Macbeth: Act II

Act II, Scene I Banquo talks to his son, Fleance –Gives his son his sword to protect himself, just in case (foreshadowing) Banquo give Macbeth a diamond to give Lady Macbeth from Duncan as a sign of gratitude for their hospitatlity Banquo tells Macbeth that he has been having dreams of the witches and their prophecies and that he believes in them Macbeth responds to Banquo saying that he doesn’t even think of them anymore

BEFORE MURDER: LADY AND MACBETH

Pre Murder: Macbeth Act II, Scene I –Is this a dagger which I see before me,/The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch/ thee. I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. /Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible/To feeling as to sight? Or art thou but/ A dagger of the mind, a false creation/ Proceeding from the heat- oppressed brain?/I see thee yet, in form as palpable/ As this which now I draw./ Tho marshal’st me the way that I was going./ And such an instrument I was to use. (p.51-53, lines 45-55)

Analysis Macbeth is rethinking killing Duncan again Imagining the floating dagger – this shows his mental breakdown and the toll this plot is taking on himself (see Supernatural handout for Act II) He’s nervous, anxious, and hesistant But he does end up going through with it –Macbeth hears the bell Lady Macbeth has rung, signaling that the guards are passed out drunk and Macbeth can go in their and kill Duncan

Pre Murder: Lady Macbeth Act II, Scene II –That which hath made them drunk hath make me bold./ What hath quenched them hath given me fire./ Hark! – Peace…./Do mock their charge with snores. I have drugged/ their possets,/That death and nature do contend about them/ Whether they live or die…/ Alack, I am afraid they have awaked,/ And ‘tis not done. Th’ attempt and not the deed/Confound us. Hark! I laid their daggers ready,/ He could not miss’em. Had he not resembled/ My father as he slept, I had done’t. (p.55, lines 1-18).

Analysis Lady has a natural high and excitement for carrying through the plan, yet she is nervous at the same time She heard Macbeth and other voices after Macbeth went in there to kill Duncan and is nervous and concerned he didn’t fully carry out the plan even though she set everything up perfectly for him to execute it She said she would’ve killed Duncan herself had Duncan not looked like her father

After the Deed Macbeth Macbeth is super paranoid because he heard voices as he killed Duncan and thinks someone witnessed Macbeth killing Duncan Discusses how he will never sleep again because this is eating him up on the inside He can’t go back after and finish the deed because he said he has done too much Lady Macbeth Lady Macbeth tells him to suck it up and stop over thinking everything because it’ll drive him/them crazy (which, spoiler alert, it will) She told him to pull himself together, get some water, and go place the daggers with the guards and smear Duncan’s blood on the guards to frame them She said she’ll do it herself since he’s not man enoguh to carry out the rest of the plan

Who was knocking on the door while the Macbeths were discussing the death? Macduff, his family and Lennox

Act II, Scene III The Macduffs arrive and are talking to the porter who says that alcohol provokes “nose- painting, sleep, and urine” Macbeth comes down to greet the new guests Lennox says it has been a weird night and it is predicted to be a terrible night with confusion. –Macbeth brushes it off and said it’s no big deal, they just happened to have a rough night. Macduff goes to Duncan’s chambers to see him

Act II, Scene III Macduff comes down upset to have found Duncan’s dead body Macduff wakes everyone up, including Banquo, Banquo’s son, Duncan’s sons (Malcolm and Donalbain), Lady Macbeth Lady asks what’s going on and Macduff says to her: “Oh, gentle lady, ‘Tis not for you to hear what I can speak. The repetition, in a woman’s ear, would murder as it fell” –Signficance: Don’t worry Lady, I don’t want to tell you the atrocities I saw (Irony because she’s the one who created this murderous and bloody plot)

Act II, Scene IV Old man and Ross discuss the weird occurrences that have been happening (Duncan’s death, Duncan’s horses eating each other) Macduff tells the Old Man and Ross that Macbeth has become king of Scotland Macduff also said that Macbeth slayed the two guards who killed Duncan because that’s what they deserved and Macbeth was so hurt by what they did to Duncan This arouses suspicions of Macbeth to Macduff and Macduff wants to keep an eye on Macbeth

p. 57 – sleep and guilt Discusses how sleep is innocence and sleeplessness signifies guilty, guilty conscience