Macbeth Act 2 Reading Notes

Scene 1:

• Banquo keeps questioning the prophecy of the three witches and what it brings in store for him. Macbeth however tries to play it off as if he could care less of what they said
• Fleance is the son of Banquo
• Macbeth imagines he has seen the dagger with blood in it however he does not know if it is real but only a part of his imagination.
• I go, and it is done; the bell invites me.
  Hear it not, Duncan; for it is a knell
  That summons thee to heaven or to hell.-                                                                                                                                         ----Although he has been questioning whether he should take action in killing Duncan or not he decides at the end after the bell rings that he will kill hi.

Scene 2:

• Lady Macbeth has made the kings servants not only drunk but has also drugged them so the Macbeth can carry out full success in his murder.
• Lady Macbeth reveals that she tried to kill Duncan herself but could not because he resembled her father to much
• Macbeth returns with the bloody dagger in hands and Lady Macbeth gets angry at him for not wanting  to put the dagger somewhere else
• Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth that he heard voices when he was killing Duncan that told him to sleep no more and cried murder (the guilt that is taking over him) and also he thought he heard the servants/guards praying but they could not say amen... All lady Macbeth says is to not think much of it and carry on. 
• Since Macbeth won't go frame the guards with the dagger Lady Macbeth decides to do it herself and carries out the daggers
• Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth that a little water will was away what they have done and that they must go to their room to pretend that they know nothing.
• Wake Duncan with thy knocking! I would thou couldst!-- Lady Macbeth is assured Duncan is dead

Scene 3:

• The porter pretends to be the porter  to the gates of hell 
• -------------A farmer who has committed suicide after a bad harvest, an "equivocator" who lies and an English tailor who has stolen material.\
• After his list of people he decides to stop with his fooling around because that place is to cold to be hell and opens the door
• Macduff and Lennox enter and ask him why he has taken so long to respond and he answers by telling him it was the alcohol he has had
• They ask for Macbeth and as they do he walks in the room and they ask for the kind, when they find out he is not yet awake Macduff leaves to wake him
• Lennox explains to Macbeth that the night before was full of strange events and while they are discussing this Macduff returns with the news that the king was murdered
• Lennox kind of freaks out and keeps yelling to ring the bell that the king has been murdered
• All enter to discuss the murder and they all say it was the guards of the kings chamber for they had the blood all over them (Lady Macbeth's plan to frame them)
• Macbeth says he has killed the guards out of rage and respect for the king and Lady Macbeth pretends to faint
• Malcolm and Donalbain decide to move to different areas to keep safer, one to England and the other to Ireland

Scene 4

• Ross enters with an old man and the old man begins to talk about the strange events that have happened these last couple of nights
• Macduff enters and tells them the culprits were found, however the kings sons disappearance leaves suspicion
• Ross states that now Macbeth will for sure be in power and Macduff says he has already been named and gone to Scone to be crowned and the prior king will already be buried.
• They say their goodbyes and end of act 4