The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (951 page)

Looking on his hands

LADY MACBETH

A foolish thought, to say a sorry sight.

That’s a foolish thing to say, ‘a sorry sight.’

MACBETH

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.

One of the guards laughed in his sleep, and the other

cried ‘Murder!’ They woke each other up. I stood

and listened to them. But they said their prayers

and went back to sleep.

LADY MACBETH

There are two lodged together.

There are two sleeping in the same room.

MACBETH

One cried 'God bless us!' and 'Amen' the other;

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

Listening their fear, I could not say 'Amen,'

When they did say 'God bless us!'

One cried ‘God bless us!’ and the other cried ‘Amen.’

It was as if they had seen my bloody hands.

When I heard their fear, I could not say ‘Amen’

when they said ‘God bless us.’

LADY MACBETH

Consider it not so deeply.

Don’t think about it too much.

MACBETH

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 was more in need of blessing than ever

but the word ‘Amen’ stuck in my throat.

LADY MACBETH

These deeds must not be thought

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

We must not think about all of this so much.

It will make us crazy.

MACBETH

Methought I heard a voice cry 'Sleep no more!

Macbeth does murder sleep', the innocent sleep,

Sleep that knits up the ravell'd sleeve 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 ‘Wake up!

Macbeth does murder sleep!’ Innocent sleep,

that takes all cares away. The rest at the end

of the day, respite from hard work, peace

for worried minds, the part of the day’s feast,

which nourishes us so we may live—

LADY MACBETH

What do you mean?

What are you saying?

MACBETH

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.'

The voice kept crying out ‘Sleep no more!’ to the whole house.

‘Glamis has killed sleep and so Cawdor will not be able

to sleep. Macbeth will not be able to sleep.’

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,

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 that said all of this? Why, my good thane,

do you weaken yourself by thinking of such crazy

things? Go get some water and wash the blood

from your hands. Why did you bring these daggers

with you? They have to stay in the room. Take them back

and smear Duncan’s blood over the sleeping guards.

MACBETH

I'll go no more:

I am afraid to think what I have done;

Look on't again I dare not.

I can’t go back in there.

I am afraid to think about what I have done

let alone look at it again.

LADY MACBETH

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.

You coward! Give me the daggers.

The sleeping and the dead are like pictures.

Only a child would be afraid of such things.

If Duncan is bleeding, I’ll paint the faces

of the guards with his blood so they

will look guilty.

Exit. Knocking within

MACBETH

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 in incarnadine,

Making the green one red.

Where’s that knocking coming from?

Why is it that every noise is making me so nervous?

Whose hands are these? They make my eyes hurt,

looking at them. Could all of the water in the oceans

wash this blood from my hands? No, it won’t.

The blood on my hands would turn the green seas to red.

Re-enter LADY MACBETH

LADY MACBETH

My hands are of your colour; but I shame

To wear a heart so white.

My hands are the same color as yours, but I would

be ashamed of myself to have such a weak heart.

Knocking within

I hear a 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.

I hear knocking at the south entrance. Let’s

go to our bedroom. A little water will clean

off this blood. The rest of this is easy!

Your resolve has left you.

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.

Listen! More knocking.

Get into your pajamas in case someone

sees that we are awake. Snap out of it!

You are lost in a daze!

MACBETH

To know my deed, 'twere best not know myself.

Knowing what I have done, I wish I did not know myself.

Knocking within

Wake Duncan with thy knocking! I would thou couldst!

Wake Duncan with your knocking! I would if I could.

Exeunt

The Same

Knocking within. Enter a Porter

Porter

Here's a knocking indeed! If a

man were porter of hell-gate, he should have

old turning the key.

This is a lot of knocking! If a man were the keeper

of hell’s gate, he would grow old opening

the door so often.

Knocking within

Knock,

knock, knock! Who's there, i' the name of

Beelzebub? Here's a farmer, that hanged

himself on the expectation of plenty: come in

time; have napkins enow about you; here

you'll sweat for't.

Knock, knock, knock. Who in the Devil’s name

is there? It’s a famer who hanged himself

when the crops did not grow. Come in, and

have plenty of napkins on you because you’ll

be sweating a lot.

Knocking within

Knock,

knock! Who's there, in the other devil's

name? Faith, here's an equivocator, that could

swear in both the scales against either scale;

who committed treason enough for God's sake,

yet could not equivocate to heaven: O, come

in, equivocator.

Knock, knock, knock. Who’s there, in the other

devil’s name? Oh, it’s a smooth talking man

who committed treason in God’s name, yet

could not smooth talk his way into heaven.

Come on in, smooth talker.

Knocking within

Knock,

knock, knock! Who's there? Faith, here's an

English tailor come hither, for stealing out of

a French hose: come in, tailor; here you may

roast your goose.

Knock, knock, knock! Who’s there? I believe

it’s an English tailor who didn’t put enough fabric

into a pair of French hose. Come in, tailor—

it’s hot enough to roast your goose in here!

Knocking within

Knock,

knock; never at quiet! What are you? But

this place is too cold for hell. I'll devil-porter

it no further: I had thought to have let in

some of all professions that go the primrose

way to the everlasting bonfire.

Knock, knock—it’s never quiet! What are you?

But this place is too cold to be hell. I won’t

be the devil-porter any longer. I had it in mind

to let in some all of the professions that

eventually go to hell.

Knocking within

Anon, anon! I pray you, remember the porter.

I’m coming, I’m coming! Please be good to the porter.

Opens the gate

Enter MACDUFF and LENNOX

MACDUFF

Was it so late, friend, ere you went to bed,

That you do lie so late?

Did you go to be so late, friend, that you

decided to sleep in?

Porter

'Faith sir, we were carousing till the

second cock: and drink, sir, is a great

provoker of three things.

It’s true, sir, we were partying until

three in the morning, and drink, sir,

causes three things.

MACDUFF

What three things does drink especially provoke?

What three things does drink cause?