Act 2 Scene 1: Through the dialogue, Shakespeare is trying to show us that time has passed. Banquo has been having nightmares. Macbeth enters and says “a friend”. This is incredible dramatic because Macbeth isn’t really Banquo’s friend because of Banquo’s children to become King. Banquo is saying to Macbeth that he is constantly dreaming about the witches. In response, Macbeth says that he is not thinking about theverything witches at all when in fact he is acting upon their comments.

Soliloquy Analysis: 

“Is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee: I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible to feeling as of sight? Or art thou but a dagger of the mind, a false creation, proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?”

 

Act 2 Scene 2: Lady Macbeth successfully got the guards drunk. Someone starts talking to Lady Macbeth and she believes it’s one of the guards. It turns out to be Macbeth how has completed the deed. Lady Macbeth then says that if they carry on arguing and thinking constantly about it they will go mad.

Act 2 Scene 3: A pantomime character known as Porter starts having a joke with the audience about Macbeth. He indirectly talks about Macbeth using references such as “O come in equivocator” and “who committed treason enough for God’s sake”. He is provoking the audience as we all know Macbeth killed Duncan but this character that has come onto the stage shouldn’t know that happened. He also uses several references to the devil. Macduff encounters Porter who says he is drunk. Macbeth, Lennox and Macduff exchange sentences talking about how they will do anything to be loyal to the king. Macduff returns from entering the chamber of Duncan and found out that someone has killed him. Lady Macbeth enters and finds out from Macduff that the king was surprised. She sounds so shocked despite knowing it was her husband and she was part of it. Macbeth then starts talking to the audience saying that now that Duncan is dead, his values are meaningless. Important quote “All is but toys; renown and grace is dead”. Macbeth then tells Duncan’s 2 sons Donaldbain and Malcolm that their father is dead. Lennox then says that the guards killed him. Macbeth kills the guards on the spot. Macbeth talks indirectly about himself saying that his “gashed stabs looked like a breach in nature”. Donaldbain says to Malcolm the reasons why they are not crying and saying anything yet because if someone wanted Duncan dead in order to become King, Donaldbain and Malcolm are their next targets to fulfill their attempts to become King. Malcolm and Donaldbain have a conversation within each other and saying they need to get out of the country as quickly as possible. Finally they agree that Malcolm will go you England and Donaldbain will go to Ireland. Donaldbain says that we should not trust these people who are suspicious in order to protect themselves.

Act 2 Scene 4: Ross and an Old man are outside Macbeth’s castle and using metaphor after metaphor to state how unnatural life seems tonight. Macduff enters and talks about who could have possibly killed Duncan because they don’t believe the guards did it for themselves and they were set up to do it. Macduff thinks it’s Malcolm and Donaldbain because they have left. Macduff will not go to the coronation of Macbeth because he is thinking of the possibility that Macbeth killed the king.