lady Macbeth.

LADY MACBETH Steeling herself, calculating, performing confidence while the stakes are absolute.

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.

What made them drunk has made me bold. What quieted them has set me on fire. Listen—quiet. It was the owl that shrieked, the death-bell, which announces the harshest goodbyes. He is carrying it out. The doors stand open, and the drugged guards mock their duty with snores. I drugged their nightcaps with a potion that death and nature fight over—whether they live or die.

The same stuff that got them wasted got me fired up. What put them out gave me energy. Wait—listen. That owl screaming? That's the death-bell. The worst goodbye. He's doing it. The doors are open and those drunk guards are snoring like they don't have a job to do. I drugged their wine. Death and nature are literally fighting over whether those guys live or die.

what got them drunk woke me up listening in the dark the owl screamed he's doing it death and nature fighting over them

Why it matters We meet Lady Macbeth in her total alertness and control. She has drugged the guards, she is listening for every sound, she is reasoning through the machinery of the crime. This is her moment of total operational capability—before the guilt, before the descent. The contrast with Macbeth's paralysis makes the whole scene.

[_Within._] Who’s there?—what, ho!

LADY MACBETH ≋ verse Terror. The plan is failing. For a moment, she thinks they're caught.

Alack! I am afraid they have awak’d,

And ’tis not done. Th’ 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.—My husband!

Oh God! I'm afraid they've woken up and it's not done. The attempt without the deed destroys us. Listen! I left their daggers out for him. He couldn't have missed them. If he hadn't looked so much like my father as he slept, I would have done it myself. My husband!

Oh my God! I think they woke up and he didn't finish. If we attempt it and don't finish, we're finished. Wait—listen! I put the knives right there for him. He couldn't miss them. God, he looked so much like my father sleeping—if he hadn't, I would've done it myself. My husband!

they woke up it's not done we're dead i put the knives out why doesn't he— he looks like my father i would have done it

Why it matters Lady Macbeth's one moment of doubt, and it reveals everything about her psychology. She's capable of murder but is stopped by human resemblance—she can't do it because Duncan looks like her father. She doesn't confess this weakness; she moves instantly to handling Macbeth instead.

Enter Macbeth.

MACBETH Shock, barely able to speak, holding bloody knives, his mind already broken.

I have done the deed.—Didst thou not hear a noise?

I have done the deed. Did you not hear a noise?

It's done. Did you hear something?

i did it did you hear anything

Why it matters His first words. He's still holding the daggers. He's not asking if the king is dead or if they're safe. He's asking if anyone heard. This is not confidence—this is a man whose central nervous system is failing.

🎭 Dramatic irony Lady Macbeth says 'A little water clears us of this deed: how easy is it then!' — and she believes this. The audience, having watched Macbeth's immediate dissolution, understands that she is wrong. Her confidence is the most painfully wrong thing in the scene.

LADY MACBETH ≋ verse Operational. Steady. Reassuring him while she gathers information.

I heard the owl scream and the crickets cry.

Did not you speak?

I heard the owl scream and the crickets cry. Did you not speak?

I heard the owl and the crickets. Why, did you say something?

i heard the owl the crickets did you say something

Why it matters She's reassuring him—those are just natural sounds, the sounds that should be there. She's also checking whether he's been heard speaking anything incriminating.

MACBETH Confusion. He's disoriented. Everything is noise.

When?

when

Why it matters Monosyllabic. He's barely able to process language.

LADY MACBETH

Now.

now

MACBETH

As I descended?

As I came down?

When I came downstairs?

when i came down

LADY MACBETH

Ay.

Yes.

Yeah.

yeah

MACBETH Still alert, still managing. He's listening for danger in each room.

Hark!—Who lies i’ th’ second chamber?

Who is in the second chamber?

Who's sleeping in the next room?

who's in the next room

Why it matters He's taking inventory. Duncan is dead. Now he needs to know where everyone else is sleeping, what other witnesses might have heard.

LADY MACBETH

Donalbain.

donalbain

MACBETH Horror. Looking at his hands. The reality of what he's done hits him.

This is a sorry sight.

This is a terrible sight.

this is terrible these hands

Why it matters The moment he sees his hands. The blood is physical but the horror is metaphysical—he's seeing evidence of something that can't be undone.

[_Looking on his hands._]

LADY MACBETH Impatient. Dismissive of his guilt. She's still in problem-solving mode.

A foolish thought, to say a sorry sight.

A foolish thought, to call it a sorry sight.

That's a stupid thing to say—seeing blood.

don't do that don't think like that it's done

Why it matters She tries to shut down his guilt response. She's still believing that will, action, and rationality can manage this. She hasn't yet understood that guilt is not a thought problem.

MACBETH ≋ verse Trapped. Witnessing the crime in his mind. Unable to act normally. The structure of guilt.

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.

There was one who laughed in his sleep, and one who cried 'Murder!' They woke each other up. I stood and heard them both. But they said their prayers and turned back to sleep again.

One guy laughed in his sleep and the other yelled 'Murder!' They woke each other up. I just stood there listening. But then they said their prayers and went back to bed.

someone laughed someone screamed murder they heard each other i just stood there they said prayers and went back to sleep

Why it matters He witnessed the sleeping men almost wake, heard them cry out as if they knew, then settle back into innocence. This trauma is happening in real time inside his head. He's describing the worst thing he could have experienced without being caught.

LADY MACBETH Quick. Still focused on logistics.

There are two lodg’d together.

There are two in the same bed.

Right, they're sharing the room.

they're together

Why it matters She's updating her mental map. Two potential witnesses in proximity means two people who could corroborate a story, or two people who heard the same sounds.

MACBETH ≋ verse Paralyzed by guilt and fear. The voice he heard. His failure to pray. His sense of damnation.

One cried, “God bless us!” and, “Amen,” the other,

As they had seen me with these hangman’s hands.

List’ning their fear, I could not say “Amen,”

When they did say, “God bless us.”

One cried out 'God bless us!' and the other said 'Amen,' as though they'd seen me with these murderer's hands. Listening to their fear, I couldn't say 'Amen' when they said 'God bless us.'

One guy said 'God bless us' and the other said 'Amen,' like they could see I had blood all over me. I was standing there listening to them pray, and I couldn't make myself say 'Amen' back.

god bless us amen they said it and i couldn't repeat it i couldn't pray

Why it matters The theological crisis. He's understood that he can't pray, that prayer is now unavailable to him, that he's cut himself off from grace. This is worse than any physical consequence.

LADY MACBETH Commanding. Demanding he stop this descent into philosophy and psychology.

Consider it not so deeply.

Don't think about it so deeply.

Don't overthink this.

stop stop thinking about it

Why it matters She can't reach him anymore. She's trying to use will and reason on someone whose mind has already entered a different dimension.

MACBETH ≋ verse Desperate. The voice he heard. His spiritual catastrophe is real to him.

But wherefore could not I pronounce “Amen”?

I had most need of blessing, and “Amen”

Stuck in my throat.

But why couldn't I say 'Amen'? I needed blessing most, and 'Amen' stuck in my throat.

But why couldn't I say it? I needed that blessing more than anything, and the word just wouldn't come out.

why can't i say amen i need it the word won't come

Why it matters He's articulating his horror: he has done something that's cut him off from the one thing he needs most. The guilt is not about being caught. It's about being damned.

LADY MACBETH ≋ verse Trying to manage him. Trying to keep the operation intact. But the tone is hardening—she's trying to force rationality.

These deeds must not be thought

After these ways; so, it will make us mad.

These deeds must not be examined this way. If we do, it will drive us mad.

We can't keep thinking about this stuff. We'll go crazy if we do.

don't think about it don't look back we'll lose our minds

Why it matters The line that will haunt her for five acts. She's denying the interior reality, insisting that will and discipline can manage this. She's already wrong.

MACBETH ≋ verse Recounting what the voice said. The punishment is already being enacted. Sleep is already murdered.

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.

I thought I heard a voice cry out: 'Sleep no more! Macbeth murders sleep—innocent sleep, sleep that knits up the tangled threads of care, the death of each day's life, labor's rest, the balm of injured minds, the main course in life's feast.'

I swear I heard someone shouting: 'Don't sleep anymore! Macbeth kills sleep—that innocent sleep that untangles everything, that brings rest from work, that heals your mind, the whole reason we live.'

i heard it sleep no more macbeth murders sleep innocent sleep the kind that heals the kind that lets you live

Why it matters The most important speech in the scene. Macbeth has heard a voice prophesying that he will never sleep again. This is not metaphor—it's the structural consequence of what he's done. By violating the absolute trust of sleeping innocence, he has made sleep available to himself. The voice names the punishment before it happens.

LADY MACBETH Alarmed. He's speaking incoherently. The guilt is cascading.

What do you mean?

What are you talking about?

what do you mean

Why it matters She doesn't understand the voice—or she's trying to pull him out of his trance.

MACBETH ≋ verse Deepening the horror. The voice was clear and specific. The punishment is named in triplicate.

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!”

It cried 'Sleep no more!' to the whole house: 'Glamis has murdered sleep, and therefore Cawdor shall sleep no more. Macbeth shall sleep no more!'

The voice kept saying 'Don't sleep anymore!' all through the house: 'Glamis has killed sleep, so Cawdor won't sleep anymore. Macbeth won't sleep anymore!'

glamis murdered sleep cawdor won't sleep macbeth won't sleep the voice named me all three of me in the dark

Why it matters The punishment is delivered in the same three-part rhythm as the Witches' prophecies. It's a structural parallel—the prophecy and the punishment use the same form. The punishment is absolute.

LADY MACBETH ≋ verse Exasperated. She doesn't understand the metaphysical dimension. She's trying to solve a practical problem.

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.

Who was it who cried this? Why, worthy thane, you're weakening your noble strength by thinking of things so foolishly. Go get some water and wash this filthy evidence from your hands. Why did you bring those daggers from the chamber? They must stay there. Go carry them back and smear the sleeping guards with blood.

Who was shouting that? Look, you're a noble guy, but you're falling apart overthinking this. Get some water and wash your hands. Why'd you bring the daggers out? They need to stay in there. Go plant them on the sleeping guards and get blood on them.

stop thinking wash your hands why did you take the daggers they go back on the guards blood on them

Why it matters She's reduced the cosmic guilt to a practical problem. He needs to wash his hands and plant the daggers. This is the moment where they completely diverge—she's still solving, he's already damned.

MACBETH ≋ verse Complete refusal. He can't touch anything again. The failure that will matter forever.

I’ll go no more:

I am afraid to think what I have done;

Look on’t again I dare not.

I won't go back. I'm afraid to think about what I've done. I dare not look at it again.

I'm not going back. I can't stand to think about what just happened. I can't even look at it.

i can't go back i can't think about it i can't look i won't

Why it matters This is the refusal that matters. The daggers need to be planted and Macbeth refuses. This creates the loose thread that will eventually unravel him—the evidence won't be where it should be, and the story won't hold.

LADY MACBETH ≋ verse Contempt mixed with complete operational control. She takes over. She can do what he cannot.

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.

Weak purpose! Give me the daggers. The sleeping and the dead are nothing but pictures. It's only a child's eye that fears a painted devil. If he bleeds, I'll gild the guards' faces with his blood. It will look like their guilt.

You're pathetic! Give me the knives. Sleeping people and dead people are just like painted pictures. Only children get scared of paintings. If the king's bleeding, I'll smear blood all over those guards' faces. It'll look like they did it.

give me the knives they're just pictures sleeping and dead still pictures i'll put blood on their faces it'll look right

Why it matters Her absolute dominance in this moment. She's capable and he's not. She will do what he refused. This is the peak of her power and the nadir of his. It's the last time she'll be in control.

[_Exit. Knocking within._]

MACBETH ≋ verse Metaphysical horror. The blood is not physical. The guilt will not wash. The stain is interior.

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.

Where is that knocking coming from? How am I so startled by every noise? What hands are these? They're plucking out my eyes! Will all the ocean's water wash this blood clean from my hands? No—my hand will instead stain the multitudinous seas blood-red, turning all the green to red.

Where's that knocking from? Why does every sound terrify me? What are these hands? They're tearing my eyes out! Could all the water in the ocean wash this blood off? No—my hands would stain the whole ocean red instead. Turn all that green water red.

where is that knocking every sound terrifies me will water wash it off no i would stain the whole ocean red

Why it matters The definitive statement of the play's metaphysics. The blood is not on his skin—it's on his soul. No amount of physical cleansing can address it. He would poison the entire ocean rather than be made clean. This is where psychological guilt becomes metaphysical stain.

Enter Lady Macbeth.

LADY MACBETH Practical. Commanding. But now there's something brittle in the confidence. The knocking has begun.

My hands are of your color, but I shame

To wear a heart so white. [_Knocking within._] I hear 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.

My hands are as bloody as yours, but I'm ashamed to show a heart so white. I hear knocking at the south entrance. Let's go to our chamber. A little water clears us of this deed. How easy it is, then! But your lack of courage has left you unattended. More knocking! Put on your nightgown in case we're called and seen to be awake. Don't be lost in your thoughts.

My hands are bloody too, but I'm ashamed to look as scared as you. Someone's knocking at the door. Let's go back to bed. A little water washes away what we did. Simple as that! But you're falling apart. More knocking! Get your robe on in case they call us and see we're awake. Don't get stuck in your head.

my hands are red too but i'm not showing it knocking water clears us simple put on your robe don't think act normal

Why it matters Her most famous and most fatally wrong statement. 'A little water clears us of this deed.' She's denying the interior reality that Macbeth has already grasped. This confidence is the thing that will break her—not the crime, but the collision between her belief that she can manage it and the reality that she cannot.

MACBETH Absolute despair. The murder accomplished and the horror realized.

To know my deed, ’twere best not know myself. [_Knocking within._]

Wake Duncan with thy knocking! I would thou couldst!

To know my deed, I should not know myself. [Knocking.] Wake Duncan with your knocking! I wish you could!

If I think about what I've done, I won't know who I am anymore. [Knocking.] Wake the king up with that knocking! God, I wish you could!

if i know what i did i won't know who i am wake him please wake him

Why it matters The final statement of the scene. If he understands what he's done, he ceases to exist. The only way to undo it would be if Duncan could be knocked back to life. The knocking at the gate is his own wish—for the murder to be undone, for time to reverse.

[_Exeunt._]

The Reckoning

The murder has happened between scenes — in the dark, off stage, in the interval where time stops. What Shakespeare gives us instead of the killing is the immediate aftermath, which is in many ways worse. Macbeth enters hardly able to speak. He has heard voices saying 'Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep.' He is still holding the daggers. He refuses to go back and plant them — the specific failure of nerve that will haunt him. Lady Macbeth takes them, returns with bloody hands, and the contrast between them is the whole scene: she is still operational, still thinking about the next step; he is already somewhere no plan can reach. His great speech — 'Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood / Clean from my hand?' — is not about the physical blood. It's about the metaphysical stain, the thing that won't come off because it's not on the surface. 'No, this my hand will rather / The multitudinous seas incarnadine, / Making the green one red.' He would contaminate the ocean rather than be cleaned by it. Lady Macbeth's counter — 'A little water clears us of this deed. / How easy is it then!' — is confident and wrong. It will take five acts for her to understand how wrong. The knocking starts. They go to wash. The scene ends on the sound of the world demanding entry.

If this happened today…

You've done the thing. You're standing in the kitchen at 2am with shaking hands. Your partner comes in. They're already thinking about the alibi, the cleanup, the next step. You keep saying 'Did you hear something? Someone spoke.' They take the thing out of your hands and fix what you broke and tell you to breathe. A knock at the door. Neither of you moves.

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