Monday, September 15, 2008

Macbeth Act 2 questions

This is the place where you can ask your questions about Macbeth, answer one another's questions, and post comments about your understandings to help one another learn. Remember this is NOT education as usual. It is up to you to help one another learn.

35 comments:

Laurao said...

Ok, well I don't understand if Banquo knows that Macbeth is going to kill the King?

BayleyK said...

Laura- He might think about it now that Macbeth has kinda brought up th topic.

robertc2012 said...

I wonder if Macbeth wants Banquo to be on his side to make him the scapegoat in his plan. Macbeth doesn't tell him about his plans, so maybe he wants to hide them until he's done with his evil. Then he might point the finger at Banquo. I don't know, it's just a prediction.

chelseac2012 said...

Robert, you have a good point. But, honestly, I don't really think Macbeth would do that. Macbeth seemed to have second thoughts about him committing a murder, why would he bring someone else into play? Sure, he may want a scapegoat but I think he trusts Banquo enough and wouldn’t do that. Just my opinion but then again it is a tragedy, people die, and people go crazy and commit murders!

kaleidoscope_eyes said...

I think he just wants to know that he has something solid in his life, in this case banquo's friendship. If you're life suddenly involved murder, witches, and who knows whatelse your sanity would most likely be at stake. To keep Macbeth from falling off the deep end, he just wants to know that Banquo is normal. Maybe he was just stepping out of the moment of tention and talked to his friend. you know, "say, a friend of mine has an issue...". That sort of thing. I think he wants his 3rd party advice.
i know i talked myself in circles, but maybe you can see some sence in it.

connorm said...

I want to know if Fleance is feeling any envy or if he is feeling proud of Banquo and Macbeth?

carolineb2012 said...

Honestly, I don't think Fleance feels much of anything. He may suspect something is going by the way that Banquo and Macbeth are acting, especially Macbeth. But I don’t think he knows what is happening. If Banquo doesn’t know, how would Fleance? But if he does know do you think that he would really feel proud or envious? If your father’s best friend were planning on murdering someone would that make you proud? Would it give you a warm fuzzy feeling? Maybe it makes you really jealous that they get to kill someone? Really, I don’t think Fleance is jealous, proud, or even suspicious, he’s just a character in the play.

And I agree with Chelsea. I don’t think he is looking to use Banquo as a scapegoat. I think he values their friendship too much, and he wouldn’t want to put the blame on him. I wonder though, if the time comes will he rat out his wife and say that it was her idea?

chelseac2012 said...

If anyone ratted out anyone, I honestly think Lady Macbeth would rat out Macbeth before he had the chance to use her as a scapegoat. She has no problem to rat out her own husband, in my opinion. Macbeth seems hurt by what he’s done, while Lady Macbeth seems to have no problem and doesn’t want guilt. Macbeth feels guilty and, honestly, he probably wouldn’t betray anyone. He’s very upset and probably wouldn’t mind being killed at the moment, ashamed of what he’s done.

Anonymous said...

This is for the second period class only!!

I have a question -- I'd like to play all the old men throughout the play (or servants) and I wanted to know if I should bring in a walking stick for props? I can also do a pretty fair Old Man accent!

Just wanting to know if anyone would care if I was all the old, weird parts. I think they're fun! And they can be funny, too!

john c said...

I just have a quick question-
When Shakespeare writes,
"And yet dark night strangles the travelling lamp:Is't night's predominance, or the day's shame,That darkness does the face of earth entomb,When living light should kiss it?", does he mean that it is physichally dark (as in nightlike or it is clouded over) or does he mean that a figurative darkness, like a bad feeling or premonition of something that is coming?

In response to Tristan- I personally don't care. If you want the part, you've got my vote.

And props would be cool (HINT HINT TO ANYONE OUT THERE WITH SPARE CASH (jk jk))

Thanks

John

chelseac2012 said...

Tristan –
If you want to bring props, brings props!

John –
I think it could go both ways. For the first thought, people may simply think physically but the deeper meaning may be a bad feeling.

Megg2012 said...

John- I think that Shakespeare leaves room for the reader to decide, but since this was a play, preformed at the globe, I think he is talking about the feeling, because plays were only preformed during the day at the globe. Maybe that is just my opinion though. Also, in class today (5th period!!) we were talking about Lady Macbeth's line "...but I shame to wear a heart so white..." Smith said it meant like Lady Macbeth has an innocent heart, she doesn't feel guilty. I thought that maybe it meant that she was somewhat ashamed to be so clean of guilt, like she felt bad that she was so innocent. What do you guys think??
Thanks
Meg

mariep2012 said...

Meg - That would make a lot of sense about what Lady Macbeth is saying because Macbeth sort of said the same thing, but the opposite. He said that his hands were covered in blood from not just the literal blood, but the guilt he felt too. Good thinking! Also, I was wondering if anyone has noticed that whenever the bell rings in the scene, something happens? Does this mean anything symbolic or just a coincidence?

alexandriab2012 said...

John- I think what Shakespear is trying to say is "And yet dark night strangles the travelling lamp" -so The light from the watchman is being engulfed by the night because it's so late- so it's really dark outside- and then ":Is't night's predominance, or the day's shame,That darkness does the face of earth entomb,When living light should kiss it?" means that the night -or darkness- is then in the morning kissed- or touched or goes away- because of the sun.
Hope that makes more sense now.

alexandriab2012 said...

I saw this play during the summer, so I'm not saying I'm an expert, however if you need help or how the actors act this out, I would be more than happy to help (or at least try).

Anonymous said...

Meg- when I was reading Lady Macbeth's quote I understood it like she felt shame because she looked so innocent to eveyone else and yet she had done something bad. Smith thought Lady M meant that she knew she had done something bad but didn't feel guilty or bad about it.
Marie- I didn't really notice the bell, good observation. I don't think we have read far enough in the story and not enough bad things have happened yet to tell if the bell rings every time something bad happens.

Personally, I think macbeth will kill anyone at this point. I think he has gone crazy and wants no one to know about his secret even if it kills him. I think Lady M will make him kill again to keep her looking innocent.

mariep2012 said...

Anasophia - I totally agree with you about Macbeth's feelings right now. I think that once he has crossed the line, it will be easier and easier for him to do it again and again. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if he betrayed his "beloved" wife for power and fame.

sammiet2012 said...

This question is for enyone who has read the play or seen it. I know that Macduff is supposed to be the opposite of Macbeth but in the same position, but does he ever get put into the same situation as Macbeth does? What I mean is that will Macduff ever have the chance to get to a higher position by murduring someone?

Laurao said...

I don't understand the significance of the two daggers, shouldn't it only take one to kill the king. I understand that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth want to frame the two guards, but is there any way it could be foreshadowing deaths to come? I don't know maybe I'm just reading too much into it, can anyone help me? Thanks.

Laurao said...

Anyone in the Period 2 class, (and Period 5 if you want) that has night as their key word, please start taking notes and writing them down. I'm going to start putting my thoughts into this on Thursday (I need more time to read). We need to get a jump on the project! Thanks!

treyjb2012 said...

Guys! Hey I'm confused. Is what we read in class act two or is there more of it because i don't know about you guys but that seemed really short.

treyjb2012 said...

annasophia and megg I totally agree with you guys. I really thin that would be interesting if he turned on Lady Macbeth. After all she made him kill the king. Oh and Laurao i thin that is an interesting analogy. That's weird because it wouldn't hurt to let one guard live (assuming they try to kill them which they will)? Interesting [feel goatee], very interesting. =}

kailynw2012 said...

What do you guys think is the strongest emotion? I know that seems a little irrelevant, but I am seeing how jealousy and fear corrupts so many so severally in these books, and I was wondering if you think there is a stronger emotion.

Also, I was wondering if you think that the authors of these books or plays really thought and created so much symbolism, consciously, or if the stories have just become alive, in a sense.

Thanks for your input! ( I almost put a trillion !!!! there but I resisted aren't you proud)

-Kailyn

kaleidoscope_eyes said...

LAURA~
i have night as my word to, and i think peter does aswell. We just have to note act II right?

Laurao said...

Leslie, yeah I might try to start blogging on my blog, maybe point out things that I found interesting. I don't really know, I have a lot going on so I'll try if it doesn't happen just start blogging about it here, it is probably easier anyway.

Laurao said...

Kailyn, I don't really know which is stronger, fear or jealousy. They both play mojor roles in this play, sometimes these work together, other times these work seperately to cause a conflict. It should be interesting to see the outcome of the play.

BernardoT2012 said...

Since Laura seems busy, I'm going to open up my blog for the word night. Everyone with this word please post so we don't miss anything.

chelseac2012 said...

Does anyone think that Lady Macbeth will eventually feel guilty for what her and her husband have done?

BernardoT2012 said...

I don't think that Lady Macbeth will feel guilty per se. She has been indirectly involved the whole time, so she has no actual "human feeling" involved in this. She sees Duncan as a great opportunity for her gain, and not as another human being.

I do think Lady Macbeth is going to be sorry though. Since this is a tragedy, I think Macbeth is going to be discovered and he's going to drag Lady Macbeth down with him. She's definitley going to suffer, I just don't know if she's going to care until then.

katiez2012 said...

I also would like to know if Lady Macbeth will eventually feel guilty about all of this. I honestly don't think she will because she is not that kind of person but I'm not sure.

Laurao said...

This is still confusing me so I will write it again. I don't understand the significance of the two daggers, shouldn't it only take one to kill the king. I understand that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth want to frame the two guards, but is there any way it could be foreshadowing deaths to come? I don't know maybe I'm just reading too much into it, can anyone help me? Thanks.

brookem said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
brookem said...

Laura-
I think that you’re getting to the right idea about the two daggers. But I also think that the two daggers could also stand for Lady Macbeth and Macbeth because they planned to kill Duncan, one dagger for each of them. Also, you did kind of go for the very literal sense of the two daggers, there are two because there were two guards. Maybe you are reading too much into it, but that’s what gets you thinking and you then come to different conclusions and you can maybe start to understand why Shakespeare’s writing is so debated. But good luck with the rest of the book!
-Brooke

alisonr2012 said...

I do not think that Lady Macbeth will feel guilty about what she and Macbeth have done. She is evil and does not care that she forced Macbeth to kill the king. If she does begin to feel guilty she will blame Macbeth for it. All Lady Macbeth cares about is status.

katiez2012 said...

I wonder what Macbeth will do with all of these feelings of guilt.