| Scene 1 | Appearance vs Reality (Macbeth hallucinates the dagger, the first hallucination of many throughout the play)Light vs Darkness (Banquo remarks on the darkness of the night, as do many other characters, foreshadowing the evil events of the night) |
| Scene 2 | Imagery of blood (Macbeth feels guilty and feels as if the blood will never wash away, Lady M tell him the they can wash the blood, and their guilt, away w water)Sleep vs Sleeplessness (Macbeth hears a voice saying he will never be able to sleep again bc of his actions, as sleeplessness is punishment for evil actions)Religion vs Spirituality (Macbeth is unable to say amen) |
| Scene 3 | Pathetic Fallacy (Lennox makes a speech in which he talks about the unruly and strange events in nature represent the horror of Duncan’s murder)Religion/spirituality (Duncan’s murder is the most sacrilegious, because he is next to god)Appearance vs Reality (Macbeth and Lady M pretend to be shocked by Duncan’s murder, Macbeth kills guards and Lady M faints)Imagery of blood (Bloody guards are mentioned, blood in terms of lineage is also mentioned, Malcolm and Donalbain know that they are in danger because of their position in the blood lineage) |
| Scene 4 | Order vs Disorder (natural world turning against itself)Pathetic Fallacy (sun isn’t shining, world seems cloaked in darkness)Ambition (Ross blames thriftless ambition for the “actions” by Malcolm and Donalbain and their desire to gain their father’s position)Imagery of blood (The heavens, as troubled with man’s act/Threaten his bloody stage, etc) |
Macbeth Act 2 Motifs and Themes
August 16, 2019