DOCTOR:
“I have two nights watched with you but can perceive no truth in your report. When was it she last walked?”
- The Doctor says he has stayed awake for two nights, watching Lady Macbeth, but hasn’t seen anything strange yet.
- He asks the Gentlewoman when she last saw Lady Macbeth sleepwalking.
👉 Language Device: Dramatic Irony – The audience knows that Lady Macbeth is mentally disturbed, but the doctor is only now discovering the truth.
GENTLEWOMAN:
“Since his Majesty went into the field, I have seen her rise from her bed, throw her nightgown upon her, unlock her closet, take forth paper, fold it, write upon ’t, read it, afterwards seal it, and again return to bed; yet all this while in a most fast sleep.”
- The Gentlewoman explains that ever since Macbeth (the king) went to battle, she has seen Lady Macbeth get out of bed while still asleep.
- Lady Macbeth puts on her nightgown, opens her writing desk, takes out paper, writes something, reads it, seals it, and then goes back to bed—all while sleepwalking.
👉 Language Device: Imagery – The description of Lady Macbeth’s actions gives a clear picture of her troubled state.
👉 Theme: Guilt and Madness – Lady Macbeth is unconsciously reliving her crimes.
DOCTOR:
“A great perturbation in nature, to receive at once the benefit of sleep and do the effects of watching.”
- The Doctor is saying that Lady Macbeth’s condition is unnatural.
- Sleep is supposed to bring rest, but she is still acting as if she’s awake, performing actions in her sleep.
👉 Language Device: Juxtaposition – Sleep is usually linked to peace, but here it is disturbed, showing her inner turmoil.
👉 Theme: Disruption of the Natural Order – Lady Macbeth’s mind is in chaos, reflecting the disorder in Scotland caused by Macbeth’s rule.
DOCTOR:
“In this slumb’ry agitation, besides her walking and other actual performances, what at any time have you heard her say?”
- The Doctor asks if Lady Macbeth has said anything important while sleepwalking.
👉 Language Device: Foreshadowing – The audience knows Lady Macbeth will reveal something shocking.
GENTLEWOMAN:
“That, sir, which I will not report after her.”
- The Gentlewoman refuses to repeat Lady Macbeth’s words.
👉 Theme: Loyalty vs. Betrayal – The Gentlewoman is loyal and does not want to betray her mistress by exposing her secrets.
DOCTOR:
“You may to me, and ’tis most meet you should.”
- The Doctor tells her she should tell him.
- He is a professional, and it is right for her to share medical information with him.
👉 Theme: Power and Authority – The Doctor, as a man and a professional, expects obedience, but the Gentlewoman resists.
GENTLEWOMAN:
“Neither to you nor anyone, having no witness to confirm my speech.”
- The Gentlewoman refuses to tell the Doctor what Lady Macbeth said because she has no proof.
- She is afraid that speaking out without witnesses might get her into trouble.
👉 Theme: Fear and Consequences – Even though she knows something terrible, she is afraid of speaking up.
(Enter Lady Macbeth with a taper.)
- Lady Macbeth enters the stage, holding a taper (a candle).
- She is sleepwalking, lost in her thoughts.
👉 Symbolism: The Candle – The candle represents her fear of darkness, both literally and metaphorically. She is afraid of what she has done and what might happen next.
GENTLEWOMAN:
“Lo you, here she comes. This is her very guise and, upon my life, fast asleep. Observe her; stand close.”
- The Gentlewoman tells the Doctor to look at Lady Macbeth.
- She swears that Lady Macbeth is truly asleep.
- She warns him to watch carefully without disturbing her.
👉 Theme: Appearance vs. Reality – Lady Macbeth appears in control when awake, but in her sleep, she reveals her true state of mind.
DOCTOR:
“How came she by that light?”
- The Doctor asks how Lady Macbeth got the candle she is holding.
- He is curious about her unusual behavior.
👉 Symbolism: Light vs. Darkness – Earlier, Lady Macbeth called for darkness (“Come, thick night” – Act 1, Scene 5) to hide their crimes. Now, she constantly keeps a light near her, symbolizing her fear of darkness and guilt.
GENTLEWOMAN:
“Why, it stood by her. She has light by her continually. ’Tis her command.”
- The Gentlewoman explains that Lady Macbeth always keeps a light near her.
- She ordered this herself, which suggests she is afraid of the dark.
👉 Theme: Guilt and Paranoia – Lady Macbeth is now terrified of the darkness she once embraced.
DOCTOR:
“You see her eyes are open.”
- The Doctor notices that Lady Macbeth’s eyes are open while she sleepwalks.
GENTLEWOMAN:
“Ay, but their sense are shut.”
- The Gentlewoman clarifies that Lady Macbeth’s eyes are open, but she is not aware of what she is doing.
👉 Theme: Appearance vs. Reality – She looks awake but is lost in a dream-like state of guilt.
DOCTOR:
“What is it she does now? Look how she rubs her hands.”
- The Doctor observes Lady Macbeth rubbing her hands together as if washing them.
GENTLEWOMAN:
“It is an accustomed action with her to seem thus washing her hands. I have known her continue in this a quarter of an hour.”
- The Gentlewoman explains that Lady Macbeth often does this.
- She sometimes keeps rubbing her hands for as long as 15 minutes, trying to remove imaginary blood.
👉 Symbolism: Handwashing – This symbolizes Lady Macbeth’s guilt. She once said “A little water clears us of this deed” (Act 2, Scene 2), but now she realizes she can never wash away her sins.
LADY MACBETH:
“Yet here’s a spot.”
- She sees a “spot” of blood on her hands, even though it isn’t really there.
- Her guilt makes her hallucinate stains of Duncan’s blood.
👉 Theme: Psychological Consequences of Guilt – She is consumed by the memory of murder.
DOCTOR:
“Hark, she speaks. I will set down what comes from her, to satisfy my remembrance the more strongly.”
- The Doctor listens carefully and decides to write down Lady Macbeth’s words.
- He realizes she might be confessing something important.
LADY MACBETH:
“Out, damned spot! Out, I say! One. Two. Why then, ’tis time to do ’t.”
- She desperately tries to scrub off the imaginary blood from her hands.
- She also recalls the moment when they killed King Duncan (Macbeth heard a bell at one and murdered Duncan at two).
👉 Language Device: Repetition – “Out, damned spot!” shows her increasing desperation.
👉 Theme: Uncontrollable Guilt – No matter how much she washes, she cannot erase her crime.
LADY MACBETH:
“Hell is murky. Fie, my lord, fie! A soldier and afeard?”
- She questions Macbeth, calling him a coward for being afraid (“Fie, my lord, fie!”).
- “Hell is murky” suggests she fears damnation.
👉 Theme: Damnation and Conscience – Earlier, she dismissed thoughts of heaven and hell, but now she fears eternal punishment.
LADY MACBETH:
“What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to account?”
- She tries to reassure herself that no one can punish them because they are king and queen.
- But this shows her inner conflict—she knows guilt is its own punishment.
👉 Theme: Power and Accountability – She believed power would protect them, but her mind is still tormented.
LADY MACBETH:
“Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?”
- She refers to Duncan as “the old man” and is horrified by how much blood he had.
- This reveals how deeply she is haunted by his murder.
👉 Language Device: Symbolism of Blood – Blood represents guilt and cannot be washed away.
DOCTOR:
“Do you mark that?”
- The Doctor realizes she has just confessed to Duncan’s murder.
- He is shocked by her words.
LADY MACBETH:
“The Thane of Fife had a wife. Where is she now?”
- She refers to Lady Macduff, who was murdered on Macbeth’s orders.
- She wonders what happened to her, showing that she feels guilt for the innocent people killed.
👉 Theme: Innocent Victims – The consequences of Macbeth’s ambition have hurt many innocent lives.
LADY MACBETH:
“What, will these hands ne’er be clean?”
- She realizes that her guilt can never be washed away.
- This contrasts with her earlier confidence when she said, “A little water clears us of this deed.”
👉 Theme: Inescapable Guilt – No matter how much she tries, she can never remove the stain of her sins.
LADY MACBETH:
“No more o’ that, my lord, no more o’ that. You mar all with this starting.”
- She imagines talking to Macbeth, telling him to stop being afraid.
- She remembers the moment after the murder when Macbeth panicked.
DOCTOR:
“Go to, go to. You have known what you should not.”
- The Doctor tells the Gentlewoman that Lady Macbeth has revealed things she should not have.
- He knows this is dangerous information.
GENTLEWOMAN:
“She has spoke what she should not, I am sure of that. Heaven knows what she has known.”
- The Gentlewoman is horrified and realizes Lady Macbeth is confessing her crimes.
- She says only God knows the full truth.
👉 Theme: Divine Judgment – She believes that heaven will punish Lady Macbeth.
LADY MACBETH:
“Here’s the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. O, O, O!”
- She imagines that her hands still smell like blood.
- She says that even all the perfumes in Arabia wouldn’t be enough to remove the smell.
👉 Contrast: Earlier, she mocked Macbeth for his guilt, but now she is the one suffering.
DOCTOR:
“What a sigh is there! The heart is sorely charged.”
- The Doctor sees Lady Macbeth sighing heavily and says her heart is burdened with guilt.
GENTLEWOMAN:
“I would not have such a heart in my bosom for the dignity of the whole body.”
- The Gentlewoman says that even if she were queen, she wouldn’t want Lady Macbeth’s guilty heart.
👉 Theme: Guilt is Worse than Punishment – Lady Macbeth’s mind is already destroyed by guilt—her power means nothing now.
DOCTOR: Well, well, well.
- Explanation: The doctor is reacting to what he has just witnessed—Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking and obsessive hand-washing. His words suggest shock, concern, and a realization of the severity of her condition.
- Language Techniques: Repetition (“well, well, well”) conveys hesitation and uncertainty, as if he is struggling to process what he has seen.
- Themes: Madness, Guilt—Lady Macbeth’s mind is unraveling due to the weight of her conscience.
GENTLEWOMAN: Pray God it be, sir.
- Explanation: The gentlewoman hopes that things will turn out well, but she likely knows that Lady Macbeth’s condition is serious.
- Language Techniques: Religious imagery (“Pray God”) emphasizes a sense of desperation and the idea that only divine intervention can help.
- Themes: Fate, Divine Justice—There is a sense that Lady Macbeth’s suffering is a punishment for her sins.
DOCTOR: This disease is beyond my practice. Yet I have known those which have walked in their sleep, who have died holily in their beds.
- Explanation: The doctor admits that Lady Macbeth’s condition is beyond his medical expertise. He compares her sleepwalking to cases he has seen before, where people who sleepwalked eventually died peacefully. However, there is an implication that Lady Macbeth might not find such peace.
- Language Techniques:
- Juxtaposition: “died holily in their beds” contrasts with Lady Macbeth’s current state—she is tormented rather than at peace.
- Foreshadowing: Suggests that Lady Macbeth’s end is near, and unlike the “holy” deaths he mentions, hers will likely be tragic.
- Themes: Madness, Guilt, Supernatural—Lady Macbeth’s unnatural behavior (sleepwalking) is linked to her guilt and the idea that she is being punished by forces beyond human control.
LADY MACBETH: Wash your hands. Put on your nightgown. Look not so pale.
- Explanation: Lady Macbeth, lost in her guilt-ridden thoughts, repeats her earlier commands from the night of King Duncan’s murder. She believes she still has blood on her hands.
- Language Techniques:
- Repetition: “Wash your hands.” echoes her earlier command to Macbeth after Duncan’s murder, showing that guilt still haunts her.
- Imperative verbs (“Wash,” “Put on,” “Look not”)—Lady Macbeth, who once commanded Macbeth, now gives orders to herself, showing her fractured state of mind.
- Themes: Guilt, Madness, Appearance vs. Reality—She tries to act as if nothing is wrong, but the pale face (a sign of guilt or fear) reveals the truth.
LADY MACBETH: I tell you yet again, Banquo’s buried; he cannot come out on’s grave.
- Explanation: Lady Macbeth tries to reassure herself that Banquo is dead and cannot return, suggesting that she is haunted by guilt over his murder.
- Language Techniques:
- Irony: She insists Banquo is buried and gone, but the fact that she repeats this shows that he is very much alive in her mind.
- Supernatural Imagery: The fear that Banquo could rise from his grave reflects the influence of the supernatural on the characters.
- Themes: Guilt, Supernatural, Psychological Breakdown—Her words suggest paranoia and the power of guilt to disturb the mind.
DOCTOR: Even so?
- Explanation: The doctor is both questioning and confirming what he hears. His short response shows his shock and perhaps a realization of how deeply disturbed Lady Macbeth is.
- Language Techniques:
- Ellipsis (implied hesitation)—His brief response suggests he is lost for words.
- Themes: Madness, Consequences of Evil—The doctor recognizes the psychological toll of Lady Macbeth’s actions.
LADY MACBETH: To bed, to bed. There’s knocking at the gate. Come, come, come, come. Give me your hand. What’s done cannot be undone. To bed, to bed, to bed.
- Explanation: Lady Macbeth relives the moment after Duncan’s murder when there was knocking at the castle gate. She repeats herself in a frantic, broken way, suggesting intense mental distress.
- Language Techniques:
- Repetition (“To bed, to bed, to bed”)—Creates a rhythmic, almost hypnotic effect, highlighting her confusion and obsession.
- Symbolism: “Knocking at the gate”—Represents both the past crime and her subconscious fear of judgment.
- Irony: Earlier in the play, she dismissed guilt (“A little water clears us of this deed”) but now, she is haunted by it.
- Themes: Guilt, Fate, Madness—Her words suggest resignation; she knows she cannot undo the past.
DOCTOR: Will she go now to bed?
- Explanation: The doctor, still observing, asks if Lady Macbeth will finally rest. His tone suggests both concern and detachment.
- Themes: Madness, Sleep—Lady Macbeth’s disturbed sleep represents her inner turmoil.
GENTLEWOMAN: Directly.
- Explanation: The gentlewoman’s brief response suggests she is used to this behavior and expects Lady Macbeth to continue suffering.
- Themes: Loyalty, Duty—She watches over Lady Macbeth despite knowing she is beyond help.
DOCTOR:
“Foul whisperings are abroad. Unnatural deeds
Do breed unnatural troubles. Infected minds
To their deaf pillows will discharge their secrets.”
- Explanation: The doctor recognizes that dark rumors are spreading, and Lady Macbeth’s mental torment is a result of her crimes. He notes that troubled people confess in their sleep.
- Language Techniques:
- Metaphor: “Infected minds”—Compares guilt and madness to disease.
- Personification: “Deaf pillows”—Suggests that even objects are burdened with the confessions of the guilty.
- Themes: Guilt, Madness, The Unnatural—Evil actions lead to mental and spiritual suffering.
DOCTOR:
“More needs she the divine than the physician.
God, God forgive us all.”
- Explanation: The doctor admits that Lady Macbeth needs spiritual help rather than medical treatment. He prays for forgiveness, perhaps fearing that evil has corrupted the kingdom.
- Language Techniques:
- Contrast: Science (medicine) vs. Religion (prayer).
- Repetition: “God, God”—Emphasizes desperation.
- Themes: Fate, Divine Justice, Guilt—Only divine mercy can help Lady Macbeth now.
DOCTOR:
“Look after her. Remove from her the means of all annoyance
And still keep eyes upon her.”
- Explanation: He warns that Lady Macbeth should be watched closely, hinting at suicidal thoughts.
- Themes: Mental Illness, Consequences of Evil—She is a danger to herself.
DOCTOR:
“My mind she has mated, and amazed my sight.
I think but dare not speak.”
- Explanation: The doctor is disturbed by what he has seen. He understands the deeper implications of Lady Macbeth’s madness but is afraid to discuss them.
- Language Techniques:
- Metaphor: “Mated”—A chess reference, meaning checkmate, suggests he is overwhelmed.
- Themes: Fear, Silence, Power—Even the doctor fears speaking openly in Macbeth’s kingdom.
GENTLEWOMAN: Good night, good doctor.
- Explanation: She ends the scene formally, reinforcing the idea that there is nothing more to do but watch and wait.
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