English 9
Mrs. Sharp/Ms. Edwards
name:
period:
Macbeth: After Duncan’s Murder
Act II
Plot Details: After
the murder, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth meet in another part of the castle.
He is still carrying the bloody daggers he used to kill Duncan. Lady Macbeth scolds him for
this mistake and brings the daggers back to the scene of the crime. She plants the daggers
on the sleeping guards and smears them with Duncan’s blood. When she comes back,
Macbeth is examining the blood on his hands.
MACBETH:
This is a sorry sight.
LADY MACBETH:
A foolish thought, to say ‘a sorry sight’.
Translation:
Conclusion or Significance:
Plot Details: Macbeth
is still not convinced that they’ve done the right thing and/or that they
won’t be caught. Macbeth already believes he will not be able to sleep since he committed
this murder.
MACBETH:
Sleep no more. Macbeth does murder sleep.
MACBETH:
Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?
LADY MACBETH:
A little water clears us of this deed.
Translation:
Conclusion or Significance:
Plot Details: In
the early hours of the morning, Macduff and Lennox (other nobles) come to meet
Duncan at Macbeth’s castle. They are greeted by Macbeth, and Lennox remarks about the
previous night’s weather.
LENNOX:
The night has been unruly. Some say the earth was feverous and did shake.
Translation:
Plot Details: Macduff
MACDUFF:
Translation:
Conclusion or Significance:
goes alone to wake Duncan. He discovers the king is dead.
Awake, awake!
Ring the alarum bell. Murder and treason!
Our royal master’s murder’d!
Conclusion or Significance:
Plot Details: Macbeth
and Lennox go to investigate the murder scene while all the others (Lady
Macbeth, Banquo, Macduff, Malcolm, Donalbain, etc.) gather. Macduff tells them the
horrible news. Macbeth returns and tells everyone he has killed the guards. Lady Macbeth
faints.
MACBETH:
Translation:
O, yet I do repent me of my fury, that I did kill them.
Conclusion or Significance:
Plot Details: Everyone
decides they must rally the troops and have a meeting to decide what to
do now that Duncan is dead. Malcolm and Donalbain (Duncan’s sons) stay behind to
discuss what’s happened and what they should do next. They decide that if someone has
killed their father, they may be in danger, so they will run away – Malcolm to England,
Donalbain to Ireland.
DONALBAIN:
Where we are, there’s daggers in men’s smiles.
Translation:
Conclusion or Significance:
Ross (another noble) and Macduff discuss the events following Duncan’s death.
They point out that, since Malcolm and Donalbain have fled, they’re suspected in their
father’s death. Thus, Macbeth will be named king in a ceremony in Scone, but Macduff
says he will not attend the ceremony.
Plot Details:
MACDUFF:
He is already named, and gone to Scone to be invested.
No, cousin, I’ll to Fife.
Translation:
Conclusion or Significance:
English 9
Mrs. Sharp/Ms. Edwards
name:
period:
Macbeth: After Duncan’s Murder
Act II
No Regrets?
The character of Macbeth is not purely evil, but in Act II, he overcomes his reservations long enough to murder King
Duncan and two of his guards. Afterwards, Macbeth reveals his inner thoughts in response to the murder, and we see
how some of the other characters respond to what has happened. Consider all we discussed about the events and text
of Act II in class today. How is Macbeth feeling about what he’s done? What are others thinking about the Macbeths
and how does Macbeth feel about others?
Select THREE quotations from Act II to write in the upper part of the daggers. In the lower halves of the daggers, use
your own words to explain what Macbeth is thinking or feeling about the ideas presented in the quotation.