Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Macbeth Act II Response

Am I the only one who is still having a little trouble keeping up with all the changing characters and scenes and everything? Maybe I am...anyway this is my response to act two.

"Go get some water,
And wash this filthy witness from your hand.
Why did you bring these daggers from the place?
They must lie there: go carry them; and smear
The sleepy grooms with blood."
(Shakespeare 50)

This is, to me, one of the most important lines because it tells a lot without actually saying a lot. Literally it just means that Lady Macbeth wants Macbeth to get cleaned up and return the daggers to the room where Duncan was killed and make it seem like the guards did it.  I don't think she thought this plan out too well.  Why would the guards kill Duncan and then fall asleep in the room? I don't know about you, but if I were to kill someone I probably wouldn't want to take a nap immediately following it...
Another thing is that Macbeth shows no real sign of honor in this.  He didn't necessarily want to kill Duncan. He was not 100% confident in his actions.  He listened to Lady Macbeth because she just wants to be the queen.  If she wanted something so badly, she should have done it herself.
The action that Macbeth took changes the whole story around.  With Duncan gone, we don't really know what to expect.  Will Macbeth get away with it?  Will Lady Macbeth suffer any consequences for convincing Macbeth to commit this crime?  What if someone else takes the throne, or what if someone returns the favor to Macbeth and he never gets to have the glory of being king after he went through what Lady Macbeth told him to?  There is quite a bit to think about as we read on more in the story.

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