Macbeth · Chapter
Scene I explained
Lady Macbeth is observed by a doctor and a gentlewoman as she sleepwalks, compulsively trying to wash imaginary blood from her hands and revealing her guilt over the murders of Duncan, Banquo, and Lady Macduff.
What happens
Lady Macbeth is observed by a doctor and a gentlewoman as she sleepwalks, compulsively trying to wash imaginary blood from her hands and revealing her guilt over the murders of Duncan, Banquo, and Lady Macduff.
Themes in this chapter
Guilt and Conscience
Lady Macbeth's sleepwalking and obsessive hand-washing reveal her overwhelming guilt for the murders she helped orchestrate.
Sleep and Restlessness
Lady Macbeth, who once urged Macbeth to 'sleep no more,' now cannot find rest herself, tormented by her conscience.
Characters to notice
- Lady Macbeth
Observed sleepwalking, obsessively washing her hands, and muttering about the murders of Duncan, Banquo, and Lady Macduff.
- Doctor
Watches Lady Macbeth's sleepwalking, notes her unnatural troubles, and concludes she needs divine help more than a physician.
- Gentlewoman
Reports Lady Macbeth's sleepwalking habits and refuses to repeat what she has heard without a witness.
Key passages
“Out, damned spot! out, I say!”
Get out, cursed stain! Get out, I command you!
Lady Macbeth imagines blood on her hands that she cannot wash away, symbolizing her guilt.
“What's done cannot be undone.”
What has been done cannot be reversed.
Lady Macbeth acknowledges the permanence of her actions, reflecting her despair.
“All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand.”
Even all the fragrances of Arabia cannot make this small hand smell clean.
Lady Macbeth feels that no amount of luxury or effort can cleanse her of her guilt.