Macbeth Analysis Act 2 Scene 1: Full Commentary

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This video is a line-by-line walkthrough guide for William Shakespeare’s Macbeth: Act 2, Scene 1. The Dagger soliloquy.

I provide a close reading of the entire scene, including:
— Detailed explication
— Commentary
— Literary analysis

All commentary is supplemented by in-text, line-by-line study notes designed to help students:
— Prepare for GCSE, A-Level, IB, and AP evaluation
— Prepare for general high school and college quizzes, exams, and essays
— Generate ideas for analysis essays
— Participate knowledgeably in class discussions

This video discusses :

PLOT:
— Macbeth’s second soliloquy: panic attack; hallucination of dagger
— Just before murdering Duncan, Macbeth encounters Banquo (his own conscience, his better self) and offers to reward Banquo if they become co-conspirators
— Banquo, the better man, refuses to plot against Duncan
— Macbeth’s subconscious takes the refusal as a rebuke, and the panic attack/hallucination is triggered

CHARACTER:
— Banquo: tempted to make his son king, but possesses strength of character to resist
— Macbeth: alienated from self; must kill his own better self (like Voldemort and the horcruxes); morally aware of wrong-doing; aligns himself with his shadow, his dark side; lack of self-knowledge

THEME:
— Ambition
— Strength of character
— Alienation from self results in mental disorder, panic attacks, extreme anxiety
— Wasteland: social and psychological; the Great Chain of Being disrupted
— Hubris summons Nemesis; fate (the bell); sad inevitability of human folly
— Hubris summons Nemesis
— Appearance vs reality

Writing a LITERATURE ANALYSIS ESSAY? See my practical guide, with model papers:
   • Literature Analysis  

If you're interested in Shakespeare analysis, see my other playlists:

MACBETH:
   • Macbeth Scene by Scene Analysis  

For Macbeth THESIS STATEMENT prompts see:
   • Плейлист  

ROMEO and JULIET:
   • Romeo and Juliet  

For Romeo and Juliet THESIS STATEMENT prompts see:
   • Плейлист  

HAMLET:
   • Hamlet Scene by Scene  

For Hamlet THESIS STATEMENT prompts see:
   • Плейлист  

OTHELLO:
   • Othello  

TWELFTH NIGHT:
   • Twelfth Night