When Macbeth is alone, he imagines a dagger which is leading him toward Duncan. Lady Macbeth devises a plan. Her intentions are to get everyone to drink excessively and pass out. This would allow Macbeth to kill Duncan and place the daggers on the sleeping guards. Macbeth hears the bell and knows that it is now safe to carry out the murder.
Important lines in this scene are lines 40-41
Macbeth: Is this a dagger which I see before me,
The handle toward my hand?
In scene two, Macbeth finally decides to murder Duncan and is successful. He returns to a very tense Lady Macbeth who admits that she would not have been able to commit the murder herself. This is because Banquo resembled her father. Macbeth explains to Lady Macbeth that he heard sounds and thought he had heard people chanting, `Macbeth shall sleep no more.``Realizing Macbeth had not left the daggers on the sleeping guards, Lady Macbeth takes them back to the scene of the crime. She returns after hearing knocking and tells Macbeth that they must return to their chamber, wash their bloody hands, and change their clothing.
An important line in this scene is line 85
Lady Macbeth: A little water clears us of this deed.
I've always thought that this shows what a vicious and manipulative character Lady MacBeth is. Is she representative of the dark side of many women who get men to do their "dirty work" so they retain their social masks as charming hostesses and nurturing mothers. Is she the "bad girl" we all love to hate?
ReplyDeleteFor any of you Macklin students having a hard time trying to understand what is going on in this play, imagine this scenario.
ReplyDeleteMr. Germann has come home to Mrs. Germann and is telling her about his day at school. He has been commended numerous times by numerous staff about his ability to solve technological problems while correcting the grammar faux pas of both staff and students. The principal has called him in and offered him the post of technology coordinator of the school. Germann accepts, and without thinking, invites the principal over to his house for a celebration barbecue.
Mrs. Germann is enraged. Not only has Mr. Germann invited someone for supper without asking her first, he has only accepted the honour of a position he's been doing all along. She wants him to go for the principalship. (She can't do it herself as she is at home raising Mr. Germann's progeny). She not only wants him to become principal in order to increase her prestige as the principal's wife, but also have regular shopping excursions to North Battleford while her husband attends Admin Council once a month. She threatens to drop each of the children from the top of the SUV without the trampoline below unless he considers a devious plan to depose the principal. Perhaps they could serve some of the leftovers from PAA class for supper and kill him off with heartburn?????