ACT 2
[Enter BANQUO, and FLEANCE bearing a torch before him]
BANQUO
How goes the night, boy?
How's the night going, boy?
FLEANCE
The moon is down; I have not heard the clock.
The moon has set and I've not heard the clock ring.
BANQUO
And she goes down at twelve.
The moon will set at twelve.
FLEANCE
I take't, 'tis later, sir.
Later, I think, sir.
BANQUO
Hold, take my sword. There's husbandry in heaven;
Wait, hold my sword. The stars aren't being generous,
Their candles are all out. Take thee that too.
For they're not shining now. Here, take this too.
A heavy summons lies like lead upon me,
Exhaustion is a heavy weight upon me,
And yet I would not sleep: merciful powers,
But I can't sleep. Oh, decent powers to rest,
Restrain in me the cursed thoughts that nature
Please stop me from the curse of having nightmares
Gives way to in repose!
And let me sleep instead!
[Enter MACBETH, and a Servant with a torch]
Give me my sword.
Give me my sword.
Who's there?
Who's there?
MACBETH
A friend.
A friend.
BANQUO
What, sir, not yet at rest? The king's a-bed:
How come you're not asleep? The king's in bed.
He hath been in unusual pleasure, and
He's been in an unusually good mood, and
Sent forth great largess to your offices.
Sent many generous gifts to all your staff.
This diamond he greets your wife withal,
He gives your wife this diamond as a gift
By the name of most kind hostess; and shut up
For hosting him so well; he then retired
In measureless content.
To bed greatly contented.
MACBETH
Being unprepared,
We weren't ready
Our will became the servant to defect;
So we just did the best with what we had
Which else should free have wrought.
Or else we'd have planned much better.
BANQUO
All's well.
All is good.
I dreamt last night of the three weird sisters:
I dreamt last night of the three weird sisters;
To you they have showed some truth.
Some of it's true for you.
MACBETH
I think not of them:
I don't think of them.
Yet, when we can entreat an hour to serve,
But if we find an hour to spend together
We would spend it in some words upon that business,
We're to talk about some of that then,
If you would grant the time.
If you can find the time.
BANQUO
At your kind'st leisure.
Ready when you are.
MACBETH
If you shall cleave to my consent, when 'tis,
If you can meet at my convenience,
It shall make honour for you.
I'll make it worth your while.
BANQUO
So I lose none
If I maintain,
In seeking to augment it, but still keep
When meeting you, to keep integrity
My bosom franchised and allegiance clear,
Held dear within my heart, and conscience clear,
I shall be counselled.
I'll listen to you.
MACBETH
Good repose the while!
Go and have a good sleep!
BANQUO
Thanks, sir: the like to you!
Thank you, sir; the same to you!
[Exeunt BANQUO and FLEANCE]
MACBETH
Go bid thy mistress, when my drink is ready,
Go tell my wife that, when my drink is ready,
She strike upon the bell. Get thee to bed.
She needs to ring the bell. Go off to bed.
[Exit Servant]
Is this a dagger which I see before me,
Is this a dagger that I see before me,
The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee.
The handle pointing at my hand? I'll hold it.
I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.
It isn't really there, yet I can see it.
Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible
And is this fateful sight perceivable
To feeling as to sight? Or art thou but
By touch as well as sight? Or is it merely
A dagger of the mind, a false creation,
A dagger in my mind, that I've imagined,
Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?
A vision from my overactive brain?
I see thee yet, in form as palpable
Still, I can see it, and it looks the same
As this which now I draw.
As this one I'm now drawing.
Thou marshall'st me the way that I was going;
It's leading me to somewhere I was going,
And such an instrument I was to use.
And I was going to use a dagger like this.
Mine eyes are made the fools o' the other senses,
My eyes are either fooled by all my senses
Or else worth all the rest; I see thee still,
Or all my senses fool them; now I see it
And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood,
And on the blade and handle, dripping blood
Which was not so before. There's no such thing:
That was not there before. This isn't real:
It is the bloody business which informs
It is the thought of murder that's portraying
Thus to mine eyes. Now o'er the one halfworld
This to my eyes. Now half the world's in darkness,
Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse
Where resting seems like death, and nightmares taunt
The curtained sleep; witchcraft celebrates
A peaceful sleep; and witches celebrate
Pale Hecate's offerings, and withered murder,
With gifts to witch-god Hecate, and murder
Alarumed by his sentinel, the wolf,
Is roused to action by its guarding wolf
Whose howl's his watch, thus with his stealthy pace.
That howls to jolt the murderer to act.
With Tarquin's ravishing strides, towards his design
Tarquin, the rapist, walks towards his target
Moves like a ghost. Thou sure and firm-set earth,
Stealthily as a ghost. This solid earth,
Hear not my steps, which way they walk, for fear
Don't make a sound when I walk, just in case that
Thy very stones prate of my whereabout,
These stones make noise, revealing where I am,
And take the present horror from the time,
And break the eery silence of this night
Which now suits with it. Whiles I threat, he lives:
That match my plans. He lives through my distraction;
Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives.
And thoughts prolonged will cool the heat of action.
[A bell rings]
I go, and it is done; the bell invites me.
If I begin, it will be done; the bell rings.
Hear it not, Duncan; for it is a knell
Don't hear it, Duncan, for this ringing bell
That summons thee to heaven or to hell.
Will summons you to heaven or to hell.
[Exit]
