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Line 20: Banquo tells Macbeth that he has been dreaming of the weird sisters, part of a

reoccurring theme of the supernatural in this scene.


Line 22: Macbeth lies right to Banquos face when he says "I think not of them" (27).
He thinks about the witches all the time.
Line 27: Macbeth tests Banquos loyalty to him by saying "if you shall cleave to my
consent, when tis, it shall make honour for you". Basically, this means that "if you will
follow me, I will make you powerful".
Line 29: Banquo replies with a very diplomatic answer which basically means that he
will follow Macbeth if it doesnt go against Duncans will. This tells Macbeth that
Banquo will probably not be on his side after Duncans death because Banquo, having
heard the witches prediction will immediately suspect Macbeth of the killing.
Line 31: Banquo and fleece have exited. Macbeth tells the servant to tell lady Macbeth
to ring on the bell when the drink (the preparations for the murder) are ready.
Line 34: Macbeth sees a dagger before him. Macbeth is hallucinating and it seems that
the power of the witches at play again, trying to urge Macbeth to kill Duncan.
Line 37-38: reference to killing: "fatal vision" and reference to the senses: "feeling"
"sight".
Line 39: Macbeth asks himself whether the vision is real or just a false creation of the
mind. The fact that he is thinking rather than acting suggests that Macbeth is still sane
and in control of his mind.
Line 44: "Mine eyes are made fools o' th' other senses" (56). This means that Macbeth
doesnt want the eyes to see what the hands are about to do. He doesnt want to see
Duncan dead. This shows that he is still guilty about what he will do. Another reference
to the senses
Line 46-48: References to "blood" and "blade" and "dungeon" "gouts of blood",
emphasizing the goriness of the future killing.
Line 48: Macbeth calls the murder "bloody business" suggesting that he still doesnt
want to take out the murder.
Line 49-50: References to nature, or the lack thereof. It suggests the existence of two
worlds, the one that beings such as the witches belong to and the other where the
humans and nature belongs. Macbeth's castle seems to be in the first, as there is a lack
of natural presence in the murder.
Line 52: Macbeth talks about witchcraft, further showing the influence of the
supernatural.
Line 53: Macbeth says hes being summoned by the wolf sentinel/guard. The wolf has
connections to the supernatural and the witches. Macbeth states that he wants to act
like the wolf in his murder.
Line 57: "hear not my steps" shows his fear of committing the deed and fears the
consequences.
Line 60-61: The traditional end of Shakespeare scenes with a couplet. It basically says
that Duncan is going to get summoned to heaven or hell tonight.
FIG LANG
Rhetorical Question: "Art thou not sensible to feeling as to sight?" "Proceeding from
the heat-oppressed brain?"

Personification: "Thou marshall'st me the way that I was going;" "Mine eyes are made
the fools o' the other senses,"; "wicked dreams abuse the curtain'd sleep"

(c) In the first 7 lines of his soliloquy, Macbeth asks himself three questions that clearly
reveal his ever so lasting doubt on his deliberate murder. Macbeth not only murders the
King of Scotland to satisfy his ambition (for he was an ambitious person), but also to
prove his manliness to Lady Macbeth (lady Macbeth treated him of a coward and
claimed he wasn't manly enough to commit the murder himself). Following the intended
crime, the audience finally discovers Macbeth's true features: he is ambitious, cruel and
pitiless. As to Banquo, he shows loyalty and honesty.
(c) Macbeth had eventually chosen loyalty over ambition, only to be manipulated by his
persuasive wife into reconsidering the murder. This plainly denotes one of his few
weaknesses, his insecurity. He feels the need to controvert his wife and prove his
manliness by killing the King. His series of thoughts and actions also prove how
persuadable he is.
(p) This passage represents a small section of the rising action leading to Macbeth's
downfall. In this scene, M finally musters up the courage to kill King Duncan in order to
steal his throne. This scene allows the story to move forward because Macbeth must
take the necessary measures to stay in rank. (killing Banquo, Macduff & his family)
(p&c) (aftermath of the murder) This scene is also pertinent upon the progression of the
plot because it is in that specific scene that Macbeth's actions lead him to holding the
Throne. As soon as he was named the King of Scotland, Macbeth was under the
impression that the Witches' prophecies would never be a lie and would always come
true. He was so blinded by their first predictions (that eventually came true) that he
never thought the witches could be indelicately lying to him. He started becoming very
arrogant and confident and that cost him his life.

William Shakespeare is most known for his astonishing use of imagery.


Here's an example of simple, yet perfect poetry in Macbeth's soliloquy: "A dagger of the
mind, a false creation, proceeding from the heat-oppressd brain?"
He acknowledges that the dagger could be a creation of his "fevered" brain. In its literal
form, fever is a symptom of a disease. However, in this case, it metaphorically represents
intense emotion, to which ambition is the illness.
"Dagger of the mind" can be interpreted in two different ways. Firstly, there is the
literal meaning of it, a creation of Macbeth's imagination, the opposite of tangible, real.
Then there's the metaphorical interpretation, where the dagger represents M's guilt and
doubt, visually representing itself while he waited for his drink.
In Macbeth's soliloquy, Shakespeare uses pathetic fallacy, a literary device where the
author attributes human traits to nature or objects, to describe the disruption of the
universe. Nature seems to fade off as Macbeth gets closer to the King:
"Now o'er the one half-world nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse the
curtained sleep." Ambition is also one of the many themes found in this passage. As
stated earlier, Macbeth planned his murder to fulfil his ambition and to gratify his thirst
for power. King Duncan was Macbeth's first victim, which emphasizes on the effects
ambition could have on one's actions.
Banquo's replies in his conversation with Macbeth shows him loyalty, honesty and
manhood.
"So, I lose none in seeking to augment it, but still keep my bosom franchised and
allegiance clear, I shall be counselled."
Macbeth shows signs of anxiety throughout his soliloquy by frequently repeating:
"I see thee still."
This illustrates Macbeth's fear of the consequences of the deliberate murder he is about
to commit. In an interpretation of the play, Macbeth's character would undoubtedly
emphasize on these words, as they are repeated, to make sure the audience imagines a
dagger floating in the air.

Hamartia: is the fatal flaw which brings a character into his doom, in Macbeths case, it
is ambition which later turns into greed.
Rising action
Act 2 scene 1
Allusions
Sighs
We can see what is happening in the mind.
Dramatic irony

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