Analysis questions to be answered upon completing the reading of Act Two...
Scene 1:
Examine Macbeth's soliloquy in II.1.33-64. How does he question, contemplate, and ultimately justify in his mind and to his conscience the murder he is about to commit? Use specific references to support your answer.
Scene 2:
In Act I, Scene 7, Lady Macbeth seemed to be planning to murder Duncan herself. But at the last moment, in Act II, Scene 2, she is unable to wield her dagger. Consider the reason she gives, and decide what her actions and explanation reveal about her character.
Scene 3:
In Scene 3, when Duncan’s corpse is discovered, Macbeth utters a hypocritical lament beginning, “Had I but died. . . .” But is it really hypocritical? The critic A. C. Bradley argues that, although the speech is meant to be a lie, it actually contains “Macbeth’s profoundest feelings.” Explain this apparent contradiction. How does Macbeth feel about having murdered Duncan? What clues tell you how he feels?
Scene 4:
Macduff becomes an important character in the three remaining acts. Describe how Shakespeare characterizes him in Scenes 3 and 4.
