Macbeth Study Guide Act 2.1

Act II: Scene I

  1. It shows Banquo as being troubled because of his dreams. Banquo is troubled by the witches. The conversation with Macbeth _____

  2. It is introducing us to the darkness that is to come – Duncan’s murder. Macbeth kills him, this is what it is foreshadowing.

  3. ___

Act II: Scene II
  1. She claims that the alcohol that has made the guards sleepy and tired has made her awake and “bold”. I feel that she is perhaps “bold” but not the same way a normal stable-minded human would be daring. She wants to kill someone. She wants Macbeth to murder him because Duncan looks too much like her father while he sleeps so she claims she can’t do it herself. I feel that is a valid reason not to kill someone but I would not trust her because she wants to murder someone, she is evil.

  2. Lady Macbeth acts like there is nothing wrong with what she and Macbeth did, Macbeth on the other hand had immediate remorse and regret. L. Macbeth simply tells him to wash his hands and his feelings will be gone. She keeps telling him that a little bit of water will wash away how he feels. She then goes on to tell him his heart is bloodless meaning he is a coward.

  3. The guards say what they did rather than alerting the house because they feared for their own lives. If they had alerted the house or attacked back Macbeth probably would have murdered them too. Amen is a declaration of affirmation and thus meaning that he could not say it because he was not proud of what he did. Like he was choking on his actions.

  4. Macbeth “murders” the sleep of Duncan, obviously because he kills the man but ironically he gives him eternal sleep. He murders his own sleep as he will not be able to sleep because of him murdering Duncan. He has also murdered the sleep of Duncan’s children as well as the guards who witnessed the murder.

  5. a)

b) Macbeth wishes that his actions could be reversed by the knocking. He wishes that the knocking would wake...