Methought I heard a voice cry, 'Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep.'

To remember this quote use the following mnemonic.

Oh me oh my, I thought I heard a voice cry out. 

Note: In the passage me and thought are joined as one word. 

I can't sleep no more.

Macbeth does it again and murders someone in their sleep. 

"Methought I heard a voice cry, 'Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep.'" Act 2, scene 2, line 38. Spoken by Macbeth just after he murders King Duncan. 

Meaning

• "Methought I heard a voice cry, 'Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep.'" - Macbeth thinks he hears a supernatural voice declaring that he will never sleep again because he has killed an innocent man in his sleep. 

• Overall interpretation - Symbolically he has destroyed his own peace and innocence - sleep represents rest, purity, and a clear conscience. 

Exam advice 

• Theme of guilt and conscience - Macbeth is already showing signs of deep psychological torment. Killing Duncan has disturbed not only the natural order but also Macbeth's own soul. 

• Symbolism of sleep - Sleep is often used by Shakespeare to symbolise peace and innocence. By murdering Duncan, Macbeth has also murdered his own ability to rest. 

• Mental state - This moment shows Macbeth's hallucinations and guilt which only grow throughout the play. It foreshadows his descent into madness. 

• Supernatural elements - The idea of a mysterious voice crying out connects to the witches and the unnatural events surrounding Duncan's murder.

• Tragic hero - This is an early sign of Macbeth's tragic downfall - his ambition has brought him power, but at the cost of his peace and sanity.