Ian Lee

Period 5 English 21
5/15/2014
Macbeth Word Journal Act 2
Due: 5-16-2014
Blood: Tracing a motif through act two
A. Mine eyes are made the fools othother senses, Or else worth all the rest. I see thee still,
And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood. Which was not so before? Theres no such thing:
It is the bloody business which informs thus to mine eyes. (II.1.45-49)

B. My eyes are shown to be wrong by my other senses or they show the truth. I still see you
(Duncan) and on your dagger there is blood everywhere, which was not there before. It does not
exist; it is murder which shows me it is true.

C. Macbeth sees the ghost of King Duncan, who he has murdered. He knows that it is an
apparition, and yet he also knows that the murder is very much real and it is his fault. Duncans
blood stains his hands and haunts Macbeth from here on after.

A. Who was it, that thus cried? Why, worthy thane, you do unbend your noble strength to think so
brain-sickly of things. Go get some water and wash this filthy witness from your hand. Why did
you bring these daggers from the place? They must lie there. Go carry me and smear the sleepy
grooms with blood. (II.2.47-53)

B. Who made that noise? Why noble lord, do you give up your royal strength and think such weak
thoughts. Get some water and remove the evidence from your hands. Why did you bring the
daggers from their place. They must be left there. Go bring them back and smear blood upon
the guards.

C. Macbeth strangely brings back the daggers used to murder king Duncan. Perhaps he feels regret
about his actions. His wife berates him for doing so telling him to remove the blood from his
hands and return the daggers. She has no remorse over the incident at all.


A. You are, and do not knowt.The spring, the head, the fountain of your blood. Is stoppd; the
very source of it is stoppd. Your royal fathers murderd. O, by whom? Those of his chamber
as it seemd had donet. Their hands and faces were all badgd with blood. So were their
daggers which, unwipd, we found upon their pillows. They stard and were distracted; No
mans life was to be trusted with them. (II.3.93-101)

B. You are and dont yet know. Your patriarch, your father life has been taken. He was
murdered. By who? It seems as if his guards did it. They were covered in blood as were their
daggers which lay uncleaned. They were distracted and cannot be trusted with to guard
anyone.

C. Duncans sons are being informed of the death of their father. They are told that his guards
killed him and that they are incompetent for doing so. They are extremely sloppy about the
murder which may pique some suspicions.

A. What will you do? Lets not consort with them. To show an unfelt sorrow is an office which
false man does easy? Ill to England. To Ireland, I. Our separated fortune shall keep us both
the safer. Where we are, Theres daggers in mens smiles; the neaer in blood, the nearer
the bloody. (II.3.131-137)

B. What will you do? We should not associate with them. To feign sadness is a skill that a liar
does easily. Ill go to England and You will go to Ireland. Splitting up will keep us safer.
Where we currently are men may be ready to kill us, the closer in bloodline, the nearer the
murderers.

C. Duncans sons decide upon a course of action in light of their fathers murders. Although
they dont yet suspect Macbeth they know that if they stay their lives will soon be taken.
This is the beginning of Macbeths downfall.

A. Thou seest the heavens, as troubled with mans act, Threatens his bloody stage. By thclock tis
day and yet dark night strangles the travelling lamp. (II.4.5-7)

B. You see the heavens disturbed by the actions of man. It threatens his bloody life, the clock says
its daytime yet the darkness shuts out all light.

C. This line discusses the overall way that God must look down upon man and be bothered by the
amount of bloodshed that occurs. Despite the fact that the time is day the darkness of the world
overshadows the light.

A. Here comes the good Macduff. How goes the world, sir now? Why, see you not? Ist known
who did this more than bloody deed? Those that Macbeth had slain. (II.4.21-23)

B. Here comes good Macduff. How are you doing sir? Have you not heard? It is known who has
done these foul and bloody deeds, those Macbeth has killed.

C. Macbeths wrongdoings have become widely known by all. Macbeth now must not only deal
with his own regrets, but also the wrathful vengeance of King Duncans loyal subjects. Now
Macbeth shows he has more than the kings blood on his hands.

D. Blood is quite often used in its most literal sense in this act. It becomes a haunting phrase
for Macbeth as he is almost drenched in it as it represents both his regrets and the amount
of murder he has committed for the crown. The blood also represents the relations between
the king and his sons in a use of irony as their blood connection could potentially lead to the
end of their own blood and their lives. Blood is also used to refer to relations such as that
between King Duncan and his sons. These relations are also used to describe the loyalty
of Macbeth to King Duncan as he begins to regret his involvement.