Macbeth Act II Review

Counterfeit

False imitation

As Macbeth waits in Scene I for the signal from Lady Macbeth that the king's guards are asleep, what does he imagine he sees? What is the significance of this dagger?

Macbeth imagines that he sees a bloody dagger in his hand facing toward King Duncan's room. The dagger has significance by showing that Macbeth feels guilt for what he is about to do.

Why is Macbeth upset about not being able to say "Amen" the men's prayers? Why is this ironic?

Macbeth was so upset because when you say Amen it cleanses you of your sins and he says that the sin he just committed was un cleansable. This is ironic because he was totally okay with killing

What goes wrong with Lady Macbeth's plan, and how does she fix the situation? Explain why she needs to correct the error.

After Macbeth kills King Duncan he goes to find Lady Macbeth and when he finds her he is still holding the bloody daggers and didn't put them back on the chamberlains. She fixes the situation by taking them herself and putting them back on the guards. If she wouldn't have corrected this error then they would have found out that Macbeth killed King Duncan.

Allegiance

Loyalty

Describe Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's reactions to Duncan's murder immediately after it is done. How do these reactions reflect each character's personality and motivations?

Directly after the murder of Duncan Macbeth feels lots of guilt and is kinda going crazy. On the other hand Lady Macbeth is trying to justify that it was okay that they murdered him and that it would be okay.

Breach

Hole made by breaking through

Do you think Macbeth would have gone ahead with the murder of Duncan if his wife had not encouraged him to do so? Explain

I don't think that Macbeth would have went through the murder of King Duncan if his wife wouldn't have questioned his manhood and talk to him they way that she does.

Do you think Macduff believes that Malcolm and Donalbain were responsible for the death of their father? Explain your answer

I think Macduff believes that the sons did it because they fled directly after their father was discovered and so it looked very odd that they left so quickly but in reality they were just trying to protect themselves.

In Act II, Scene ii, Lady Macbeth says, "The attempt and not the deed" itself will ruin her and Macbeth. What do you think would have happened if the attempt to kill Duncan or the cover-up had failed?

If the attempt to kill Duncan or the cover up failed that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth would've been caught and would have most likely been executed.

The killing of King Duncan does not appear onstage. Why do you think Shakespeare chooses not to show his death?

It helps the audience picture the actual murder and have your own opinions about it.

Why does Lady Macbeth faint when she hears the news of King Duncan's murder?

Lady Macbeth faints when she hears the news of King Duncan's murder to show her innocence and because the scene is to gruesome for a kind hearted lady.

Why does Shakespeare begin Act II with Banquo and Fleance? Explain what purpose this scene serves

Shakespeare begins Act II with Banquo and Fleance to foreshadow the darkness and evil that is going to occur in Act II.

Stealthy

Slow and secretive

Equivocate

Speak in a way that hides the truth; to lie

How is the murder of the king discovered?

The murder of the king is discovered because Macduff comes to the castle and is told to go wake King Duncan, when he goes to wake him he discovers him dead.

What gate does the porter pretend to be opening instead of the gate to Macbeth's castle? In what ways is the porter's playful fantasy a comment on Macbeth's situation?

The porter pretends to be opening the gates to Hell instead of Macbeth's castle. This is a comment on Macbeth's situation because he just killed King Duncan and it is a very bad sin to commit.

What strange and unnatural things do Ross and the Old Man talk about in Scene iv?

They talk about how it is completely dark in the middle of the day, an owl killed a falcon, and King Duncan's horses escaped and then ate each other.

Sacrilegious

Treating a religious object, person, or belief with disrespect