Macbeth Act II

In act II of Macbeth, Banquo says that the king is asleep and mentions that he has had a dream about “three weird sisters”. Macbeth is internally frightened over the matter, but exclaims to Banquo that is something to be discussed at a later time.

After Banquo (accompanied with Fleance) leaves, Macbeth walks down the hallway and has a vision of a dagger floating in the air before him, its handle pointing toward his hand and its tip aiming him toward Duncan. Macbeth tries reaching for the dagger, but fails. This is one of Macbeths “hallucinations” as seen later in the book. Macbeth exclaims the dagger to be a figment of his imagination, but as he continues to gaze upon the blade, blood manifests itself upon it. Macbeth is horrified by this illusion, but continues with his plan to assassinate the King anyway.

The time comes for Macbeth to do his deadly deed. Lady Macbeth awaits in her room, fantasizing over what will become of her future, filled with power-stricken greed and desire to rule. Macbeth enters, blood coating his hands and clothes. He states that the chamberlains were awake, praying. He adds that as he killed the king, he thought he heard a voice cry out: “Sleep no more, / Macbeth does murder sleep” (2.2.33–34). Overwhelmed with the reality of what Macbeth has done, he stands frozen with the blood coated dagger in his hand. Lady Macbeth pries it form his hand and takes it to the room of a sleeping chamberlain. As she leaves, Macbeth hears a mysterious knocking. The portentous sound frightens him, and he asks desperately, “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood / Clean from my hand?” (2.2.58–59).

My analysis of Act II begins with Banquo. In the beginning scene, Banquo’s knowledge of the “three weird sisters” (witches) potentiates a conflict with Macbeth. Macbeth’s request to discuss the matter later, suggests that he may have malevolent intentions. A significant point to mention concerning Duncan’s death, is that the reader is never brought into the murder scene. It is only described after the fact. I believe that the purpose of leaving the reader out of the actual murder scene is to heighten the climatic death in a mysterious way. It also seems as if when each character reenters the scene after being in Duncan’s chamber, they emerge powerfully changed. The murder is also marked by the ringing of the bell and the knocking at the gate. The knocking is meant to be a rising action, a sense of the inevitable doom.