Macbeth LRJ act 2

1. Macbeth has many negative traits as well as positive traits in act 2. One negative trait is that he begins to go insane after he murders Duncan. He starts rambling to lady Macbeth about voices in his head. This is shown on page 51, lines 39-44. "Methought I heard a voice cry "'Sleep no more!/Macbeth does murder sleep," the innocent sleep,/Sleep that knits up the raveled sleave of care,/The death of each day's life, sore labor's bath,/ Balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course,/ Chief nourisher in life's feast-" This shows that he was taken back by the murder and now he is changing. Duncan also shows a negative trait when he is persuading people to leave the room where he is about to murder Duncan. this is shown on page 45. "I think not of them./Yet when we can entreat an hour to serve,/We would spend it in some word upon that business,/If you would grant the time." This shows how devious Macbeth is acting. He is persuading people to leave the room so he can carry through with the murder. A positive trait of Macbeth is that he strongly regrets the murder after he does it. This is shown on page 63. "Oh, yet I do repent me of my fury,/That I did kill them." Macbeth feels terrible for what he has done and really wants to go back and change what he did. Macbeth shows another positive trait. He shows determination and ambition as he starts to feel better. He wants to fix what he did. This is shown on page 65. "Let's briefly put on manly readiness and meet i'th' hall together." This shows that he is recovering quickly from his shock of the murder. It shows that he is a strong leader.

2. Lady Macbeth shows a negative trait when she is talking to Macbeth after the murder, shown on page 49. "A foolish thought to say a sorry sight." This shows that she is heartless and only wants what is best for herself. It appears as if she doesn't even think of the murder as a bad occurrence and she just wants to get done what is needed to get done. She also shows another trait when Macbeth is feeling terrible about the murder. She doesn't even try to comfort him. She just orders him around as if nothing has happened. This is shown on page 53. "Infirm of purpose!/Give me the daggers. The sleeping and the dead/Are but as pictures. 'Tis the eye of childhood/That fear a painted devil. If he do bleed,/I'll gild the faces of the grooms withdal,/For it must seem their guilt." A positive trait of Lady Macbeth is shown on page 51. "These deeds must not be thought/After these ways; so, it will make us mad." Although Lady Macbeth is telling Macbeth to forget the murder, she is doing it so they won't be sad. She just wants to forget this terrible thing that they have done. In a way she is trying to help Macbeth get through what he has just done. Another positive trait of Lady Macbeth is found on page 63 when she faints. "Help me hence, ho!" This shows that she finally seems to care about the murder that just happened and shows that she actually does have a heart.

3. In act 2, imagery appears to set the tone as dark and disturbing; a perfect mood for the murders. The scenery appears to be mysterious and frightful. This is shown many times throughout this act such as when Fleance speaks on page 43. “The moon is down. I have not heard the clock.” This introduces the act as a dark and strange night, for the moon is nowhere in sight. This is also shown when Banquo speaks at the beginning. “Their candles are all out.” This pattern continues throughout the scenes of act 2 to show a dark and evil atmosphere.