Act Two 'Murders in the Air'

Macbeth’s home

Scene One
Fleance and Banquo wander the halls they come across Macbeth and a servant. They discuss the King and the weird sisters. Banquo gives Macbeth a gift for his wife from the King. They leave and go to bed. Macbeth sends his servants to bed. He is alone and imagines he see a dagger and talks of his plan to murder Duncan. He exits to kill Duncan.

Scene Two
Lady Macbeth enters, she has heard noises; she fears someone will awake before Macbeth has completed the act. Macbeth enters carrying two bloodstained daggers She tells him to plant the two daggers on Duncan’s chamberlains. Macbeth seems in shock and will not move. A knocking can be heard; he wishes that it would wake Duncan. Lady Macbeth takes the daggers from Macbeth and goes to plant them on the Chamberlains. The knocking continues.

Scene Three
A porter goes to the door. He is drunk. He opens it and lets Macduff and Lennox in. The Porter leads them through the house. Macbeth enters. Macduff tells Macbeth he has been told to wake Duncan early. Macbeth shows him to the room that Duncan is in. Macduff exits to the room. He re-enters to tell the group that Duncan has been murdered. He sounds the alarm. Lady Macbeth enters, Macduff tells her of the murder.

Banquo enters, and then Macbeth, Lennox, Ross, Malcolm and Donalbain follow. Lennox suggests that it was the chamberlains. Macbeth says he has already killed them to avenge the murder. Macduff questions why he has done this. Macbeth claims he has done it out of love for the king. At this point lady Macbeth faints and is taken away.

Malcolm and Donalbain tell each other of their concerns for their life. All leave except Malcolm and Donalbain. They voice their plans to flee to England and Ireland.

Scene four
Ross and his father enter they talk of the madness of Duncan’s horses. Macduff enters and tells the two that Malcolm and Donalbain have fled and that it proves their guilt. He then tells them Duncan’s body has been moved to Colmekill. They all exit

End of Act Two