Act II Macbeth

When Banquo asks about the three weird sisters, Macbeth says “I think not of them.” Why does he lie and what is the irony of his response? Macbeth lies because he does not want Banqup to know that he is thinking about them; he does not want Banquo to suspect that he is thinking of their prophecies. The irony is that Macbeth thinks only about the witches and their prophecies.
What is the signal Lady Macbeth is to give Macbeth to let him know that she has taken care of the guards? She would ring a bell, to let Macbeth know it was time to kill the king.
What excuse does Lady Macbeth give for not killing Duncan herself? The sleeping king reminded her of her own father.
After Macbeth kills Duncan, he goes to Lady Macbeth and is concerned bout not being able to say “Amen”. What is her advice to him? Tells Macbeth to forget about it and to go on as he normally would; otherwise, his conscience will drive him crazy.
Then, Macbeth is worried about hearing a voice saying “Macbeth does murder sleep” What does Lady Macbeth tell him to do? To get ready for bed so that they can pretend to sleep. When called by guards and told of the king’s death they can act surprised and be overwrought with sadness.
Why won’t Macbeth take the daggers back to the scene of the crime? He does not want to return the scene, see the dead king in blood, the result of his own doing.
Who was knocking? Macduff, he and King Duncan wanted to meet to leave early in the morning.
What three things does drinking provoke? runny nose, sleep, urine
How does Lennox describe the night and what is Macbeth’s response? “The night has been unruly”. Macbeth says it was rough.
What does Macduff discover? Duncan was murdered
Macduff says “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.” What is ironic about this? Lady Macbeth was involved in the planning and the execution of the plan to kill King Duncan.
What excuse or explanation does Macbeth give for killing the guards? What is his real reason? He says he was temporarily insane and could not help himself form killing the men who murdered his king.
Why do Malcolm and Donalbain leave? Realize their father was murdered, their lives could be in danger
Why does Ross not believe Malcolm and Donalbain were responsible for Duncan’s death? They don’t have a reason to kill their father. Malcolm was in line to be the next king, they would not have any profit from his death.
September 7, 2019