Ms. Peifer
English 10 IB, Hr 4
2 March 2009
Macbeth: Act 2
Throughout act two, more negative qualities of Macbeth have become known, such as his inability to speak up for himself. He ended up murdering Duncan even though he knew it wasn't right. Afterwards he was regretful saying, "I am afraid to think what I have done" (2.2.66) and "Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood from my hand? No, is my hand will rather the multitudinous seas incarnadine, making the green one red" (2.2.78-81). These show how much remorse he has and how even though he has done this dreadful act he still has a conscious, one of his positive attributes.
Lady Macbeth on the other hand is much more outspoken and harsh. She is unsympathetic to Macbeth's worries and is determined to carry out the murder to achieve power. While Macbeth is busy feeling guilty, it seems Lady Macbeth has no conscious at all because she says, "A little water clears us of this deed" (2.2.86), meaning all the guilt will disappear in no time. She is also very deceitful because she pretends to be sleeping and faint when the murder is announced to everyone. She tells Macbeth to "get on your nightgown, lest occasion call us and show us to be watchers" (2.2.90-91). For just a moment during act two the reader is able to see a more gentle and vulnerable side of Lady Macbeth. She tells the reader that "had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had done 't" (2.2.16-17). This shows that Lady Macbeth is still able to love and feels for others besides herself.
In this act sleep is used to represent suspicion and guilt. Banquo talks of sleep many times and uses it to show that he is suspicious of Macbeth. First he just speaks of it more generally, saying, "A heavy summons lies like lead upon me, and yet I would not sleep" (2.1.8-9). This is showing that he thinks something is going to happen but he's not sure of what. Later, he goes on to ask Macbeth, "What, sir, not yet at rest? The King's abed" (2.1.15) and also tells him, "I dreamt last night of the three Weird Sisters" (2.1.25). This shows that Banquo is connecting some of this initial suspicion to Macbeth because he had a dream about the Weird Sisters who told Macbeth the prophecy. What also adds to this is that Macbeth is still awake, long after the king and this is unsettling to Banquo. Sleep is also used to symbolize guilt. Macbeth connects sleep with the guilt he has for murdering Duncan. He says, "Methought I heard a voice cry 'Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep' - the innocent sleep" (2.2.47-48). This demonstrates how Macbeth connects sleep to innocence and the murder he has committed to an innocent person so he feels especially guilty.
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