| What reason does Banquo give as to why he can’t sleep? | He fears the cursed thoughts that disturb his slumber |
| How do Banquo’s thoughts/actions compare with Macbeth’s? | Banquo tries to resist the temptation to do evil, but Macbeth is plotting murder |
| What is Lady Macbeth feeling as she waits for her husband to return after killing the king? | Jumpy and superstitious |
| After he murders the king, Macbeth imagines a voice saying that Macbeth “has murdered sleep” and he “shall sleep no more”–what does the voice mean? | The voice means that Macbeth will never again rest with a clear conscience |
| What do you think that Macbeth’s imaginings suggest about his emotional state? | His guilty conscience is beginning to cause him anguish |
| Why couldn’t Macbeth join in the prayer of Malcolm and Donalbain that he overheard? | He was overcome with guilt and horror |
| Shakespeare often made use of “comic relief”–how does the Porter’s speech in scene 3 serve as comic relief? | The tone of his speech is humorous, and provides comic relief through imagery and dramatic irony |
| How does Lady Macbeth get blood on her hands? | She smears the grooms with Duncan’s blood |
| What does Lady Macbeth’s reaction to the blood reveal about her character? | She is ruthless and capable of controlling her nervousness despite the strain |
| When Macbeth explains why he killed Duncan’s attendants, is everyone convinced that he’s being truthful? | His actions in Act I make it sound convincing to some, but some of the nobles find it unpersuasive |
| Why does Macbeth murder the grooms? | So they can’t claim they were framed for the murder of the king |
| Why do Duncan’s sons decide to leave Scotland after their father’s murder? | They suspect treachery, and fear for their safety, and that their father’s killer will try to murder them, too |
| What conflicts could the surviving sons of Duncan cause for Macbeth in the future? | Malcolm has a legitimate claim to the throne, and could rally the nobles to his cause |
| What does Macbeth see in the air in front of him before he kills Duncan? | A bloody dagger |
| What does Macbeth bring back with him after he murders Duncan? | The bloody daggers belonging to the grooms |
| What is a dramatic foil? | A minor character whose attitudes, beliefs, and behavior differ significantly from those of a main character, highlighting flaws or suggesting what might have been |
| Who has been Macbeth’s dramatic foil so far in the play (until the end of Act II)? | Banquo |
| Why does Macbeth refuse to do as Lady Macbeth commands, and not take the bloody daggers back to the sleeping quarters of the grooms? | He can’t bear to return to the scene of the crime |
Macbeth: Study Guide Questions, Act II
July 24, 2019