Macbeth act two

1. What is significant about the weather? Dark extra dark-seems more ominous foreshadows
What do you suppose is keeping Banquo from sleeping? Nightmares- like the one he had of the weird sisters
Why does Macbeth say, “I think not of them” after Banquo had admitted to dreaming about the Weird Sisters? To not seem suspicious and seem like he doesn’t care about what they said.
What does Macbeth mean when he says to Banquo, “If you shall cleave to my consent, when ’tis, / It shall make honour for you’? Meaning that when he kills Duncan and becomes king, if Banquo sticks with him, he shall reward him
What is significant about Banquo’s reply? It hints that he won’t stick with him because it wouldn’t be something that he can do with a clear conscience.-forshadows
In his soliloquy after Banquo leaves, what does Macbeth tell us he sees? What could account for this apparition? He says he sees a dagger. The fact that he is about to kill someone can account for what he sees.
Why does Shakespeare have Macbeth hallucinate? To show that he isn’t sure that he’s doing the right thing, he’s questioning his actions.
If Macbeth never heard the bell when he does, do you think he would have changed his mind about murdering Duncan? I’m not sure. He does get darker and more sure as the soliloquy goes on, but he still seems hesitant.
Compare Macbeth’s and Lady Macbeth’s reactions immediately after the crime? She is calm about the situation while he feels extremely guilty
Why does Lady Macbeth say she cannot commit the murder? Looks like father-excuse
Macbeth, apparently troubled by the murder he has just committed, tells Lady Macbeth what he saw and heard. She tells him, “These deeds must not be thought of this way.” Why does she say this to him? She doesn’t want him thinking to much about what he did as it would making him feel guilty and could make him reveal it was them.
Macbeth’s response is frequently quoted (Lines 46-51). What is the sense of his response? He is feeling guilty and doesn’t think he can ever get over the murder
How does Lady Macbeth get Duncan’s blood on her hands? She takes the dagger.
What does Lady Macbeth tell Macbeth they need to do at the end of the scene? Why? She tells him to clean the dagger to get rid of the evidence-take blame away(?)
How does Macbeth feel about his crime at the end of the scene He is very guilty.
What is the purpose of the Porter’s scene? What do you suppose he speaks in prose rather than poetry? Comic relief. Speaks in prose because lower class citizen
How is the idea of “a crime against nature” reinforced in this scene? Weather reacting-heavy winds-chimneys falling over, darkness etc
What is the double meaning for Macbeth’s line, “He does: he did appoint so,” spoken in response to Lennox asking, “Goes the King hence today?” He arranged to leave but he isn’t since he died
How does Macbeth react to the discovery of Duncan’s body? He acts upset and wants to figure out who did it.
How does Lady Macbeth act? She acts upset and surprised
Who is the one who points out the inappropriateness of Lady Macbeth’s initial response? Banquo
What is the dominant image in this scene, and what effect does it create? Distress and it creates a sense of urgency
Where do Malcolm and Donalbain go at the end of the scene? Why do they choose to leave? They go to Ireland. They leave because they think they are in danger.
What is the purpose of this scene? To show people’s feelings and what will happen in the investigation.
What additional natural, or “unnatural,” events further the “crime against nature” theme? The darkness, the hawk, the horses, duncan’s sons who fled, and the weather.
August 4, 2019