Macbeth Act 2

Foreboding

"There's husbandry in heaven:/ Their candles are all out" - The stars have been hidden. Macbeth and his wife have called on darkness to hide their deeds. This shows secrecy and that fate has already been decided and cannot be undone.

'Merciful powers' - Banquo contrasts MB as his faith lies with God.

'CursEd thoughts' - Sense of foreboding and restless anxiety

'Who's there' - Banquo doesn't feel safe in his friend's castle - he knows something's about to happen

Diamond is given to L.MB by Duncan - Ironic, charm against witchcraft (he is unprotected)

"allegiance clear" - Banquo is suspicious of Macbeth and knows he is lying when MB says he doesn't think of the Witches 

Soliloquy
'Is this a dagger' - Either from his imagination or conjured by witches (or L.M) to support his act.

Directly after he was forced into preparedness by his wife - He is ready to act now.
Later he is anxious and echoes his words in A1S7. When left alone his mind conjures fear and hallucinations. 

A contrast in doubt and stability - Only one interruption. He has only himself to deceive.

He doesn't think of the plan or what to do after, but the difficulty in the task. He also looks away from the dagger and thinks of Tarquin (**** of Lucrece -"Wolves' death-boding cries")

Humans are passive and objects control - bell 'summons', dreams 'abuse'.

Imagery of witchcraft/murder against innocence by secret and ruthless powers ('curtained sleep' and Lucretia) 

Questions at beginning -> suspense and deliberation from long sentences and adjectives -> Q's answered (but resolution is repetitive)

Sympathy

• 'I have done the deed' - Act takes place off stage. Audience wouldn't have sympathy if they saw it
• Lady Macbeth couldn't kill Duncan as he reminded her of her father - humanising.
• They fear discovery with the daggers - guilt metaphor.
• MB is already regretting the act but LMB says 'a little water cleans us' - she has no psychological effect as she renounced femininity 

Religion

• Macbeth has to walk by the king's sons as they prey. MB cannot say 'amen' -  a sign of being bewitched.
• He 'shall sleep no more' - punishment for regicide in his sleep.
• The knocking of the gate is symbolic of hell and reality of the unpoisoned world outside. - the deed is shocking and evil.

Parables
The stories told by the Porter are introduced for comic relief. The stories would be funny to a Jacobean audience.
The Equivocator - reference to priest involved in gunpowder plot and foreshadows Macbeth's lying.

Macbeth
Short, simple sentences - contrast with monologues and soliloquies. He has to be careful
Macbeth now has to lie to lie to Macduff and Lennox before killing the sleeping guards - Moral decline, a contrast to his honour at the start.

The Unruly night
'Night has been unruly' and 'lamentations' refer to nature being in turmoil due to the disruption of natural/divine order. Linked to Satan rebelling against God.

Other Characters
Banquo - Speaks firm and judicious
Malcolm and Donalbain - Speak aside = secrecy. They know it wasn't the guards who killed him.

Anecdotes
The stories of a mousing owl killing a falcon shows the disruption of natural order.

Ross
Ross questions what the guards would gain out of Duncan's murder - Secrecy, hiding what he knows.
He also dismisses the idea that the sons would be involved.
Ross follows along with Macbeth out of uncertainty while Macduff does not travel to Scone.