LADY MACBETH and a SERVANT enter.

LADY MACBETH

Has Banquo left the court?

SERVANT

Yes, madam, but he'll be back tonight.

LADY MACBETH

Go tell the king I want to talk to him for a few minutes.

SERVANT

No problem, madam.

The SERVANT exits.

LADY MACBETH

If you get what you want and you're still not happy, you've spent everything and gained nothing. It's better to be the person who gets murdered than to be the killer and be tormented with anxiety.

MACBETH enters.

What's going on, my lord? Why are you keeping to yourself, with only your sad thoughts to keep you company? Those thoughts should have died when you killed the men you're thinking about. If you can't fix it, you shouldn't give it a second thought. What's done is done.

MACBETH

We have slashed the snake but not killed it. It will heal and be as good as new, and we'll be threatened by its fangs once again. But the universe can fall apart, and heaven and earth crumble, before I'll eat my meals in fear and spend my nights tossing and turning with these nightmares I've been having. I'd rather be dead than endure this endless mental torture and harrowing sleep deprivation. We killed those men and sent them to rest in peace so that we could gain our own peace. Duncan lies in his grave, through with life's troubles, and he's sleeping well. We have already done the worst we can do to him with our treason. After that, nothing can hurt him further—not weapons, poison, rebellion, invasion, or anything else.

LADY MACBETH

Come on, relax, dear. Put on a happy face and look cheerful and agreeable for your guests tonight.

MACBETH

That's exactly what I'll do, my love, and I hope you'll do the same. Give Banquo your special attention. Talk to him and look at him in a way that will make him feel important. We're in a dangerous situation, where we have to flatter him and hide our true feelings.

LADY MACBETH

You have to stop talking like this.

MACBETH

Argh! I feel like my mind is full of scorpions, my dear wife. You know that Banquo and his son Fleance are still alive.

LADY MACBETH

But they can't live forever.

MACBETH

That's comforting. They can be killed, it's true. So be cheerful. Before the bat flies through the castle, and before the dung beetle makes his little humming noise to tell us it's nighttime, a dreadful deed will be done.

LADY MACBETH

What are you going to do?

MACBETH

It's better you don't know about it until after it's done, when you can applaud it. (to the night) Come, night, and blindfold the kindhearted day. Use your bloody and invisible hand to tear up Banquo's lease on life, which keeps me in fear. (to himself) The sky's getting dark, and the crow is returning home to the woods. The gentle creatures of the day are falling asleep, while night's predators are waking up to look for their prey. (to LADY MACBETH) You seem surprised at my words, but don't question me yet. Bad deeds force you to commit more bad deeds. So please, come with me.

They exit.