____________________
Ms. Reeve
English 12, Period __
___ _________ 2013
Act II , Sc I
Inverness. Court of Macbeth’s castle.
The Scottish Play – ACT TWO
Reaction/ Analysis / Connections
“How goes the night boy?” Banquo: line 1, pg.
272
“The moon is down; I have not heard the
clock.” Fleance: line 2, pg 272
“And she goes down at twelve” Banquo: line 3,
pg 272
“I take’t, ‘tis later, sir” Fleance: line 4, pg 272
“ Pale Hecate’s offerings; and withered
murder, Alarumed by his sentinel, the wolf,
Whose howl’s his watch, thus with his stealthy
pace, With Tarquin’s ravishing strides, towards
his design Moves like a ghost. Thou sure and
firm-set earth.” Macbeth: lines 52-56, pg 274
Act II, Sc 2 Macbeth’s Castle
“He could not miss ‘em. Had he not resembled
My father as he slept, I had done’t.” Lady
Macbeth: lines 12-13, pg 274
“But wherefore could not I pronounce ‘Amen’?
I had most need of blessing, and ‘Amen’ Stuck
in my throat.” Macbeth: lines 30-33, pg 275
“Methought I heard a voice cry ‘Sleep no
more! Macbeth does murder sleep’ –the
innocent sleep, Sleep that knits up the raveled
sleave of care, The death of each day’s life,
sore labor’s bath, Balm of hurt minds, great
nature’s second course, Chief nourisher in life’s
feast” Macbeth: lines 34-39, pg 275
“ I’ll glide the faces of the grooms withal. For it
must seem their guilt” Lady Macbeth: lines 5556, pg 277
“Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood
clean from my hand? No; this my hand will
rather the multitudinous seas incarnadine
Making the green one red.” Macbeth: lines 5962 pg 277
Act II, Scene III Macbeth’s Castle
Synopsis: Banquo who has accompanied Duncan to Inverness, is uneasy because he too is
tempted by the witches’ prophecies, although only in his dreams. Macbeth pretends to
have forgotten them. Left alone by Banquo, Macbeth imagines that he sees a gory dagger
leading him to Duncan’s room. Hearing the bell rung by Lady Macbeth to signal
completion of her preparations for Duncan’s death, Macbeth exits to kill the king(FL
Library 48).
Synopsis: Lady Macbeth waits anxiously for Macbeth to return from killing Duncan. When
Macbeth enters, he is horrified by what he has done. He has brought with him the daggers
that he used on Duncan, instead of leaving them in the room with Duncan’s servants as
Lady Macbeth had planned. When he finds himself incapable of returning the daggers,
Lady Macbeth does so. She returns to find Macbeth still paralyzed with horror and urges
him to put on his gown and wash the blood from his hands. (FL Library 54).
Synopsis: A drunken porter goes to answer a knocking at the gate, all the while playing the
role of a devil-porter at the gates of hell. He admits Macduff and Lennox, who have come
to wake Duncan. Macbeth appears and greets them. Macduff exits to wake Duncan.
Macbeth appears and greets them. Macduff exits to wake Duncan, then returns to
announce Duncan’s murder. Macbeth and Lennox go to see for themselves. When they
return, Lennox announces that Duncan’s servants are the murderers. Macbeth reveals
that he has slain the servants. When his motives are questioned, Lady Macbeth interrupts
by calling for help herself. Duncan’s sons, Malcolm and Donalbain, plan to flee for their
lives, Malcolm to England, Donalbain to Ireland (FL Library 60).
“ the night has been unruly. Where we lay, Our
chimneys were blown down, and, as they say,
Lamentings heard I’ th’ air, strange screams of
death, And prophesying with accents terrible
of dire combustion and confused events New
hatched to th’ woeful time: the obscure bird
Clamored the livelong night. Some say, the
earth was feverous and did shake.” Lennox:
lines 53-60, pg 279
“Shake off this downy sleep, death’s
counterfeit, And look on death itself! Up, up
and see” Macduff: lines 75-76, pg 279
“You are, and do not know’t. The spring, the
head, the fountain of your blood is stopped;
the very source of it is stopped” Macbeth: lines
97-99, pg 280
“ Your royal father’s murdered” Macduff: line
100, pg 280
“o, yet, I do repent me of my fury, That I did kill
them.” Macbeth, lines 105-106, pg 280
“Outrun the pauser, reason. Here lay Duncan,
His silver skin laced with his golden blood,”
Macbeth: lines 110-111 pg 280
“Help me hence, Ho!” Lady Macbeth: line 118,
pg 281
“ Why do we hold our tongues, That most may
claim the argument for ours?” Malcolm: lines
120-122, pg 281
What should be spoken here, Where our fate
hid in an auger-hole, May rush, and seize us?
Let’s away: our tears are not yet brewed.”
Donalbain: lines 121-124, pg 281
“ Nor our strong sorrow Upon the foot of
motion” Malcolm: lines 125-126, pg 281
“Let’s briefly put on manly readiness”
Macbeth: line 133, pg 281
“There’s daggers in men’s smiles; the near in
blood” Donalbain: line 141, pg 281
Act II, Scene IV, Outside Macbeths Castle
“Lest our old robes sit easier than our new!”
Macduff: line 38, pg 283
Synopsis: An old man and Ross exchange accounts of recent unnatural happenings.
Macduf joins them to report that Malcolm and Donalbain are now accused of having
bribed the servants who supposedly killed Duncan. Macduff also announces that Macbeth
has been chosen king. Ross leaves for Scone and Macbeth’s coronation, but Macduff
resolves to stay at his own castle at Fife (FL Library 72).