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Shakespeare's Monologues

Macbeth

Macbeth: Act 2, Scene 1

Monologue

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.

Scored Monologue

Number of Syllables Scored Text Meaning of Beat
11 Is this a dagger which I see before me Beginning of Beat 1, to comprehend
11 The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee  
11 I have thee not, and yet I see thee still  
10 Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible End of Beat 1
10 To feeling as to sight? or art thou but Beginning of Beat 2, to confirm
11 A dagger of the mind, a false creation  
11 Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain End of Beat 2
10 I see thee yet, in form as palpable Beginning of Beat 3, to make connections
6 As this which now I draw  
11 Thou marshall'st me the way that I was going  
10 And such an instrument I was to use End of Beat 3
12 Mine eyes are made the fools of the other senses Beginning of Beat 4, to understand
10 Or else worth all the rest: I see thee still  
10 And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood  
10 Which was not so before. There's no such thing: End of Beat 4
10 It is the bloody business which informs Beginning of Beat 5, to ground oneself
11 Thus to mine eyes. Now o'er the one halfworld  
10 Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse  
9 The curtain'd sleep; witchcraft celebrates  
12 Pale Hecate's offerings, and wither'd murder End of Beat 5
10 Alarum'd by his sentinel, the wolf Beginning of Beat 6, to avoid detection
11 Whose howl's his watch, thus with his stealthy pace  
11 With Tarquin's ravishing strides, towards his design  
10 Moves like a ghost. Thou sure and firm-set earth  
10 Hear not my steps, which way they walk, for fear  
10 Thy very stones prate of my whereabouts End of Beat 6
10 And take the present horror from the time Beginning of Beat 7, to remember current objective
10 Which now suits with it. Whiles I threat, he lives  
10 Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives End of Beat 7

 

Definitions from David & Ben Crystal / Shakespeare's Words are under copyright, and may not be used without their express permission. All other definitions are from sources in the public domain.
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