Act 2, scene 1 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. Shakespeare is full of these reverberations, and it is astonishing when you consider the connections that exist between seemingly simple lines of text and actions and words spoken by other characters in the play. Act 3, scene 2 Both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth express their unhappiness. Macbeth speaks of his fear of Banquo especially. He refers to a dreadful deed that will happen that night but does not confide his plan for Banquo’s murder to Lady Macbeth.

Act 5, scene 7 On the battlefield Macbeth kills young Siward, the son of the English commander. After Macbeth exits, Macduff arrives in search of him. Dunsinane Castle has already been surrendered to Malcolm, whose forces have been strengthened by deserters from Macbeth’s army. Michael Grey, an enigmatic and secretive young man who was reported missing by his foster parents in 1972.

Popular Questions

Act 3, scene 3 A third man joins the two whom Macbeth has already sent to kill Banquo and Fleance. The three assassins manage to kill Banquo. Fleance escapes. Act 5, scene 2 A Scottish force, in rebellion against Macbeth, marches toward Birnam Wood to join Malcolm and his English army. Act 3, scene 6 Lennox and an unnamed lord discuss politics in Scotland. Lennox comments sarcastically upon Macbeth’s “official” versions of the many recent violent deaths. The nameless lord responds with news of Macduff’s flight to England to seek help in overthrowing Macbeth. The Sleeping and the Dead, Ann Cleeve's second stand-alone novel (in addition to numerous novels in two mystery series), is a taut, well-crafted tale of psychological suspense that cements her position among such masters as Minette Walters and Barbara Vine. Once again, we see Lady Macbeth taking charge, being strong for her husband. According to the traditional prejudices concerning gender roles of the time, men were supposed to be strong and resolute, while women were weak and irrational. Yet in this particular case, the roles have been reversed completely. It is Lady Macbeth who's being the strong one while her husband gets himself into a state over strange voices he claims to have heard.

Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood/ Clean from my hand?’– Similar images are to be found in a number of classical tragedies: Sophocles, Oedipus Tyrannus , 1227; Seneca, Phaedra , 715-8; Seneca Hercules Furens , 1323-9. As Porteous digs into the past and Hannah does her best to avoid her memories of that same past, the mystery of what happened to Michael Grey slowly begins to come to light, but not before more lives are lost. Porteous isn't the only one whose life is disrupted by the body's emergence after 30 years. Prison librarian Hannah Morton has more than enough stress in her life. Her husband recently abandoned her for another woman and her teenaged daughter is increasingly rebellious. Hannah needs to get away, but a visit to her hometown of Cranford and her old friend Sally doesn't bring her the respite she'd hoped for. Instead, she learns that the body in the lake has been identified and it's her old boyfriend, Michael Grey.

The Sleeping and the Dead

No, this my hand will rather/ The multitudinous seas incarnadine/ Making the green one red.’ – ‘multitudinous’ refers to the many seas found around the globe; ‘incarnadine’ is the first recorded use of the word as a verb. Etymologically, it means ‘make flesh-coloured or pink’, but Shakespeare clearly means ‘make blood-red’ here, perhaps by confusion or association with the word ‘carmine’. The manner in which Macbeth’s speech patterns sway from impetuously flowing polysyllables to the stark stresses of ‘the green one red’ adds to the impression of his unbalanced mental state. Contento, William G. "Index to Science Fiction Anthologies and Collections". Archived from the original on 2008-01-06 . Retrieved 2008-01-07. Act 5, scene 3 Reports are brought to Macbeth of the Scottish and English forces massed against him. He seeks assurance in the apparitions’ promise of safety for himself. But he is anxious about Lady Macbeth’s condition and impatient with her doctor’s inability to cure her. Act 2, scene 4 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.