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Macbeth ACT II, SCENE i
REFERENCE & RECAP: Banquo tells his son Fleance that he is tired, but can’t sleep, as his mind
wanders to thoughts he doesn’t want to have. Banquo and Macbeth discuss the witches, then Banquo
goes to bed. Macbeth sees a dagger floating in the air, and then hears Lady Macbeth ring the bell,
signaling him that it’s time to kill Duncan.
READING CHECK:
Act II.i.5-11
Banquo is exhausted but cannot sleep.
What’s keeping him awake? How does this show him to be foil to Macbeth?
Act II.i.25-39
Banquo tells Macbeth he dreamt about the _______________________, observing to
Macbeth they have shown ____________________________________________. Macbeth’s reply,
“___________________________________________,” is ___________________ (literary device).
What is the literary/dramatic effect of Banquo saying he will allow Macbeth to honor him, as long as
Banquo loses no honor doing accepting those honors?
Act II.i.44-51
Macbeth asks, “Is this a _____________ I see before me?” And then, “…art though a
________________________________________________________________________________?”
Why do you think he is having this hallucination?
Act II.i.59-61 Explain what Macbeth concludes: “There is no such thing. It is the bloody business
which informs me thus to mine eyes.”
Act II.i.73-74
Macbeth worries that his passion will be cooled by his _______________________.
RESPONDING AND REFLECTING: When have you “seen” or “heard” things that may not have been
real, based on your own fears, guilt, or feelings? Explain.
READING LOGS: Keep up on your reading logs as we go through each act. Check agenda for due dates.
Macbeth ACT II, SCENE ii
REFERENCE & RECAP: King James (the dude who wrote the book about witches!) would relate to
the plot to kill the king. His mother—Mary, Queen of Scots—was executed for plotting against Queen
Elizabeth of England. His father was murdered, and his mother was suspected to be involved. Anne
Boleyn, James’ aunt, was beheaded by her husband, Henry VIII. James himself was in danger when
someone tried to overthrow him to put a Catholic on the throne.
In this scene, Lady Macbeth waits for her husband to come back from killing the king. She is afraid he
didn’t do it, but says she couldn’t because Duncan looked like her dad as he slept. Macbeth returns
holding the bloody daggers, in shock and Lady Macbeth takes them back, since he cannot. She chides
him for being weak and instructs him to wash his hands in order to be rid of the “deed.”
READING CHECK:
Act II.ii.30-46 Macbeth says the guards awoke, as if they’d seen his ___________________ hands.
He’s fixated on the fact that he could not say “Amen,” when the guards said, “Bless you.”
Lady Macbeth advises him to “_________________________________________________” (II.ii.41).
She warns him that they cannot think so much of “these deeds” or they will _____________________.
Act II.ii.47-52 Macbeth personifies sleep in several ways. Quote and translate one:
Act II.ii.76-87 Macbeth makes an ALLUSION to __________________ (II.ii.78), as he wonders if his
hands will ever _______________________________. Quote his next lines 79-81 here:
In these lines, Macbeth extends the metaphor by deciding that his hands will ____________________
___________________________________________________________________________________.
Quote Lady Macbeth’s lines 82-83:
Here, she concludes the analogy by saying of her hands that they ___________________________ but
she’d be ashamed ___________________________________. She encourages him to wash up, ensuring
that “A little water ___________________________________________. How easy it is, then!”
RESPONDING AND REFLECTING: In the text of the play, the audience does not see the murder. If you
were making a modern film version of the play, would you show the murder? Why or why not?
READING LOGS: Keep up on your reading logs as we go through each act. Check agenda for due dates.
Macbeth ACT II, SCENE iii
REFERENCE & RECAP: In Shakespeare’s time, people believed there was a natural order to t he
universe and everything had a place, right where God had put it. They envisioned it as a ladder or a
chain, with God at the top, then angels, humans (monarchy first, knights above merchants, merchants
above peasants, etc). Below them were beasts, fowl, fish and insects, so that insects were even linked to
God. Anything that disrupted this natural order, also known as “the great chain of being,” would set off
reactions throughout nature. Killing a king would cause such events as disasters, storms, unnatural
behavior in animals, until order was restored.
Lennox comments about how it was a strange night in nature. Duncan’s body is discovered, Macbeth
makes all sorts of hypocritical seeming comments (but are they?), and Duncan’s sons flee the country.
READING CHECK:
Act II.iii.61-69 List four ways that Lennox notes the night was unruly.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Act II.iii.76-79 Macbeth personifies ___________________. The “Lord’s anointed temple” is
____________________, and stealing the life of the building is _____________________.
Act II.iii.83
Explain Macduff’s ALLUSION.
Act II.iii.107-112
When Macbeth says he’d have lived a blessed time if he’d died an hour before this
moment, he appears to be speaking about ______________________________________________, but the
double meaning is_________________________________________________________________.
Act II.iii.124-137 What happened to the guards? _________________________________________.
What does Macbeth mean that his ____________________ outran the __________________, reason?
Act II.iii.160-171 Quote and explain Donalbain’s observation about men’s smiles.
RESPONDING AND REFLECTING: What tends to be “faster” for you—your emotions or your pauser. reason? Explain.
Macbeth ACT II, SCENE iv
REFERENCE & RECAP: Macduff and Ross discuss the murder and the after-effects. It is believed that
Malcom and Donalbain must have bribed the guards, since their fleeing makes them look guilty.
READING CHECK:
Act II.iv.1-26 What evidence is there of the disruption of the natural order?
Act II.iv.36-41 Quote Macduff’s explanation of why Malcolm and Donalbain are suspects.
To what does Ross attribute the sons’ alleged deed?
Act II.iv.37-38 Macduff’s reference to robes echo which of Macbeth’s from Act I?
Hint: Relates to being called Thane of Cawdor
What do robes symbolize? _______________________________
Who wore the old robes? ________________________________
Who will wear the new? _________________________________
So, Macduff is saying what?
RESPONDING AND REFLECTING: Duncan’s sons decide to flee, instead of staying and assuming the
throne. When is it best to run from danger or conflict, or at least walk the other way? What about staying
and “fighting” it? Name a situation in which you’ve wisely left or stayed, or one in which you didn’t?
READING LOGS: Act II reading log due FRIDAY (same topic choice as Act I)