Act Two Questions

Scene i

1) Who says the following: “Their candles are all out. Take thee that too. A heavy summons lies like lead upon me, and yet I would not sleep. Merciful powers, restrain in me the cursed thoughts that nature gives away in repose.” What is significant about the quote? How has the atmosphere of the castle been changed?
Banquo says it because he fears the witches that gave their prophecies. The castle's atmosphere has changed to be ominous.

2) Why does Banquo mention his dream of the Weird Sisters? Hint: Ironically this is his last dream.
It predicted the death of Duncan

3) What does Macbeth say he and Banquo will talk about later in private?
His dream and the witches

4) Reread lines 42-70. Briefly summarize what Macbeth is saying in this soliloquy.
He sees a dagger that isn't actually there that then disappears but reappears, pointing to Duncan's room

5) How does the illusion of the dagger play into the mindset of either witchcraft or Macbeth losing it.
It fits into witchcraft because the only way Macbeth'll become king is to kill Duncan

Scene ii

1) What does Lady Macbeth mean when she says, “That which hath made them drunk hath made me bold”?
The liquor she shared with the guards made her braver

2) Symbolically what does the fatal bellman toll? More than one thing here. And who is the fatal bellmen—the one Lady Macbeth hears?
The bellman is an owl and it forebodes the death of Duncan.

3) How do you read the lines, “Had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had done ‘t.” What does this say about Lady Macbeth?
If Duncan didn't look like her father, she'd have killed him. This suggests she would have someone else kill her father.

4) Sleep is an important symbol in this play. Please keep a list of all the times (with line numbers) that sleep is mentioned in Act II. Attach and turn this list in with these questions.

5) What is meant when Macbeth says, “Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep”?
That since he killed Duncan, he won't be able to sleep anymore and slowly go insane.

6) Why is Lady Macbeth upset with Macbeth towards the end of scene ii?
Because Macbeth brought the daggers back instead of leaving them on the guards, she calls him a coward since he doesn't want to go back.

7) What is symbolic about the knocking that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth hear?
It suggests that God was at the door because it was believed kings were picked by God himself

8) What does Lady Macbeth say about washing of hands at the end of the scene? Do you believe her?
She says that by washing his hands he'll be getting rid of a witness and he won't feel the blame. I don't believe her because he'll always know he killed Duncan.

Scene iii

1) How is the Porter a humorous character? What does he say about drink? How does he metaphorical set the atmosphere of the scene?
He's humorous because in shakespeare's time, drunk people were funny. He says the drink makes him sleepy, happy, and to urinate. He gives the audience a laugh before the murder's found and says he's the gatekeeper of Hell, which symbolizes the castle.

2) Who is at the gates? (more than 1 person)
Macduff and Lennox

3) What does Macduff mean when he says, “Confusion now hath made his masterpiece!”?
Confusion is being personified and he means that everyone is confused as how they won the war but now the king's dead.

4) How does Macbeth react to the news of the king’s murder? How does Lady Macbeth react?
Macbeth reacts by saying he wished he had died an hour earlier for he wouldn't be alive to see the king's death and that he killed the guards that "killed" Duncan. Lady Macbeth feints.

5) Where do Donalbain and Malcolm decide to go? Why?
Donaldbain flees to Ireland and Malcolm flees to England so they won't be killed next.

Scene iv

1) What is meant by the old man when he says, “On Tuesday last, a falcon, tow’ring in her pride of place, was by a mousing owl hawked at and killed”? What is symbolically suggested here? Hint: Relate the birds to scene ii.
He is saying he saw a falcon killed by an owl. It symbolically means the falcon represents the king and the owl represents Macbeth. This also points that Macbeth isn't a majestic eagle anymore.

2) What does Macduff say about Malcolm and Donalbain?
Macduff says that since they fled some people are putting the blame of killing Duncan on them.

3) What does Macduff say about Macbeth?
He says that he killed the two guards who were originally blamed, and that he's already gone to Scone to be crowned king but Macduff isn't joining him.

4) What is meant by the line, “Lest our old robes sit easier than our new”?
Duncan was a better king than Macbeth will become

5) Why doesn’t Macduff go to the coronation?
He doesn't fully trust Macbeth and is suspicious that he is the one that killed Duncan