Macbeth: How does your patient, doctor?Doctor: Not so sick, my lord, as she is troubled with thick-coming fancies that keep her from rest.Macbeth: Cure her of that! Canst thou not minister to a mind diseased, pluck from the memory a rooted sorrow, raze out the written troubles of the brain, and with some sweet oblivious antidote cleanse the stuffed bosom of that perilous stuff which weighs upon her heart.Doctor: Therein the patient must minister to himself.
In this passage from Macbeth, the character Macbeth inquires about Lady Macbeth's condition, expressing concern over her mental turmoil. The doctor explains that she is not physically ill but is suffering from troubling thoughts that disrupt her peace. Macbeth demands the doctor to cure her of these difficulties, wishing for a remedy that can erase her painful memories and ease her troubled mind.
The doctor, however, responds that true healing must come from within the patient herself. He suggests that external remedies are insufficient for addressing deep-seated emotional distress, highlighting the complexity of mental anguish. This exchange emphasizes the theme of psychological affliction in the play and the limitations of external assistance in resolving inner turmoil.
