Act 2

Scene 1

Shakespeare uses strong language features in his writing. Personification is used a lot through this scene and especially around the idea of the “dagger”. “Come, let me clutch thee” is a line spoken by Macbeth directed at the dagger. He speaks about the dagger as much more than just a knife, it has power because it is the weapon directed at killing Duncan. If he embraces the idea of the dagger he is lead to treason and dis abandoning his honor. If Macbeth goes forward and uses the dagger he would be king. He speaks as if the dagger is calling to him and it is his fate to kill Duncan. This is one of the perswading factors leading up to the death. From the beginning of the book, Macbeth was seen as a nobleman, Hey he was loyal to the king but if he embraces the dagger that will change. With Lady Macbeth’s killer instinct looming over him and the fate, he has been told from the witches. Macbeth’s loyalty will be tested.

Scene 2

This scene is an important scene in the play because it is the killing of Duncan. Lady Macbeth completes her job of getting the servants drunk, so Macbeth can “do the deed” She speaks to the audience with the line ” Had he not resembled My father as he slept, I had done’t.” This is telling us that Lady Macbeth however evil she may be, she could not actually kill Duncan if she was with him. She speaks as if the appearance of Duncan would change her thoughts about his death and that his innocence is too high. After macbeth kills Duncan he begins to fall apart. “Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep,” a voice that he heard inside his head. It means that sleep is to innocent for him because is it many things, one being the “balm of hurt minds” so basically he will not sleep anymore because he is no longer pure. From this voice, he slowly starts to fall apart. He speaks as if the blood on his hands will make an entire ocean red, this being a metaphor for him changing the world for the worst. He also brought the daggers from the crime scene with him and this leads us to believe that he is not thinking clearly and is overwhelmed by guilt. Lady Macbeth becomes aware of the poor job that Macbeth did on the murder and insists he fixes it. When he disagrees she takes matters into her own hands, returning the daggers and smearing Duncan’s blood on the servants.

Scene 3

Shakespeare uses metaphors to give an in-depth meaning of events with little words. ‘his silver skin laced with golden blood: and his gashed stabs look like a breach in nature’ His golden blood being superior blood or powerful blood. The metaphor is telling us that Duncan’s life should have never been taken because he is king. Macduff finds out about Duncan’s death as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth fill everyone with lies and accuse the servants. Banquo is wary of Macbeth because he knows the knowledge he heard from the witches.

Scene 4

In this scene pathetic fallacy is shown by Shakespeare. This is the use of weather and nature to show emotional or effect. ‘and yet dark night strangles the travelling light’ A clear image comes from this line and pathetic fallacy is trying to show that the sun hasn’t come up because the death of Duncan has a sense of darkness and sun is not meant for such a crime.