MACBETH ACT 2

ACT 2 SCENE 1

Ÿ How do Banquo's lines about the

star's recall an earlier statement
of Macbeth's?
Ÿ Based upon this scene, how
would you describe Banquo? Is
he an honest character? What
about Macbeth? Explain your
answer(s).
Ÿ Based upon the ominous nature
of this scene (lines 1-9), what
language do Banquo and his son
Fleance employ in order to
describe the intensity of the
night? Is it effective in setting the
mood of the scene? Explain your
 answer
Ÿ What is Macbeth's lie to Banquo
about the witches' predictions?
Ÿ Macbeth tells Banquo that if he
sticks ("cleave") with him, he will
give him honor. Banquo
responds, "So I lose none / In
seeking to augment it." What
does Banquo mean?
Ÿ Banquo tells Macbeth something
the king did right before going to
bed. What is this final action of
King Duncan's life? What does it
tell us about King Duncan? How
does it reinforce the themes of
the play?
Ÿ What is the significance of the
floating dagger? Why Macbeth
can see it but not touch it? In
what way is the dagger similar to
the prophecies?
Ÿ What evidence exists in the text
(examples or quotes) that:
(a) Banquo has been tempted by
the prophecy made to him?
(b) Banquo is trying to resist this
temptation?
Ÿ How does the dagger soliloquy
create atmosphere, advance the
plot, and reveal character?
Please provide evidence from
the text (examples or quotes)
Ÿ What is the signal Lady Macbeth
is to give Macbeth to let him
know that she has taken care of
the guards (grooms)?
ACT 2 SCENE 2
Ÿ How does Shakespeare show in
this scene that Macbeth's natural
relationship with god, man,
animals, and the world has been
disrupted?
Ÿ In the play so far, death has
occurred offstage. Now, we are
met with Duncan's murder, which
occurs offstage as well. Explain
so as to why Shakespeare chose
to do this? Is it to preserve the
dignity of Duncan (a character
symbolic of monarchy)? Is it to
shield the audience from the true
horrors of Macbeth's crime, thus
protecting his virtuous persona,
to some extent, with the
audience?
Ÿ Macbeth says that he heard a
voice cry, ''Sleep no more!
Macbeth does murder sleep.''
What is the relationship between
sleep and death in this scene?
Ÿ Where does blood show up in
this scene? How do Macbeth and
his wife respond differently to it?
Ÿ Does Macbeth have a
conscience? What is the
significance of him not being able
to say 'amen' as he recounts the
situation to his wife in lines 25-
46? How does this connect back
to the concept of God and
religion within the play
Ÿ How does Lady Macbeth save
the situation in this scene?
Explain.
Ÿ What excuse does Lady Macbeth
give for not killing Duncan
herself?
Ÿ Provide evidence (examples or
quotes) that Macbeth's
imagination and conscience are
both active in this scene.
Ÿ Macbeth describes his inability to
sleep in lines 38-40. Why is this
significant and what does it
suggest about his character?
Ÿ After Macbeth kills Duncan, he
goes to Lady Macbeth and is
concerned about not being able
to say "Amen." What is her
advice to him?
Ÿ Then, Macbeth is worried about
hearing a voice saying, "Macbeth
does murder sleep." What does
Lady Macbeth then tell him to do
Ÿ Provide evidence (examples or
quotes) of a pun, metaphor, and
onomatopoeia. Explain how
Shakespeare uses each of these
to create atmosphere.
Ÿ What is the dramatic purpose of
this scene?
Ÿ Why won't Macbeth take the
daggers back to the scene of the
crime?
Ÿ Masculinity and Femininity:
Review lines 47-53, 55-60, and
67-75, then discuss how and why
Shakespeare seems to challenge
traditional views of masculine
and feminine behavior. 1)Does
Lady Macbeth understand the full
implications of Macbeth's
actions? 2)Has Lady Macbeth's
wish to be 'unsexed' in Act 1
Scene 5, Line 39 come true?
3)Is she behaving in this way to
protect her husband as well as
herself? 4)Are her actions of
a rational nature?
ACT 2 SCENE 3
Ÿ Describe vividly the scene in
which Duncan’s murder is
discovered. What is the
impression left on your mind by
that scene? [The scene begins
with the drunken porter and ends
with the flight
of Malcolm and Donalbain].[ISC
1993]
Ÿ What purposes are served by the
episode involving the porter?
Ÿ Some directors cut the 'Porter
scene because they consider it
irrelevant to the action.Explain as
to why you think Shakespeare
wrote it. Your response should be
a minimum between 200-250
words
Ÿ Why did Macbeth murder the
grooms? In what ways was this
wise? In what ways was it
foolish?
Ÿ If King Duncan represents good
and natural order, how does the
world respond to the loss of this
order?
Ÿ How does Macduff's wake-up call
reinforce the claim that ''Macbeth
 does murder sleep''?
Ÿ In Macbeth, crimes always lead
to more crimes. During this
scene, what crimes does
Macbeth add to murdering the
king?
Ÿ Macduff calls Lady Macbeth
'gentle' and says the news is too
cruel for a woman's hearing
(lines 76-79). From your
knowledge of her so far, how
would you advise her to behave
in this scene? Should she give
into anger and lash out at
Macduff for questioning her
strength? Or should she play the
role of the common woman
within that society? Explain your
answer
Ÿ Provide reasons that Lady
Macbeth's faint may have been
(a) genuine, or (b) feigned. What
effect would each have on your
opinion of her as a reader
Ÿ What adjectives would you use
 to describe Lady Macbeth so far
Ÿ What roles do Banque and
Macduff play in this scene?
Explain providing evidence from
the text (examples or quotes).
Ÿ Do you believe Malcolm and
Donalbain were wise in fleeing?
Should they have remained to
take the throne and find the
killer? As heirs to the throne,
should they trust each other?
Remember, Malcolm has been
appointed as 'heir' to the throne
by Duncan
ACT 2 SCENE 4
Ÿ The old man tells Ross that he
hopes God's blessing will ''go
with you and with those / That
would make good of bad and
friends of foes.'' What does this
mean? How does the person
described in this quotation differ
from Macbeth?
Ÿ What did the horses do with one
another? How does this reinforce
the theme of unnatural events
occurring?
Ÿ How successful has Macbeth
been in the achievement of his
ambition? Support your response
with evidence from the text
(examples or quotes).
Ÿ What details are used to reveal
the unnatural aspects of the
murder? Provide evidence from
the text (examples or quotes).
Ÿ This is the Old Man's only
appearance in the play. His
dramatic function is rather like
the chorus in a Greek tragedy.
The role of the chorus was
threefold:
1)To comment on the action
2)To show the universality of the
action (how the action is
reflected in nature and society)
3)To represent the views of
ordinary people.
Discuss whether the old man
fulfills these three roles? Explain
your answer.
Ÿ In the last 20 lines of the scene,
is Macduff being diplomatic or
naive? Discuss and back up your
answer with reasoning.
Ÿ What purpose is served by the
"Old Man?"
Ÿ What information is provided
about the following characters?
1. Macduff
2. Duncan
3. Malcolm
4. Donalbain
5. Ross