CHRISTOPHER WRIGHT:What, at any time, have you heard her say?
MADELINE APPIAH:That, sir, which I will not report after her.
MICHAEL BOYD:Let's try concentrating on the lady-in-waiting and on the doctor, to look at what they do about watching this sleepwalking queen. Lady Macbeth will probably still be smiling in the daytime to people, and going through the motions, but we see her at night unconscious, completely unconscious. Defenceless. Revealing her true state of mind.
MICHAEL BOYD:You don't necessarily know, at the beginning of the scene, what the secret might be. The audience do know what the secret might be, and we don't know how much you know.
MICHAEL BOYD:In the text, the lady-in-waiting says, "stand close". In a sense, for a modern audience, "stand close" would suggest "stand close to her". But actually what it means in Elizabethan English is stand in a close. Hidden. Let's try, first of all, hiding.
CHRISTOPHER WRIGHT:What, at any time, have you heard her say?
MADELINE APPIAH:That, sir, which I will not report after her.
CHRISTOPHER WRIGHT:I think the danger for the doctor and gentlewoman is to act too sharply or to do anything to shock her out of her dream.
CHRISTOPHER WRIGHT:How came she by that light?
MADELINE APPIAH:Why, it stood by her. She has light by her continually. 'Tis her command.
CHRISTOPHER WRIGHT:You see her eyes are open.
MADELINE APPIAH:Ay, but their sense are shut.
MADELINE APPIAH:When I come in initially, I accept that I'm in the lower position. I accept that I'm not going–
MICHAEL BOYD:He can threaten you.
MADELINE APPIAH:Okay.
MICHAEL BOYD:You start off weak, because you are quite threatening.
MICHAEL BOYD:Are you accusing our king and queen of something? What right do you have to know any of these secrets you impertinent, junior person.
CHRISTOPHER WRIGHT:I have two nights watched with you, but can perceive no truth in your report. Besides her walking. What, at any time, have you heard her say?
MADELINE APPIAH:That, sir, which I will not report after her.
CHRISTOPHER WRIGHT:You may, to me. 'Tis most meet you should.
MADELINE APPIAH:Neither to you, nor anyone.
AISLIN MCGUCKIN:I had to make a conscious decision… not to see. Not to see anyone. 'Until there's the line that is delivered to the doctor.
AISLIN MCGUCKIN:Fie! My lord, fie. A soldier and afeared. What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to account? Yet, who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him.
MICHAEL BOYD:What about the moment where she does see you, or sees Macbeth in you?
CHRISTOPHER WRIGHT:Like being sort of rushed at by an animal. It felt more… Potentially like she could sort of lash out at that point.
CHRISTOPHER WRIGHT:Go to. Go to. You have known what you should not.
MADELINE APPIAH:She has spoke what she should not, I am sure of it. Heaven knows what she has known.
AISLIN MCGUCKIN:Here's the smell of the blood still.
MICHAEL BOYD:It's perfectly clear now that the Macbeth's murdered Duncan.
CHRISTOPHER WRIGHT:Go to. Go to. You have known what you should not.
MADELINE APPIAH:She has spoke what she should not, I am sure of it.
MICHAEL BOYD:It's a dangerous time for everybody. If someone, at a court, knows a secret that could bring a king and a queen down, they may be in danger.
AISLIN MCGUCKIN:All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand.
MICHAEL BOYD:'This secret is gun powder, is dangerous.' They are holding a bomb in their hands. Then he suddenly loses his status, loses his confidence.
MADELINE APPIAH:And then suddenly I become more powerful in the sense that I'm saying, "Well we've got to do something about it and what are we going to do?"
MICHAEL BOYD:So you've started off going, "Oh my god, oh my god", and he's now, "Oh my god, oh my god", and you're going, "It's too late for oh my god, oh my god".
CHRISTOPHER WRIGHT:Yes.
MICHAEL BOYD:You are implicated now.
CHRISTOPHER WRIGHT:Yep.
MICHAEL BOYD:Therefore you have to be my ally and my protector.
CHRISTOPHER WRIGHT:Well.
CHRISTOPHER WRIGHT:Well, well.
MADELINE APPIAH:Pray God it be, sir.
CHRISTOPHER WRIGHT:This disease is beyond my practice. 'The danger for this is that it will become common knowledge.' The doctor says in the scene, "Foul whisperings are abroad". So there are rumours of all this stuff that's gone on, but this is proof, and proof is always dangerous.
CHRISTOPHER WRIGHT:The English forces are massing, Malcolm is massing with his forces. People who are associated with this are going to be in serious trouble.
AISLIN MCGUCKIN:Put on your nightgown, look not so pale, I tell you yet again, Banquo's buried. He cannot come out on's grave.
CHRISTOPHER WRIGHT:Even so.
AISLIN MCGUCKIN:To bed. To bed. There's knocking at the gate.
Video summary
The director investigates how knowledge of Lady Macbeth’s secret changes the lives of the doctor and lady-in-waiting.
This short film is from the 鶹Լ series, Shakespeare Unlocked.
Teacher Notes
While the focus of this scene is on Lady Macbeth, this workshop gives insight into how supporting roles can be fleshed out and given depth.
Using a play they are studying, students could workshop a scene involving supporting characters.
They could experiment with proxemics to reflect how the characters are affected throughout the scene.
They may move up or down stage, changing posture, stance and direction to reflect changing status or emotions.
This short film is suitable for teaching GCSE English literature and drama in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and National 4/ 5 in Scotland.
Act 5, Scene 1 - Candle in the dark (workshop) video
The director and actors experiment with the staging of the sleepwalking scene.
Act 5, Scene 1 - Sleepwalking. video
The doctor and lady-in-waiting witness Lady Macbeth sleepwalking.
Act 5, Scene 1 - Unlocking the words (workshop) video
RSC Head of Voice, Lyn Darnley, helps Aislín McGuckin through a series of voice exercises.
About the 2011 RSC production. video
A look at the production and how the design is informed by the period in which Macbeth was written.
Act 1, Scene 7 - Persuading Macbeth (workshop) video
A look at the different ways of performing the scene when Lady Macbeth persuades her husband to kill the king.
Act 1, Scene 7 - To Kill the King. video
Macbeth debates the murder of King Duncan and decides against it. Lady Macbeth uses a battery of strategies to change his mind.
Act 1, Scene 7 - Whether to kill the king (workshop) video
Analysis of Macbeth’s soliloquy and key images in the speech.
Act 2, Scene 2 - Bloody Daggers. video
Macbeth has committed the murder and is overcome with guilt and fear.
Act 2, Scene 2 - Hearing noises (workshop) video
The cast explore how Lady Macbeth takes control as Macbeth struggles with his guilty conscience.
Act 2, Scene 2 - Rhythm of the language (workshop) video
The cast discuss iambic pentameter and explore the rhythm of Shakespeare’s language.
Act 2, Scene 2 - The king is dead (workshop) video
The actors and director explore the Macbeths' very different responses to Duncan’s murder.
