Act 2 Quotations

Question 1

Macbeth: “Is this a ______ which I ___ ______ me?”

Act 2, Scene 1

Answer 1

“Is this a dagger which I see before me?”

Act 2, Scene 1
Shows the deteriorating state of mind
Question - doubt

Question 2

Macbeth: “Could not I p________ A____?”

He had “Amen” “s______ in (his) t______”

Act 2, Scene 2 (AFTER he killed Duncan)

Answer 2

“Could not I pronounce Amen?”

He had Amen “stuck in (his) throat”

• Question - representative of Macbeth’s state of mind, he is full of uncertainty and doubt
• Repetition of “Amen” brings religious audience’s attention
• “stuck in (his) throat” implies that Macbeth has acted so evily that religion turned against him - evil cannot co-exist with religion.

Question 3

Lady Macbeth: “A little w_____ c______ us of this d____”

Act 2, Scene 2

Answer 3

“A little water clears us of this deed”

• Use of the word “little” highlights how insignificant murder is to Lady Macbeth, if only a “little water” is needed to wash it away.
• “clears” implies she has got away with the murder
• She refers to “us” - in a patriarchal society, she sees herself as equal to her husband, and much like the witches, the audience see a powerful woman controlling Macbeth’s actions
• contrasts to “will these hands ne’er be clean” in Act 5, Scene 1

Question 4

Old Man: “A f_____, t________ in her p_____ of place, / Was by a m_______ owl h_______ at, and k_____”

Act 2, Scene 4

He also said “tis unnatural” before

Answer 4

“A flacon, towering in her pride of place, / Was by a mousing owl hawked at, and killed”

• Subversion of the natural order - small owls are now killing falcons; it suggests that the behaviour of Macbeth has become so unnatural it has caused the natural world to fall apart.
• Image of a “mousing” owl - associations of small size and lack of strength
• Idea of it killing a “towering” falcon - suggests power and immense size - links with the unnatural idea of Macbeth killing the King