Exploring Macbeth's Psychological Transformation in Act 2 Scenes 1-2

MACBETH Act 2, Scenes 1 4

LEARNING GOALS Read Act 2, Scenes 1 4 Examine the change in Macbeth s character; specifically the change in his mental state Discuss the character s suspicions of Macbeth Farewell to King Duncan all hail Macbeth!

ACT 2, SCENE 1

ACT 2, SCENE 1 Setting: Macbeth s castle Who: Banquo, Fleance, Macbeth, Lady Macbeth

ACT 2, SCENE 1 WHAT? We meet Banquo s son Fleance Banquo has been having bad dreams about the witches Fleance presence in the scene reminds us of the witches prediction that Banquo s children will sit on the throne of Scotland Macbeth pretends that he has not thought about the witches and will discuss them with Banquo another time

ACT 2, SCENE 1 WHAT? Macbeth has a vision of a dagger floating in the air in front of him. The dagger s handle is pointing toward Macbeth s hand and its tip is aiming toward King Duncan. Macbeth wonders if what he sees is real or a dagger of the mind, a false creation / Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain (Lines 38 39) Macbeth thinks he sees blood on the blade. Guilt-inspired hallucinations

ACT 2, SCENE 2

ACT 2, SCENE 2 Setting: Macbeth s castle Who: Lady Macbeth, Macbeth

ACT 2, SCENE 2 WHAT? Lady Macbeth says she would have killed the king herself but he resembled her father sleeping Macbeth kills the king Macbeth hears whispers and sounds Lady Macbeth takes the daggers to frame the chamberlains

ACT 2, SCENE 2 WHAT? Macbeth is frightened about the blood on his hand that he fears cannot be washed clean Lady Macbeth leads him to the bedchamber to wash off the blood: A little water clears us of this deed (Line 65) Water is often used to symbolize rebirth, cleaning, purity, fertility and healing The guilt the blood symbolizes needs more than water to be cleansed away

ACT 2, SCENE 3

ACT 2, SCENE 3 Setting: Macbeth s castle Who: Porter, Macduff, Lennox, Macbeth, Malcolm, Donalbain

ACT 2, SCENE 3 WHAT? The humorous porter s speech parodies Macbeth s moral confusion and the atmosphere around Moral confusion Lust for power Sexual failure / Ability to murder Welcoming to the devil s castle Macduff and Lennox arrive and ask about the king

ACT 2, SCENE 3 WHAT? Macbeth pretends Duncan is asleep and takes Macduff to the king Lennox describes the storms (pathetic fallacy) Macduff finds the murdered king and Macbeth declares that in his rage he has killed the chamberlains Macduff seems suspicious of Macbeth Malcolm and Donalbaum flee the court Banquo and Macbeth rally the lords to discuss the murder

ACT 2, SCENE 4

ACT 2, SCENE 4 Setting: Macbeth s castle Who: Ross, Macduff

ACT 2, SCENE 4 WHAT? Conversation between Ross and an old man about the number of unnatural occurrences in the weather and the behavior of animals, which casts a frightening shadow over Macbeth s rise to the throne Macbeth has been made king Macduff is suspicious of Macbeth and his decision to go home rather than to the coronation indicates that he is going to be Macbeth s nemesis

REVIEW OF ACT 2, SCENES 1 4 Macbeth sees a "dagger of the mind" leading him towards Duncan's chamber (i). Lady Macbeth has drugged the guards, noting that Duncan's resemblance to her father has stayed her from doing the deed herself. After the murder, Macbeth carries the bloody daggers from the chamber causing Lady Macbeth to reprimand him for his great show of emotion. After she returns the daggers and smears the guards with blood, she tells Macbeth, "a little water clears us of this deed" (ii).

REVIEW OF ACT 2, SCENES 1 4 The porter attends the knocking at the gate, creating a comic relief scene of his imaginings. Macduff discovers the body, and Macbeth kills the guards, explaining the act as his overwrought response to their unjust offense. Duncan's sons realize their danger and decide that Malcolm will go to England and Donalbain will go to Ireland (iii). Their fligh makes them suspect, and Macbeth is crowned King of Scotland (iv).

WRITING PROMPTS (4) Dagger of the Mind Act 2 Scene 1 The image of the dagger clearly impacted Macbeth greatly. What is an image (positive or negative) that has stuck with you, and why? (5) Newspaper Write a cover story based on the Death of Duncan The headline should grab the reader s attention and a front page cover story (article) about what happened

NEWSPAPER The King is dead! Duncan has just been found dead at Macbeth s residence. The editors of your newspaper have assigned you to report on the tragic event. You need to Come up with a headline that catches the attention of the reader Have a picture of the crime scene Write a minimum one-page, single spaced, 12-point font article that reports on the event. What hapepned? Who are the subjects? What evidence is there? You should also include interviews.

NEWSPAPER 1. Gather background information: who, what, where, when, why, and how 2. Prepare some quotes from someone that would have been interviewed for your story; someone that has witnessed or was around during the time that the event took place 3. Think of a catchy headline

NEWSPAPER 4. Write the lead: one or two sentences that tell what happened and that will catch the interest of the reader. 5. Use your notes to write sentences that give some background on the event or give details that help to answer the 5 W s and How 6. Include at least 2 quotations from people who were interviewed. Explain where the quote came from, who that person is, and where they were when the event happened

NEWSPAPER 7. Write a concluding sentence that explains the possible consequences of the event, or what might happen next 8. Check your work! Make sure you have included all of the most important information (who, what, where, when, why, and how). Proof read for spelling, grammar and punctuation errors.

FOR ACT 3 THINK ABOUT THE FEAR OF LOOSING SOMETHING TO SOMEONE ELSE.