If he do bleed,
I'll gild the faces of the grooms withal,
For it must seem their guilt,
her nature rallies, and the strength derived from the inner life fills up a gap in action where the mere strength of action had failed.
The first Shock of Concealment.
ii. iii, from 68.
The Concealment of the murder forms a stage of the action which falls into two different parts: the single effort which faces the first shock of discovery, and the very different strain required to meet the slowly gathering evidence of guilt. In the Scene of the Discovery Macbeth is perfectly at home: energetic action is needed, and he is dealing with men. His acted innocence appears to me better than his wife's; Lady Macbeth goes near to suggesting a personal interest in the crime by her over-anxiety to disclaim it.
Macduff. O Banquo, Banquo,
Our royal master's murder'd!