Synopsis:
Banquo, who has accompanied Duncan to Inverness, is uneasy because he too is tempted by the witches’ prophecies, although only in his dreams. Macbeth pretends to have forgotten them. Left alone by Banquo, Macbeth sees a gory dagger leading him to Duncan’s room. Hearing the bell rung by Lady Macbeth to signal completion of her preparations for Duncan’s death, Macbeth exits to kill the king.
In the lead up to MacBeth's killing of the king he hallucinates and we are examining the bloody dagger scene in Act 2.
Compare and Contrast these three interpretaions of Macbeth's dagger soliloquy.
The School of Humanities at UC Irvine presents Humanities Headlines, Episode 9
“Macbeth’s Dagger” by Professor Julia Lupton
What can a contemporary audience learn from Macbeth’s signature Act 2 soliloquy? How does a careful and thoughtful reading of Shakespeare reveal truths about the art of language?
Professor of English Julia Lupton is the Director of the Chancellor’s Arts & Culture Initiative, UCI Illuminations and Associate Director of the Humanities Commons.
Synopsis:
Lady Macbeth waits anxiously for Macbeth to return from killing Duncan. When Macbeth enters, he is horrified by what he has done. He has brought with him the daggers that he used on Duncan, instead of leaving them in the room with Duncan’s servants as Lady Macbeth had planned. When he finds himself incapable of returning the daggers, Lady Macbeth does so. She returns to find Macbeth still paralyzed with horror and urges him to put on his gown and wash the blood from his hands.
Synopsis:
Beginning Act III, a drunken porter, answering the knocking at the gate, plays the role of a devil-porter at the gates of hell. He admits Macduff and Lennox, who have come to wake Duncan.
Macbeth appears and greets them. Macduff exits to wake Duncan, then returns to announce Duncan’s murder. Macbeth and Lennox go to see for themselves. When they return, Lennox announces that Duncan’s servants are the murderers. Macbeth reveals that he has slain the servants. When his motives are questioned, Lady Macbeth interrupts by calling for help for herself. Duncan’s sons, Malcolm and Donalbain, plan to flee for their lives—Malcolm to England, Donalbain to Ireland.
Synopsis:
An old man and Ross exchange accounts of recent unnatural happenings. Macduff joins them to report that Malcolm and Donalbain are now accused of having bribed the servants who supposedly killed Duncan. Macduff also announces that Macbeth has been chosen king. Ross leaves for Scone and Macbeth’s coronation, but Macduff resolves to stay at his own castle at Fife.