Summary

• Macbeth tells Banquo that they will speak of the witches another time as he doesn’t want any new influences now.

• Macbeth hallucinates and sees a dagger.

• He still goes to kill Duncan.

Quotes

‘How goes the night, boy?’

• Shakespeare indicates the fact that it is night due to the fact that when the play was initially performed there was no forms of lighting to indicate the time of day.

• Setting the scene for the audience - forming an eerie atmosphere.

• The audience now knows that the fate of Duncan is near.

‘There’s husbandry in heaven’

• ‘Husbandry’ low frequency word meaning economy

• The heavens have been economical and haven’t put out many stars - it is pitch black - emphasising the time during this scene

• Pathetic fallacy

‘Restrain in me the cursed thoughts’

• Banquo is desperate for sleep but can’t.

• Shakespeare draws contrast between the characters Macbeth and Banquo by displaying their different responses to the cursed thoughts inspired by the witches (Macbeth is acting out on those thoughts and Banquo prays for divine support to be released from them).

• ‘cursed’ shows that he acknowledges how horrible his thoughts are, whereas Macbeth refers to them as ‘desires’, which makes it seem like it is supposedly not his fault that he is so greedy.

‘Take thee that too’

• Ambiguity in Shakespeare’s language - up to interpretation on what Banquo’s character is like depending on what he gave to Fleance.

• E.g: loving, trusting, protective etc.

‘I dreamt last night of the three weird sisters’

• Banquo is honest.

• He trusts Macbeth.

‘I think not of them’

• Macbeth lies, emphasising the fact that he is deceitful, untrustworthy, and determined to kill Duncan to therefore become King.

• Highlights his greed and negative character traits.

• Dramatic irony - the audience recognises that Macbeth is lying.

‘So I lose none’

• So I lose no honour.

• Suggests that Banquo is distrusting of Macbeth.

‘The handle toward my hand?’

• Macbeth is the one committing the murder, he is not running from death in this situation.

• Highlights the maliciousness of his and Lady Macbeth’s schemes.

• Rhetorical question shows his doubts in his own thoughts.

‘Come, let me clutch thee’

• Foreshadows when Macbeth returns to Lady Macbeth holding on to the two daggers.

• ‘clutch’ - shows Macbeth’s bloodlust, and that it is not only the kingship he wants to have forever, but also the fact that he kills.

• ‘let me’ - Macbeth is doing it willingly - damage to the mind that he is creating himself.

‘A dagger of the mind, a false creation’

• It is in his mind.

• It is not real.

• Theorised that it was created by supernatural power, showing that even is Macbeth had second thoughts at this stage, it is near to impossible to change his mind.

‘heat-oppressed’

• Fever.

• Not attaching any blame to others - he understands that he is responsible and he is worried about his new state of mind.

• Anxiety.

‘dudgeon gouts of blood’

• Shows that Duncan’s death will be violent.

• Highlights Macbeth’s desperation to act out on his dark desires.

Structure

• 11 syllable lines to show when Macbeth has evil intentions.