RALPH: Welcome back, everybody. I'd like to welcome our guests to the show. You, sir, are described here as a doctor of physic, what our audience would know is a doctor—someone who helps people who are sick. 

DOCTOR: That's correct. 

RALPH: And you, miss, are what's known as a waiting gentlewoman. Now what is that exactly? 

GENTLEWOMAN: Oh, that just means I'm one of Lady Macbeth's attendants. I guess you could say I'm always around to look out for her, make sure she's comfortable. Well, she is the queen, after all. 

DOCTOR: You're probably wondering what that is. 

RALPH: No, I wasn't. And according to my notes, it doesn't have anything to do with what we're talking about here. 

DOCTOR: I've decided to call it an ear trumpet. The trumpet part, I assume, makes sense. You'll notice the trumpet shape. But you're probably wondering just what an ear trumpet could possibly be. 

RALPH: Nope, not really wondering that. 

DOCTOR: I can be brief, don't worry. As a doctor, I know that the heart can be an indicator of general health. If you can listen to the heart, you can learn a lot about a patient. 

RALPH: That's very interesting. But I would like to—

DOCTOR: Almost done. Now the question is how to listen to the heart—not an easy task, until now. With this simple device—this ear trumpet—that I have developed, you put one end on the patient near the heart and put your ear on the other end to listen to the heart beating. Remarkable, isn't it? Would you mind if I demonstrate? 

GENTLEWOMAN: You're not coming near me with that thing. 

RALPH: This is all very interesting, doctor. And I'd love to hear more about it later. But we have some other business to attend to. If we could just get that out of the way first. 

GENTLEWOMAN: Very well, is this about the supposed sleepwalking? 

RALPH: Exactly. So there have been some reports that Lady Macbeth has been walking in her sleep, and the two of you are meeting to see if you can catch her in the act. 

DOCTOR: Well, that's what she has been saying. But we've already tried this for two nights, and we haven't seen a thing. 

GENTLEWOMAN: Look, ever since Macbeth left for the battlefield, I've seen Lady Macbeth rise from her bed in the middle of the night, put on her robe, unlock her closet, take out paper, fold it, write upon it, read it, and then seal it back up and go to bed. And the whole time she's fast asleep. 

DOCTOR: That is extremely unnatural to get the benefit of sleep but act as if you are awake. In this slumbery agitation, to use a technical term, have you ever heard her say anything? 

GENTLEWOMAN: Not that I would repeat here. 

DOCTOR: You can tell me. In fact, you should tell me. I'm a doctor. 

GENTLEWOMAN: Not going to happen, unless I have a witness to back me up. 

RALPH: Well, so actually, it's at this point in your conversation that Lady Macbeth appears. 

DOCTOR: Really? 

GENTLEWOMAN: Told you. 

RALPH: Yes, she's apparently wearing her dressing gown, and she's carrying a candle. 

GENTLEWOMAN: Then it's happening. I'm telling you, she's sleepwalking. 

RALPH: How did she get a candle? 

GENTLEWOMAN: She wants one by her all the time now. She can't bear to be in the dark. 

DOCTOR: Does it say there if her eyes are open? 

RALPH: Yes, in fact, it does. And they are. 

DOCTOR: But their sense is shut. She's not actually seeing what's in front of her. 

RALPH: And then you, doctor, notice that she's rubbing her hands. 

GENTLEWOMAN: She does that a lot too—like she's washing her hands. I've seen her do it for 15 minutes at a time sometimes. 

RALPH: And then she speaks, actually. She says, yet, here's a spot. 

DOCTOR: Can you hold on just a second? I should be writing this down so I remember it later. 

RALPH: Of course. And you probably have a Quill pen? 

DOCTOR: No, no. Ballpoint. Now what was that? Yet here's a spot. 

RALPH: Yes, that's right. And then she goes on. This is a little long. Out, damned spot. Out, I say. One, two-- why then, 'tis time to do it. Hell is murky. Fie, my lord. Fie a soldier and a feared. 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? 

DOCTOR: Oh, dear. Did you catch that last part? 

RALPH: Well, actually there's is more. The Thane of Fife had a wife. Where is she now? What will these hands ne'er be clean? No more of that, my lord. No more of that. You mar all with this starting. 

DOCTOR; Oh, my goodness. You have heard some things that you shouldn't have. 

RALPH: Yes, and what are those things exactly? It's a little hard to make out. 

GENTLEWOMAN: Well, it's not my fault what I've heard. She said some things that she shouldn't have said. Heaven knows what she's done. 

RALPH: Well, and then she goes on. Here's the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. Oh, oh, oh. 

DOCTOR: Oh my, what a burden she must be carrying in her heart. 

GENTLEWOMAN: I know I wouldn't want a heart like hers, even if it meant I could be the queen myself. 

DOCTOR: Well, I'm afraid there's nothing I can do about this. I mean, the good news is that I've had patients who were sleepwalkers, who lived out their lives and go on to die a perfectly natural death pardoned of all their sins. 

RALPH: Well, it looks like she has even more to say. Wash your hands, put on your nightgown, look not so pale. I tell you yet again, Banquo's buried. He cannot come out on's grave. 

DOCTOR: That too? Oh, my. 

RALPH: And then to bed, to bed, there's knocking at the gate. Come, come, come, come. Give me your hand. What's done cannot be undone. To bed, to bed, to bed. You know, it's interesting. I seem to remember Lady Macbeth saying earlier what's done is done. And now it's what's done cannot be undone. It's the same basic idea, I guess. But this sounds so different. 

DOCTOR: And will she go to bed now? 

GENTLEWOMAN: Straight to bed. That's how it works every time. 

DOCTOR: Well, there are lots of rumors going around. Unnatural deeds will breed unnatural troubles. 

RALPH: So you think her disturbed mind might have come from bad things that she's done? 

DOCTOR: Yes. And an infected mind will discharge its secrets, even if nobody's listening. 

RALPH: Wow, so when you put it that way, you make it sound like she has a wound in her mind. 

DOCTOR: That's exactly it. And now, she needs God's help. There's nothing more I can do for her. May God forgive us all. You should keep a close eye on her and remove anything that she might use to hurt herself. 

RALPH: You think she might do something like that? 

DOCTOR: It's possible there's nothing I can do to help, but we might be able to prevent her from hurting herself. 

GENTLEWOMAN: Well, then I'm going to sleep. 

DOCTOR: Well, yes. It is quite late, isn't it? I'm not that tired, personally. And if we do have a little bit more time—

RALPH: I'm pretty tired myself, actually. 

GENTLEWOMAN: Good night, gentlemen. 

RALPH: Good night, and thank you both. 

DOCTOR: Well, what about these people out here? Would you all like to hear more about this? No? No?