First folio
| Modern text
| Definitions
| Key line
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| Enter Lady. | Enter Lady Macbeth | | Mac II.ii.1 | |
| La. | LADY | | | |
| That which hath made thẽ drunk, hath made me bold: | That which hath made them drunk hath made me bold; | | Mac II.ii.1 | |
| What hath quench'd them, hath giuen me fire. Hearke, peace: | What hath quenched them hath given me fire. – Hark! – Peace! | quench (v.) extinguish, put out, knock out | Mac II.ii.2 | |
| it was the Owle that shriek'd, / The fatall Bell-man, | It was the owl that shrieked, the fatal bellman | fatal (adj.)ominous, full of foreboding, doom-laden | Mac II.ii.3 | |
| | bellman (n.)bell-ringer who announces an impending death [as of a condemned prisoner] | | |
| which giues the stern'st good-night. He is about it, | Which gives the stern'st good-night. He is about it. | | Mac II.ii.4 | |
| the Doores are open: / And the surfeted Groomes | The doors are open, and the surfeited grooms | surfeited (adj.)overfilled, intemperate, saturated | Mac II.ii.5 | |
| | groom (n.)serving-man, servant, male attendant | | |
| doe mock their charge / With Snores. I haue drugg'd their Possets, | Do mock their charge with snores; I have drugged their possets | charge (n.)task, responsibility, duty | Mac II.ii.6 | |
| | posset (n.)restorative hot drink, made of milk, liquor, and other ingredients | | |
| That Death and Nature doe contend about them, | That death and nature do contend about them | nature (n.)natural powers, normal state [of mind and body] | Mac II.ii.7 | |
| | contend (v.)fight, engage in combat, struggle | | |
| Whether they liue, or dye. | Whether they live or die. | | Mac II.ii.8.1 | |
| Macb. | MACBETH | | | |
| (within) | | Mac II.ii.8 | |
| Who's there? what hoa? | Who's there? What, ho! | | Mac II.ii.8.2 | |
| Lady. | LADY | | | |
| Alack, I am afraid they haue awak'd, | Alack, I am afraid they have awaked, | | Mac II.ii.9 | |
| And 'tis not done: th' attempt, and not the deed, | And 'tis not done. The attempt and not the deed | | Mac II.ii.10 | |
| Confounds vs: hearke: I lay'd their Daggers ready, | Confounds us. – Hark! – I laid their daggers ready; | | Mac II.ii.11 | |
| He could not misse 'em. Had he not resembled | He could not miss 'em. Had he not resembled | | Mac II.ii.12 | |
| My Father as he slept, I had don't. | My father as he slept, I had done't. | | Mac II.ii.13.1 | |
| Enter Macbeth. | Enter Macbeth, carrying two bloodstained daggers | | Mac II.ii.13 | |
| My Husband? | My husband! | | Mac II.ii.13.2 | |
| Macb. | MACBETH | | | |
| I haue done the deed: Didst thou not heare a noyse? | I have done the deed. Didst thou not hear a noise? | | Mac II.ii.14 | |
| Lady. | LADY | | | |
| I heard the Owle schreame, and the Crickets cry. | I heard the owl scream and the cricket's cry. | | Mac II.ii.15 | |
| Did not you speake? | Did not you speak? | | Mac II.ii.16.1 | |
| Macb. | MACBETH | | | |
| When? | When? | | Mac II.ii.16.2 | |
| Lady. | LADY | | | |
| Now. | Now. | | Mac II.ii.16.3 | |
| Macb. | MACBETH | | | |
| As I descended? | As I descended? | | Mac II.ii.16.4 | |
| Lady. | LADY | | | |
| I. | Ay. | | Mac II.ii.17 | |
| Macb. | MACBETH | | | |
| Hearke, | Hark! | | Mac II.ii.18 | |
| who lyes i'th' second Chamber? | Who lies i'the second chamber? | chamber (n.)bedchamber, bedroom | Mac II.ii.19.1 | |
| Lady. | LADY | | | |
| Donalbaine. | Donalbain. | | Mac II.ii.19.2 | |
| Mac. | MACBETH | | | |
| (looks at his hands) | | Mac II.ii.20 | |
| This is a sorry sight. | This is a sorry sight. | sorry (adj.)sorrowful, painful, sad, pitiable | Mac II.ii.20 | |
| Lady. | LADY | | | |
| A foolish thought, to say a sorry sight. | A foolish thought, to say a sorry sight. | | Mac II.ii.21 | |
| Macb. | MACBETH | | | |
| There's one did laugh in's sleepe, / And one cry'd Murther, | There's one did laugh in's sleep, and one cried ‘ Murder!’ | | Mac II.ii.22 | |
| that they did wake each other: / I stood, and heard them: | That they did wake each other. I stood and heard them. | | Mac II.ii.23 | |
| But they did say their Prayers, / And addrest them | But they did say their prayers and addressed them | address (v.)prepare, make ready, poise to act | Mac II.ii.24 | |
| againe to sleepe. | Again to sleep. | | Mac II.ii.25.1 | |
| Lady. | LADY | | | |
| There are two lodg'd together. | There are two lodged together. | | Mac II.ii.25.2 | |
| Macb. | MACBETH | | | |
| One cry'd God blesse vs, and Amen the other, | One cried ‘ God bless us!’ and ‘ Amen ’ the other, | | Mac II.ii.26 | |
| As they had seene me with these Hangmans hands: | As they had seen me with these hangman's hands. | | Mac II.ii.27 | |
| Listning their feare, I could not say Amen, | Listening their fear I could not say ‘ Amen ’ | | Mac II.ii.28 | |
| When they did say God blesse vs. | When they did say ‘ God bless us.’ | | Mac II.ii.29 | |
| Lady. | LADY | | | |
| Consider it not so deepely. | Consider it not so deeply. | consider (v.)reflect, think carefully, ponder, contemplate | Mac II.ii.30 | |
| Mac. | MACBETH | | | |
| But wherefore could not I pronounce Amen? | But wherefore could not I pronounce ‘ Amen ’? | | Mac II.ii.31 | |
| I had most need of Blessing, and Amen | I had most need of blessing, and ‘ Amen ’ | | Mac II.ii.32 | |
| stuck in my throat. | Stuck in my throat. | | Mac II.ii.33.1 | |
| Lady. | LADY | | | |
| These deeds must not be thought | These deeds must not be thought | | Mac II.ii.33.2 | |
| After these wayes: so, it will make vs mad. | After these ways; so, it will make us mad. | | Mac II.ii.34 | |
| Macb. | MACBETH | | | |
| Me thought I heard a voyce cry, Sleep no more: | Methought I heard a voice cry, ‘ Sleep no more! | methinks(t), methought(s) (v.)it seems / seemed to me | Mac II.ii.35 | |
| Macbeth does murther Sleepe, the innocent Sleepe, | Macbeth does murder sleep – the innocent sleep, | | Mac II.ii.36 | |
| Sleepe that knits vp the rauel'd Sleeue of Care, | Sleep that knits up the ravelled sleave of care, | ravelled (adj.)tangled, confused, jumbled up | Mac II.ii.37 | |
| | sleave (n.)[of silk] strands, threads, skein | | |
| The death of each dayes Life, sore Labors Bath, | The death of each day's life, sore labour's bath, | | Mac II.ii.38 | |
| Balme of hurt Mindes, great Natures second Course, | Balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course, | | Mac II.ii.39 | |
| Chiefe nourisher in Life's Feast. | Chief nourisher in life's feast,’ | | Mac II.ii.40.1 | |
| Lady. | LADY | | | |
| What doe you meane? | What do you mean? | | Mac II.ii.40.2 | |
| Macb. | MACBETH | | | |
| Still it cry'd, Sleepe no more to all the House: | Still it cried ‘ Sleep no more ’ to all the house; | still (adv.)constantly, always, continually | Mac II.ii.41 | |
| Glamis hath murther'd Sleepe, and therefore Cawdor | ‘ Glamis hath murdered sleep, and therefore Cawdor | | Mac II.ii.42 | |
| Shall sleepe no more: Macbeth shall sleepe no more. | Shall sleep no more, Macbeth shall sleep no more.’ | | Mac II.ii.43 | |
| Lady. | LADY | | | |
| Who was it, that thus cry'd? why worthy Thane, | Who was it that thus cried? Why, worthy thane, | | Mac II.ii.44 | |
| You doe vnbend your Noble strength, to thinke | You do unbend your noble strength, to think | unbend (v.)slacken, weaken, undermine | Mac II.ii.45 | |
| So braine-sickly of things: Goe get some Water, | So brain-sickly of things. Go get some water, | brain-sickly (adv.)foolishly, in such an addle-headed way | Mac II.ii.46 | |
| And wash this filthie Witnesse from your Hand. | And wash this filthy witness from your hand. | witness (n.)evidence, sign | Mac II.ii.47 | |
| Why did you bring these Daggers from the place? | Why did you bring these daggers from the place? | | Mac II.ii.48 | |
| They must lye there: goe carry them, and smeare | They must lie there. Go, carry them and smear | | Mac II.ii.49 | |
| The sleepie Groomes with blood. | The sleepy grooms with blood. | groom (n.)serving-man, servant, male attendant | Mac II.ii.50.1 | |
| Macb. | MACBETH | | | |
| Ile goe no more: | I'll go no more. | | Mac II.ii.50.2 | |
| I am afraid, to thinke what I haue done: | I am afraid to think what I have done; | | Mac II.ii.51 | |
| Looke on't againe, I dare not. | Look on't again I dare not. | | Mac II.ii.52.1 | |
| Lady. | LADY | | | |
| Infirme of purpose: | Infirm of purpose! | purpose (n.)intention, aim, plan | Mac II.ii.52.2 | |
| Giue me the Daggers: the sleeping, and the dead, | Give me the daggers. The sleeping and the dead | | Mac II.ii.53 | |
| Are but as Pictures: 'tis the Eye of Child-hood, | Are but as pictures. 'Tis the eye of childhood | | Mac II.ii.54 | |
| That feares a painted Deuill. If he doe bleed, | That fears a painted devil. If he do bleed, | | Mac II.ii.55 | |
| Ile guild the Faces of the Groomes withall, | I'll gild the faces of the grooms withal, | gild (v.), past forms gilt, gildedcover, coat, smear | Mac II.ii.56 | |
| | groom (n.)serving-man, servant, male attendant | | |
| For it must seeme their Guilt. | For it must seem their guilt. | | Mac II.ii.57.1 | |
| Exit. | Exit | | Mac II.ii.57 | |
| Knocke within. | Knocking within | | Mac II.ii.57 | |
| Macb. | MACBETH | | | |
| Whence is that knocking? | Whence is that knocking? | | Mac II.ii.57.2 | |
| How is't with me, when euery noyse appalls me? | How is't with me when every noise appals me? | | Mac II.ii.58 | |
| What Hands are here? hah: they pluck out mine Eyes. | What hands are here! Ha – they pluck out mine eyes! | | Mac II.ii.59 | |
| Will all great Neptunes Ocean wash this blood | Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood | NeptuneRoman water-god, chiefly associated with the sea and sea-weather | Mac II.ii.60 | |
| Cleane from my Hand? no: this my Hand will rather | Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather | | Mac II.ii.61 | |
| The multitudinous Seas incarnardine, | The multitudinous seas incarnadine, | multitudinous (adj.)myriad, innumerable; or: containing multitudes [of creatures] | Mac II.ii.62 | |
| | incarnadine (v.)redden, turn blood-red | | |
| Making the Greene one, Red. | Making the green one red. | | Mac II.ii.63 | |
| Enter Lady. | Enter Lady Macbeth | | Mac II.ii.63 | |
| Lady. | LADY | | | |
| My Hands are of your colour: but I shame | My hands are of your colour; but I shame | shame (v.)be ashamed, be embarrassed | Mac II.ii.64 | |
| To weare a Heart so white. | To wear a heart so white. | | Mac II.ii.65.1 | |
| Knocke. | Knock | | Mac II.ii.65 | |
| I heare a knocking | I hear a knocking | | Mac II.ii.65.2 | |
| at the South entry: / Retyre we to our Chamber: | At the south entry. Retire we to our chamber. | | Mac II.ii.66 | |
| A little Water cleares vs of this deed. | A little water clears us of this deed; | | Mac II.ii.67 | |
| How easie is it then? your Constancie | How easy is it then! Your constancy | | Mac II.ii.68 | |
| Hath left you vnattended. | Hath left you unattended. | | Mac II.ii.69.1 | |
| Knocke. | Knock | | Mac II.ii.69 | |
| Hearke, more knocking. | Hark! more knocking. | | Mac II.ii.69.2 | |
| Get on your Night-Gowne, least occasion call vs, | Get on your nightgown, lest occasion call us | nightgown, night-gown (n.)dressing-gown | Mac II.ii.70 | |
| | occasion (n.)course of events, state of affairs | | |
| And shew vs to be Watchers: be not lost | And show us to be watchers. Be not lost | watcher (n.)one who stays wide-awake | Mac II.ii.71 | |
| So poorely in your thoughts. | So poorly in your thoughts. | | Mac II.ii.72 | |
| Macb | MACBETH | | | |
| To know my deed, / 'Twere best not know my selfe. | To know my deed 'twere best not know myself. | | Mac II.ii.73 | |
| Knocke. | Knock | | Mac II.ii.73 | |
| Wake Duncan with thy knocking: I would thou could'st. | Wake Duncan with thy knocking! I would thou couldst! | | Mac II.ii.74 | |
| Exeunt. | Exeunt | | Mac II.ii.74 | |