Macbeth Discussion Quiz Acts II & III
Examine the following excerpts and discuss how the language (the diction and imagery), as well as the details help to develop character,
theme, or atmosphere. See the example below as an example of how you might examine the language closely and assert your analytical
voice. Have handy your coveted “Voice Chart” bookmark. [associations underlined, evidence highlighted]
Banquo: But 'tis strange: /And oftentimes, to win us to our harm, /The instruments of darkness
tell us truths, /Win us with honest trifles, to betray's / In deepest consequence.
Shakespeare depicts Banquo as a cautious and shrewd observer, a soldier recognizing how the
witches function as “the instruments of darkness,” the tools or devices (“instruments”) the
devil uses to deceive and “oftentimes, to win us to our harm,” the word “win” suggesting that
the vulnerable, particularly Macbeth in this context, are prizes for Satan. Banquo not only
intuitively recognizes the witches as evil, but also articulates their strategy, namely, to
“tell us truths,”—statements of “honest” fact, though mere “trifles,” or insignificant
comments. Both “truths” and “honest” deceptively lure the individual into a feigned trust,
ultimately allowing these ambassadors of darkness to “betray’s / In deepest consequence,” the
modifier “deepest” poignantly reminding that, in contrast, the consequences won’t be mere
“trifles” but grave outcomes.
Act II, i
MACBETH
Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible
To feeling as to sight? or art thou but
A dagger of the mind, a false creation,
Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?
Now o'er the one halfworld
Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse
The curtain'd sleep; witchcraft celebrates
Pale Hecate's offerings, and wither'd murder,
Alarum'd by his sentinel, the wolf,
Whose howl's his watch, thus with his stealthy
pace. … Thou sure and firm-set earth,
Hear not my steps, which way they walk, for fear
Thy very stones prate of my whereabout,
And take the present horror from the time,
Which now suits with it.
II, ii
LADY MACBETH
Alack, I am afraid they have awaked,
And 'tis not done. The attempt and not the deed
Confounds us. Hark! I laid their daggers ready;
He could not miss 'em. Had he not resembled
My father as he slept, I had done't.
MACBETH
One cried 'God bless us!' and 'Amen' the other;
As they had seen me with these hangman's
hands.
Listening their fear, I could not say 'Amen,'
When they did say 'God bless us!'
LADY MACBETH
Consider it not so deeply.
MACBETH
But wherefore could not I pronounce 'Amen'?
I had most need of blessing, and 'Amen'
Stuck in my throat.
LADY MACBETH
These deeds must not be thought
After these ways; so, it will make us mad.
MACBETH
Methought I heard a voice cry 'Sleep no more!
Macbeth does murder sleep', the innocent sleep,
Sleep that knits up the ravell'd sleeve of care,
The death of each day's life, sore labour's bath,
Balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course,
Chief nourisher in life's feast,--
MACBETH
Whence is that knocking?
How is't with me, when every noise appals me?
What hands are here? ha! they pluck out mine
eyes. / Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this
blood Clean from my hand? No, this my hand
will rather /The multitudinous seas in
incarnadine,
Making the green one red.
II.iii
LENNOX
The night has been unruly: where we lay,
Our chimneys were blown down; and, as they
say, Lamentings heard i' the air; strange screams
of death, And prophesying with accents terrible
Of dire combustion and confused events
New hatch'd to the woeful time: the obscure bird
Clamour'd the livelong night: some say, the earth
Was feverous and did shake.
MACDUFF
Confusion now hath made his masterpiece!
Most sacrilegious murder hath broke ope
The Lord's anointed temple, and stole thence
The life o' the building!
MACBETH
Had I but died an hour before this chance,
I had lived a blessed time; for, from this instant,
There 's nothing serious in mortality:
All is but toys: renown and grace is dead;
The wine of life is drawn, and the mere lees
Is left this vault to brag of.
MACBETH
Who can be wise, amazed, temperate and
furious, Loyal and neutral, in a moment? No
man: The expedition my violent love Outrun the
pauser, reason. Here lay Duncan,
His silver skin laced with his golden blood;
And his gash'd stabs look'd like a breach in
nature For ruin's wasteful entrance: there, the
murderers, Steep'd in the colours of their trade,
their daggers Unmannerly breech'd with gore:
who could refrain, That had a heart to love, and
in that heart Courage to make 's love known?
II.iv
ROSS
Ah, good father,
Thou seest, the heavens, as troubled with man's
act, Threaten his bloody stage: by the clock, 'tis
day, And yet dark night strangles the travelling
lamp: Is't night's predominance, or the day's
shame, That darkness does the face of earth
entomb, When living light should kiss it?
Old Man
'Tis unnatural,
Even like the deed that's done. On Tuesday last,
A falcon, towering in her pride of place,
Was by a mousing owl hawk'd at and kill'd.
ROSS
And Duncan's horses--a thing most strange and
certain-- Beauteous and swift, the minions of
their race, Turn'd wild in nature, broke their
stalls, flung out, Contending 'gainst obedience, as
they would make War with mankind.
Old Man
'Tis said they eat each other.
Act III
#4
MACBETH
To be thus is nothing;
But to be safely thus.--Our fears in Banquo
Stick deep; and in his royalty of nature
Reigns that which would be fear'd: 'tis much he
dares; And, to that dauntless temper of his mind,
He hath a wisdom that doth guide his valour
To act in safety. . . .
Rather than so, come fate into the list.
And champion me to the utterance!
#5
LADY MACBETH
Nought's had, all's spent,
Where our desire is got without content:
'Tis safer to be that which we destroy
Than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy.
Enter MACBETH
How now, my lord! why do you keep alone,
Of sorriest fancies your companions making,
Using those thoughts which should indeed have
died With them they think on? Things without all
remedy Should be without regard: what's done is
done.
MACBETH
We have scorch'd the snake, not kill'd it:
She'll close and be herself, whilst our poor
malice Remains in danger of her former tooth.
But let the frame of things disjoint, both the
worlds suffer, Ere we will eat our meal in fear
and sleep In the affliction of these terrible
dreams That shake us nightly: better be with the
dead, Whom we, to gain our peace, have sent to
peace, Than on the torture of the mind to lie
In restless ecstasy. Duncan is in his grave;
After life's fitful fever he sleeps well;
Treason has done his worst: nor steel, nor poison,
Malice domestic, foreign levy, nothing,
Can touch him further.
LADY MACBETH
Come on;
Gentle my lord, sleek o'er your rugged looks;
Be bright and jovial among your guests to-night.
MACBETH
So shall I, love; and so, I pray, be you:
Let your remembrance apply to Banquo;
Present him eminence, both with eye and tongue:
Unsafe the while, that we
Must lave our honours in these flattering streams,
And make our faces vizards to our hearts,
Disguising what they are.
LADY MACBETH
You must leave this.
MACBETH
O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife!
#6
MACBETH
Thanks for that:
There the grown serpent lies; the worm that's fled
Hath nature that in time will venom breed,
No teeth for the present. Get thee gone: tomorrow We'll hear, ourselves, again.
...
the times have been,
That, when the brains were out, the man would
die, And there an end; but now they rise again,
With twenty mortal murders on their crowns,
And push us from our stools: this is more strange
Than such a murder is.
MACBETH
It will have blood; they say, blood will have
blood: Stones have been known to move and
trees to speak; Augurs and understood relations
have By magot-pies and choughs and rooks
brought forth The secret'st man of blood.
...
I am in blood
Stepp'd in so far that, should I wade no more,
Returning were as tedious as go o'er:
Strange things I have in head, that will to hand;
Which must be acted ere they may be scann'd.
LADY MACBETH
You lack the season of all natures, sleep.
MACBETH
Come, we'll to sleep. My strange and self-abuse
Is the initiate fear that wants hard use:
We are yet but young in deed.
#7
LORD
with Him above
To ratify the work--we may again
Give to our tables meat, sleep to our nights,
Free from our feasts and banquets bloody knives,
Do faithful homage and receive free honours: