Act 2

Question 1

‘Their candles

Answer 1

are all out’ - Banquo states before Duncan’s death. ominous and symbolic of extinguishing of duncan’s life

Question 2

‘art thou but a

Answer 2

dagger of the mind’ - reflects his inner conflict of the desire to kill Duncan but also his hesitation

Question 3

‘hangman’s

Answer 3

hands’ - connotations that Macbeth is an executioner - idea that it was not simply a murder

Question 4

‘a little water will

Answer 4

cleanse us of this deed’ - believes a little water will cleanse them of it. no guilt. juxtaposes Macbeth’s idea that not even ‘Neptunes ocean’ will cleanse him

Question 5

‘wake duncan

Answer 5

with thy knocking’ - Macbeth immediately regretful

Question 6

‘this place is

Answer 6

too cold for hell’ - Macbeth’s actions even worse than the devil

Question 7

‘the earth was feverous

Answer 7

and did shake’ - supernatural affects and the abnormality of the murder

Question 8

‘There’s daggers

Answer 8

in mens smiles’ - Donalblain knows that someone is lying. metaphor for appearance vs reality

Question 9

‘lest our old robes

Answer 9

sit easier than our new’ -
Macduff is subtly already opposing Macbeth. Robes a metaphor for kingship

Question 10

Banquo vows to fight

Answer 10

‘treasonous malice’ - opposite of Macbeth

Question 11

Banquo - ‘in the great

Answer 11

hand of god i stand’ - devoutly religious and therefore would believe in the divine right of kings. verb ‘stand’ as if opposing evil

Question 12

“o, horror

Answer 12

horror, horror’ macduff after finding Duncans dead body. Repetition and reduction in language