Question

part 2: close reading questions directions: answer each of the following questions completely and in full sentences. 1. what is the purpose behind shakespeare including the conversation between banquo and his son, fleance, at the start of the act? -what has shifted between the first act and the start of this one? the purpose behind banquo & fleance’s conversation is to... the shift between act i and the start of act ii is... 2. macbeth is clearly lying when he tells banquo that he “thinks not” of the witches (since he plans to kill the king tonight based on their prophecy). -why does macbeth lie? -what does this reveal about his character now? macbeth lies to banquo because... this reveals his character is now... 3. at the beginning of ii.ii what is the reason lady macbeth gives the audience for having not just killed duncan herself? -why is this ironic? lady macbeth claims she couldn’t kill duncan herself because... this is ironic because... 4. macbeth tells his wife that he could not say “amen” when he heard the king’s sons wake say their prayers before returning to sleep. why was he unable to say amen? how has he changed after murdering the king? macbeth was unable to say amen because... revisit macbeth’s passage about sleep in ii.ii. what does he really mean when he says, “macbeth shall sleep no more”— “macbeth hath murdered sleep”? why does he feel this way? when macbeth says he “shall sleep no more” and that he “hath murdered sleep” what he really means is... he feels this way because...

Explanation:

Question 1

• Purpose of Banquo & Fleance’s conversation: To establish a contrast between their peaceful, loyal demeanor and the impending evil of Macbeth’s plot, and to foreshadow Fleance’s future (since the witches prophesied his line would be kings).
• Shift between Act I and Act II: The tone shifts from ambition and prophecy (Act I) to guilt, secrecy, and the execution of the murder plot (Act II). The setting also moves from external, public spaces to internal, private (and sinister) spaces like Macbeth’s castle.

• Why Macbeth lies: He wants to hide his plan to kill the king (inspired by the witches’ prophecy) from Banquo, who is perceptive and loyal to the king. Admitting he still thinks of the witches would reveal his murderous intentions.
• Character reveal: This shows Macbeth has become deceptive, paranoid, and willing to lie to protect his treacherous plans—his loyalty and honesty have been replaced by guilt and duplicity.

• Lady Macbeth’s reason: She claims Duncan resembled her father as he slept, so she could not bring herself to kill him (she felt a familial, compassionate hesitation).
• Irony: This is ironic because Lady Macbeth earlier mocked Macbeth for being “too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness” and claimed she would have “dashed the brains out” of her own child if promised power. Her supposed compassion now contradicts her earlier ruthless resolve.

Answer:

• The purpose behind Banquo & Fleance’s conversation is to establish a calm, loyal contrast to Macbeth’s guilt-ridden plotting and foreshadow Fleance’s royal lineage.
• The shift between Act I and the start of Act II is from public ambition/prophecy to private guilt/plot execution, with a darker, more secretive tone.

Question 2