Macbeth Monologue (Act 2, Scene 1)

Macbeth is a Shakespearean classic! We’ve listed it in the top 10 of on our “Best Shakespeare plays” and it is one of Shakespeare’s most well-loved plays. Set in Scotland, this short, dark and thrilling play is a must-read for actors. The story centres around Macbeth, and his colossal rise and fall. After successfully becoming King, Macbeth and his wife slowly descend into madness and their initial ambitious act has unfolding consequences of death and tragedy.

What has just happened?

In the moment before this monologue Macbeth and his best mate, Banquo, have discussed their fate and the prophecies told to them by the witches. It is late at night and Macbeth is on his way to kill Duncan.

Running into Banquo in the hallway, the two exchange words about the how pleased the King is with Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s hospitality. In a foreshadowing remark, Macbeth asks if Banquo will continue this conversation another time. And should Banquo follow Macbeth, it will bring much honour. To which Banquo replies he will, as long as his allegiance is clear. This exchange sets up the division of their moral code.

The two say good night and right after Banquo has left, Macbeth sees a dagger before him. Is it a real dagger? Or has he started to lose his mind, already wracked by guilt over the morality of his imminent actions? He questions the reality of the dagger and why it has

Thought Breakdown

Let’s break this monologue down into smaller parts-

Space = New beat/idea
, or ; = build on a thought

Macbeth:
Is this a dagger which I see before me,
The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee.

I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.

Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible
To feeling as to sight? or art thou but
A dagger of the mind, a false creation,
Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?

I see thee yet, in form as palpable
As this which now I draw.

Thou marshall’st me the way that I was going;
And such an instrument I was to use.

Mine eyes are made the fools o’ the other senses,
Or else worth all the rest.

I see thee still,
And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood,
Which was not so before.

There’s no such thing:
It is the bloody business which informs
Thus to mine eyes. Now o’er the one halfworld
Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse
The curtain’d sleep; witchcraft celebrates
Pale Hecate’s offerings, and wither’d murder,
Alarum’d by his sentinel, the wolf,
Whose howl’s his watch, thus with his stealthy pace.
With Tarquin’s ravishing strides, towards his design
Moves like a ghost.

Thou sure and firm-set earth,
Hear not my steps, which way they walk, for fear
Thy very stones prate of my whereabout,
And take the present horror from the time,
Which now suits with it. Whiles I threat, he lives:
Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives.
[a bell rings] I go, and it is done; the bell invites me.
Hear it not, Duncan; for it is a knell
That summons thee to heaven or to hell.

Modern translation

Is that a dagger I see in front of me,
the handle pointing at me hand? Come, let me grasp you.
(he attempts to grab the dagger)
You’re not in my hand and yet I can still see you.

Deadly vision, am I not able
to feel you as well as see you?
Or are you only a dagger in my mind, an illusion,
created from my hot and feverish brain?

I can still see you, as real as this dagger I draw now.
(he draws the real dagger that he is going to use for the murder)
You are pointed in the direction I was going;
And are the same as the weapon I was to use.

My eyes are either being fooled over my other senses
Or else they’re the only ones working.

I can still see you,
And on your blade and handle are drops of blood,
Which were not there before.

This isn’t real:
It is the gruesome business of murder that makes
Me see you. Now half of the world
Is asleep, and nightmares destroy
Slumber.

Witches make sacrifices
to the goddess Hecate, and haggard Murder,
Woken by the howls of his protector, the wolf
Move without a sound, and with the
Hungry strides of the rapist Tarquin, towards the act
Like a ghost.

You solid and firm-set earth,
Do not hear my steps and where they’re going, for I fear
The stones will echo and tell of my whereabouts,
And ruin the silence which suits the murder I
Am about to commit. While I talk, he lives:
And talking cools my nerve to do the deed.
[a bell rings] I’m going, and it is as good as done; the bell bids me.
Do not listen, Duncan; for it is a sound
That calls you to heaven or to hell.

Unfamiliar words & Phrases

Fatal vision: Deadly vision.
Heat-oppressed: Fever.
Form as palpable: Shape as real.
Marshall’st: Lead, directed.
O’th’: Over the.
Dudgeon: Handle.
Gouts: Drops.
Bloody Business: The murder.
Hecate (pronounced Heck-ut): Greek Goddess, known for witchcraft and magic.
Withered Murder: Here, murder is personified as a withered man, with a wolf as a guard dog.
Tarquin: A Roman Prince, who snuck into the room of Lucretia and raped her.
Prate: Talk about
Knell: Announcement bell.

How to Perform Macbeth (Act 2, Scene 1) Monologue

This is a Shakespearean Soliloquy. If you’re not familiar with this type of monologue, we have a great article about how to perform a soliloquy. Key to your understanding of this piece is that Macbeth is alone on stage, sharing this moment with only himself and the audience. Because he is alone he is able to speak honestly, and speak his inner thoughts out loud.

The Moment Before: ‘Is this a dagger which I see before me?’

Before the speech begins, you must consider when and how Macbeth sees the dagger. For example, he could be having a moment of reflection about whether or not he should go through with the murder. The dagger comes as a surprise, of course.

When he sees the dagger, consider that up until this point, Macbeth has been perfectly sane. He has never had such a vision before. As a result of this, how does seeing something that may not be real affect him? Consider what is going through his mind. Does it make him feel rattled, curious, exposed?

Exploring the Journey of Macbeth’s Act 2 Scene 1 Monologue

Macbeth goes on a journey in this monologue. From the moment he sees the vision, he is shaken by it, determined to figure out. From there he tries multiple method of understanding it, he attempts to clutch it, examines it, and compares it to his real dagger.

Then, the dagger begins dripping in blood. This change prompts him to come to the conclusion that he has conjured this image in his mind, as a result of the murder he’s about to commit. This leads him to a new line of thought. That of nightmares and the waking world, which makes him speak about Hecate, Witches, and Tarquin the rapist. Be sure that you understand all these references.

He then becomes aware that he is talking himself out of it, and at the sound of a bell is roused back to action. He is off to do it, before he loses his nerve.

Imagery in Macbeth’s Act 2 Scene 1 Monologue

There are plenty of images in this monologue, and using them specifically will help you create a compelling world as you perform. For each of Macbeth’s thought, determine what the target is, and where it is. For instance, is the dagger at eye level? On the ground? Somewhere in between?

Once you have identified these images, you can use targeting in your acting to enhance your performance. As an example, perhaps Macbeth’s addresses some of questions directly to the dagger. Likewise, when you refer to the earth and the stones, the ground might be the target of those lines. Don’t be afraid to experiment with when and how Macbeth speaks to both the material and immaterial world around him.

Physicality in Macbeth’s Act 2 Scene 1 Monologue

There are many implied movements in the monologue. For instance, ‘Come, let me clutch thee.’ and ‘In form as palpable as this, which now I draw.’ Consider how the reality of these movements inform the thoughts which Macbeth is cycling through. Is there a moment where he tries to ‘fix’ his eyes, by rubbing them? Or shaking his head to see if the vision vanishes? The sound of the bell is an external influence, and his reaction to it must be genuine.

Conclusion

This is one of the most famous Macbeth speeches of the play and for good reason. It is the final moment before the murder of Duncan and Shakespeare’s use of language techniques allows for the tension to build climactically.

Note the quick changes to the thought patterns, the use of commas and full stops that indicate Macbeth’s mind is racing and the ideas moving quickly and feverishly. One question the actor must ask themselves is; is Macbeth crazy? This is the first of a few hallucinations he will have and you decide how he reacts to the vision. Is he scared of it? Is he intrigued by it?

Macbeth is a wonderful example of how Shakespeare used language and images to set the genre. The use of clipped words, open vowels, the images of witches and wolves, help create an eerie, nightmarish tone. So, it’s important to lean into these elements as you perform this speech. And do not to forget the circumstances of the moment; it’s the dead of night, silence looms and murder is imminent.