Act 2 Scene 2 Essay Act 2 Scene 2 starts after Macbeth speaks a soliloquy about the terrible deed he is going to do. The soliloquy he speaks portrays his fear of killing Duncan, his fear that he will be caught in the act of murder and the supernatural theme running throughout his soliloquy. At the start, Macbeth sees a vision, a ‘dagger which I see before me’ which evidently shows that he is thinking about the murder he is about to commit. The reader can interpret this vision very differently, by saying that Macbeth is going mad from fear and it is ‘a dagger of the mind, a false creation’ before him, which creates a sense of panic and curiosity, as the reader is not sure whether he is stable enough to go through with the murder. The other interpretation is that something supernatural and scary is at work, that the dagger is a sign from the witches Macbeth spoke to.
In this scene, Macbeth’s over analysis of the situation in combination with his mind boggling guilt caused him to see this dagger that was not really there. The quote from the play informs the reader what kind of mental state Macbeth must have been in. All the stress to become king and to get rid of Duncan to do so really got to his head. The vision of the bloody dagger before him was the first mental awakening to Macbeth’s dark road ahead, and instead of turning the other way Macbeth followed as he saw it as a sign to what he should do. In addition to seeing things, Macbeth also
This is right before Macbeth will kill Duncan. On his way to murder King Duncan, Macbeth sees the vision of the bloody dagger leading the way. Significance: It is clear that Macbeth is insane. Macbeth has been convinced into the action not by his own reasoning, but by his personal insecurities, played upon by his wife, the witches, and his own ambition. By the time Macbeth’s mind conjures up a dagger for him, he can see the murder as a conclusion, not a question for his consideration.
It fair to say, in addition, that if his betrayal caused this extensive pain that clouded him after he murders Duncan, Banquo and the Macduff’s that it wasn’t a case of fate and was his own doing. However is he to blame? Or does the bulk fall on Lady Macbeth and the three witches. From his very first meeting with the witches, Macbeth's mind became instantly plagued with thoughts of murder and treachery a trait that was instantly noticed by Banquo "Good sir, why do you start, and seem to fear; Things that do sound so fair?" showing us that the thought of murder was already at the back of his mind.
Ambition is a common downfall for those who seek power. In literature, authors use characters to demonstrate the harmful effects of ambition. Shakespeare, in his play Macbeth, develops the character of Macbeth, who changes from a good-hearted person to evil because of his corrupting power and unchecked ambition. In Act I, Macbeth debates with himself on whether or not to kill Duncan. He considers that, even if Duncan’s murder could be completed without any negative consequences, like getting caught, he still would have to live with guilt.
Guilt is constantly seen throughout the play Macbeth driving the characters to question their morals. To the responder it appears that Lady Macbeth is the driving force behind the initial killing of King Duncan influencing her husband Macbeth to commit the evil deeds by threatening him with his man hood by saying “when you do it, then you are a man”. Her tone portrays her dominant nature and her hunger for authority and demonstrates to the responder her strength as a character. However her over confident traits and clear and concise thinking is diminished once the guilt of the crime poisons her conscience. This is demonstrated by her imagining her hands stained by blood and her constantly trying to clean the “damned spot” away and rid her sole of the guilt.
One such allusion is mentioned in act 2, scene 1, during Macbeth‘s soliloquy. Macbeth sees a bloody dagger floating in midair and sees on the blade a “dudgeon gouts of blood”. These red blobs are one of the first to appear in the play as symbols of murder or an act of a vicious death, foreshadowing the fate of Duncan. In act 2 , scene 2, Lady Macbeth smears blood from the dagger on the faces and hands of the kings drugged servants. This is an act of betrayal as she tries to
In this soliloquy Macbeth is considering the advantages and disadvantages of murdering his noble king in cold blood. He insinuates that those entwined in murder will suffer terrible consequences. As the play develops we realize that this quote holds a strong and carefully placed foreshadowing of what is to come. These repercussions transpire similarly for both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, both merely psychological, and created through the power of the fear and guilt that now resides within them as well as the strength of their conscience, nonetheless both are equally prevailing and are what ultimately leads to their downfall and collapse as individuals. Before Duncan’s murder, Macbeth imagines seeing a dagger floating in the air before him.
By making Macbeth see a “dagger”, an instrument capable of harm, in his “mind” “yet, in form as palpable as” the one which he holds, Shakespeare is implying that this imaginary weapon can be as harmful to Macbeth as its tangible equivalent with which he will kill Duncan. Furthermore, this dagger is accompanied of blood, which symbolizes guilt throughout the play; Lady Macbeth is proved to be notably affected by hallucinations of bloody hands that never get clean, which symbolize the consistent torturing guilt that takes over her after passively taking part in the assassinations of Duncan, Banquo and Macduff. This contrasts with the initial concept of blood introduced by Shakespeare in the first act in which a bloody captain was proudly wearing all the blood vestiges of the battle to show off his great accomplishment: Macbeth and his wife are far from proud of their devilish deeds, and because of the dishonesty of their actions, more
Laura Niemi Dr. Tait ENG 450 21 October, 2012 Othello The analysis of this play doesn’t begin with Othello, but it does start with the fact that Iago is the evil person portrayed here. He plays on Othello’s thoughts and emotions which makes Othello absolutely insane. He uses the passion that Roderigo has for Desdemona as a dagger to play on his unending nerves. He also uses Cassio’s character of love as well as drink against the lieutenant, along with Desdemona’s chastity against her. His plan of action was almost complete if he was able to murder Cassio.