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: Act 2, Scene 2 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 2, Scene 2 of from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

Original Text	Translated Text
Source: Folger Shakespeare Library
Enter Lady Macbeth. LADY MACBETH That which hath made them drunk hath made me bold. What hath quenched them hath given me fire. Hark!—Peace. It was the owl that shrieked, the fatal bellman, 5 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 drugged their possets, That death and nature do contend about them 10 Whether they live or die. MACBETH, within Who’s there? what, ho! LADY MACBETH Alack, I am afraid they have awaked, And ’tis not done. Th’ attempt and not the deed Confounds us. Hark!—I laid their daggers ready; 15 He could not miss ’em. Had he not resembled My father as he slept, I had done ’t. Enter Macbeth with bloody daggers. My husband?	Lady Macbeth is alone on stage. She tells us that she drugged the King's guards and set their weapons out where Macbeth wouldn't miss them. She says she would've killed Duncan herself, if he hadn't looked so much like her father in his sleep. Apparently, she's all family values now.
MACBETH I have done the deed. Didst thou not hear a noise? LADY MACBETH I heard the owl scream and the crickets cry. 20 Did not you speak? MACBETH When? LADY MACBETH Now. MACBETH As I descended? LADY MACBETH Ay. 25 MACBETH Hark!—Who lies i’ th’ second chamber? LADY MACBETH Donalbain. MACBETH This is a sorry sight. LADY MACBETH A foolish thought, to say a sorry sight. MACBETH There’s one did laugh in ’s sleep, and one cried 30 “Murder!” That they did wake each other. I stood and heard them. But they did say their prayers and addressed them Again to sleep. 35	Macbeth enters with bloody hands and a weird story: two separate people staying in the castle woke up while he was in the act. One cried, "Murder!" but they both went back to sleep after saying their prayers.
LADY MACBETH There are two lodged together. MACBETH 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.” 40 LADY MACBETH Consider it not so deeply. MACBETH But wherefore could not I pronounce “Amen”? I had most need of blessing, and “Amen” Stuck in my throat. LADY MACBETH These deeds must not be thought 45 After these ways; so, it will make us mad.	Lady Macbeth mentions that Malcolm and Donalbain are sharing a room, and Macbeth says he's worried about the fact that he couldn't say "Amen" when her heard them say, "God bless us." He could have used the blessing, given how he recently damned his soul by killing the King. Lady Macbeth tells him not to think about it too much, but Macbeth can't stop himself. She warns him that thinking this way will drive them both mad.
MACBETH Methought I heard a voice cry “Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep”—the innocent sleep, Sleep that knits up the raveled sleave of care, The death of each day’s life, sore labor’s bath, 50 Balm of hurt minds, great nature’s second course, Chief nourisher in life’s feast. LADY MACBETH What do you mean? MACBETH Still it cried “Sleep no more!” to all the house. “Glamis hath murdered sleep, and therefore 55 Cawdor Shall sleep no more. Macbeth shall sleep no more.”	But Macbeth can't turn off the crazy. Next he says he heard voices saying things like "Macbeth has murdered sleep, so Macbeth will never sleep again."
LADY MACBETH 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 60 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.	Lady Macbeth tells her husband to get a grip. He needs to focus on the matter at hand, which is framing the King's attendants.
MACBETH I’ll go no more. 65 I am afraid to think what I have done. Look on ’t again I dare not. LADY MACBETH Infirm of purpose! Give me the daggers. The sleeping and the dead Are but as pictures. ’Tis the eye of childhood 70 That fears a painted devil. If he do bleed, I’ll gild the faces of the grooms withal, For it must seem their guilt. She exits with the daggers. Knock within.	Macbeth won't do it himself, so Lady M takes the daggers from him, smears the attendants with Duncan's blood, and plants the weapons. Do you think that will fool CSI: Cawdor?
MACBETH Whence is that knocking? 75 How is ’t with me when every noise appalls 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, 80 Making the green one red.
Enter Lady Macbeth. LADY MACBETH My hands are of your color, but I shame To wear a heart so white. Knock. I hear a knocking At the south entry. Retire we to our chamber. 85 A little water clears us of this deed. How easy is it, then! Your constancy Hath left you unattended. Knock. Hark, more knocking. Get on your nightgown, lest occasion call us 90 And show us to be watchers. Be not lost So poorly in your thoughts. MACBETH To know my deed ’twere best not know myself. Knock. Wake Duncan with thy knocking. I would thou couldst. 95 They exit.	Lady Macbeth comes back, having done her part, and now her hands are red with blood, too. She hears the knocking now and hurries Macbeth to bed so that (1) they don't look suspicious, and (2) they can do a little washing up before all the "Oh no! The king is dead" morning hullabaloo. Macbeth regrets killing Duncan—he says he wishes that all the knocking at the door would wake Duncan up. Sorry, dude. No take-backsies with murder.