Act 2 Scene 1

Characters: Fleance, Banquo and Macbeth
Location: Macbeth’s Castle

Summary: Macbeth vists Banquo who is with his son Fleance and macbeth is having cursed thoughts. Banquo was surprised to see Macbeth still awake but explains how he has had a dream about the ‘three weird sisters.’ Macbeth is left by himself and he has a vision of a dagger. He also thinks he has seen blood on the blade of the dagger and is now willing to kill Duncan.

Short summary: Macbeth thinks he is seeing a dagger with blood n it and decides he should kill Duncan.

Quote: “Is this a dagger I see before me. The handle towards my hand?”
– Macbeth

Quote Expanded: Macbeth was previously unsure about killing the King but has now been tempted by Lady Macbeth. He has no imagined how there is a dagger laying before him which is leading him to Duncan’s chamber to execute him.

Act 2, Scene 2

Characters: Lady Macbeth and Macbeth
Location: Macbeth’s Castle

Summary: Lady Macbeth has drugged the Guards that should have been watching Duncans chamber and they fall asleep. She says she would have committed the murder by herself if Duncan didn’t look like her father while he was sleeping. Macbeth enters with bloody hands and tells a story about how two people woke up while he was performing the murder and one yelled “murder!” but went back to sleep. Lady Macbeth realises her husband is still holding the dagger and tried to get him to frame the guards. Lady Macbeth smears Duncans blood over the guards and ditches the weapon beside them. There is a knock at the door and she hurries Macbeth to bed so they don’t look suspicious. Macbeth regrets killing Duncan.

Short Summary: Lady Macbeth was going to murder Duncan but he looked too much like her dad. Macbeth did the deed but regrets it. Lady Macbeth smears blood and drops the weapon by the guards to frame them

Quote: “Had he not resembled. My father as he slept, I had done’t”
– Lady Macbeth

Quote Explained: Lady Macbeth explaining that if Duncan didn’t look so simular to her father while he was sleeping she would have committed the murder by herself.

Quote: “Macbeth hath murdered sleep”

Act 2 Scene 3

Characters: Macbeth, Macduff, Malcolm, Lady Macbeth, Dobalbain, Porter, Lennox
Location: Macbeth’s Castle

Summary: The Porter is slow to open the door to Macduff and Lennox. Macduff goes to wake up Duncan. Lennox says that there was spooky things that happened in the night such a screams and a little earthquake. Macduff comes back with the news that Duncan has gotten murder and ask Lennox and Macbeth to look for themselves because it is too grossum for him to describe. Lady Macbeth and Banquo arrive. Lennox thinks that the Guards killed Duncan because they are drunk and covered in the King blood. Macbeth kills to Guard and he says it is because of his love for the King. Dobalbain andMalcolm discuss that they should leave. Dobalbain goes to Ireland and Malcom goes to England because it safer for them to be apart rather then together.

Simple Summary: Macduff tells Lennox and Macbeth that the King has gotten murdered. They think it is the Guards because they are covered in the Kings blood and have a dagger. Macbeth kills the guard for his love for the King. Dobalbain and Malcolm leave for Ireland and England to be safe.

Quote: “Had I died an hour before this chance
I had lived a blessed time”
– Macbeth

Quote Explained: Macbeth was saying that if he had die an hour before the King died

Act 2 Scene 4:

Characters: Macduff, Ross and Old Man
Location: Outside Macbeth’s Castle.

Summary: Macbeth has been named King and he now rides to Scone to be crowned. Suspicion has fallen upon the two Princes Malcolm and Donalbain because they have left. Macduff goes to Fife instead of watching Macbeth in Scone which could indicate his suspicion. Ross goes to Scone.

Quote: “Thou seest the heavens, as troubled with man’s act,
Threatens his bloody stage: by th’ clock ’tis day,
And yet dark night strangles the travelling lamp
Is’t night’s predominance, or the day’s shame,
-Ross