Macbeth-Act 2

Macbeth-Act 2

1. Key events

   • Macbeth murders Duncan and Lady Macbeth plants blood-stained daggers on Duncan's servants.
   • Macduff arrives and discovers the King's body. The King's sons, Malcom and Donaldbain, leave Scotland because they fear for their lives-this makes them look guilty of Duncan's murder.
   • Rosse and an old man discuss the strange and unnatural things that have been happening since Duncan's murder. Macbeth is about to be crowned but not all of the other noblemen support him.

2. Shakespeare's intentions for the plot/themes

   • The darkness is shown through the death of Duncan. Shakespeare wanted to give us an element of light through porter. His intentions were to create a lot of foreshadowing for later on in the play.

3. Characters and how they are presented

   • Banquo: He is a potential ally and threat to Macbeth due to his knowledge of the 3 witches.
   • Fleance: He is a reminder to the audience of the witches' prophecy that banquo's sons will be kings.
   • Macbeth: He feels guilty and fearful towards just killing Duncan.
   • Lady Macbeth: Presented as softer than in act 1 due to not being able to kill Duncan herself as he reminded her of her father.
   • Porter: He is a comic character who talks about his drunken behaviour the night before stating that it makes 3 things happen, " nose-painting, sleep and urine" He is the light relief in the darker moments of the play.
   • Macduff: He is a nobleman and in this act seems suspicious about the deaths.
   • Lennox: Scottish nobleman who shows the power shifts within the play.
   • Donaldbain and Malcom: Both decide that it may be unsafe for them so decide they should both flee.
   • Old man: Sort of the commentator on the plot. Creates objective point of view on supernatural events.
   • Ross: Alongside the old man, Ross talks about the mysterious events.

4. Key Quotations

   • "I dreamt last night of the three weird sister"
     • "Is this a dagger which I see before me"
       • "And on thy blade and dungeon gouts of blood, which was not so before"
         • "And prophesying with accents terrible of dire combustion and confused events"
   • "Whiles I threat, he lives: words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives."
     • "I have done the deed"
       • "Macbeth does murder sleep"