Macbeth Act 2 Analysis

3. Identify the following elements and their significance. There will likely be more than one for symbol, motif and imagery. Include other optional elements as significant: point of view, allusion, etc.

Literary Element/how it is shown

Significance

Symbol: Death In Macbeth it seems like everyone dies or is murdered but it would not be a shakespearean tragedy if they didn’t. Throughout the play there are 5 named characters who die including King Duncan, Banquo, Lady Macduff and her children, and finally Macbeth and his wife. Each time Shakespeare uses their death to signify the greed of humanity taking another life in order to benefit theirs.

Symbol: Blood Blood appears several times throughout the play and it comes to represent

The Witches are to blame for the illusions such as the 3 apparitions they show Macbeth when he goes to them for advice as well as the hallucinations of personified by Banquo’s ghost and the floating dagger. Shakespeare used these conflicts to entice the audience while also trying to portray his real lesson about the effect of one's actions on their mental well-being.

Motif: Sleep The Idea of sleep is first introduced in Act 2 Scene 2 after Macbeth killed Duncan he cries, “ Glamis hath murdered sleep, and therefore Cawdor shall sleep no more, Macbeth shall sleep no more.” Macbeth then reiterates his thinking in Act 3 scene 2 saying, “Duncan is in his grave, afterlifes fitful fever he sleeps well.” In a way Macbeth seems jealous of Duncan being dead because he no is at rest while Macbeth is suffering from his lack of sleep

Imagery: The Dagger In act 2 sc 1 Macbeth has a moment where he visualizes a floating dagger describing it, “ A dagger of the mind, a false creation proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain? I see thee yet, in form as palpable.” Shakespeare uses the description of the dagger to inform the reader of the significance that the dagger has on Macbeth and the plot, that being the guilty consciences of