Macbeth Act II Summary Act II opens with
Macbeth Act II Summary • Act II opens with Banquo consumed by “cursed thoughts”. It is unclear whether these thoughts are for himself or Macbeth, but they are definitely connected to the Three Witches and their prophecies. • Macbeth appears and claims that he has not thought of the Witches (liar!) Macbeth asks Banquo if he will join with him/stand by him in the future and Banquo says he will do so, but says only if he won’t have to sacrifice his honor (foil alert!) • When alone, Macbeth begins the famous “dagger soliloquy” and believes a dagger (this is a hallucination) is leading him to Duncan’s bedchamber—and towards murder! • Scene ii opens with Lady Macbeth stating that she would have killed Duncan herself…if only he didn’t look like her father as he slept (feminine weakness? )
Act II Continued • When Macbeth appears after the murder, he is agitated, paranoid, and stained with Duncan’s blood. He believes he heard voices and is upset because he was unable to say “Amen” • Lady Macbeth realizes that Macbeth has mishandled the murder: He has returned with the bloodied daggers! She yells at him to return the daggers but he is unable and unwilling; he refuses to return and look on what he’s done. • Lady Macbeth returns the daggers for him and arrives back at the well, bloodied like Macbeth. However, whereas Lady Macbeth believes “ a little water clears us of this deed” Macbeth believes that all the oceans of the world couldn’t cleanse him. • They leave the well when they realize that someone is knocking at the castle’s door.
Act II Continued • Macduff (a nobleman) has arrived at the castle early to wake the King. Macduff is greeted by a drunken Porter who claims that he is the gatekeeper of hell—hell being Macbeth’s castle! • After Macduff discovers Duncan’s body, Macbeth kills the guards, saying any man would do the same when faced with the horror of Duncan’s murder. Macduff, however, questions this and Lady Macbeth faint--feminine weakness or an attempt to disrupt Macduff’s questioning of Macbeth? • The nobleman agree to meet later, but King Duncan’s sons plan to flee Scotland. Malcolm (to England) and Donalbain (to Ireland) trust no one for there are “daggers in men’s smiles” and they know they could be murdered next. • In scene iv, Ross and an Old Man discuss the strange happenings in nature that have been occurring (pathetic fallacy). They discuss the guards and Ross raises an important question: What was their motivation? • Macbeth will be named King of Scotland • Macduff will not be attending…
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