Character Sketch from ISC Class 11 English Drama Macbeth Act 2 Scene 2 of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, King Duncan and the Grooms
A character sketch defines what the character is like and how he/she evolves or develops throughout the story. In this post you can find the Character Sketch of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, King Duncan and the Grooms from ISC Class 11 English Drama Macbeth Act 2 Scene 2
- Character Sketch of Macbeth
- Questions related to the Character of Macbeth
- Character Sketch of Lady Macbeth
- Questions related to the character of Lady Macbeth
- Character Sketch of King Duncan
- Questions related to the Character of King Duncan
- Character Sketch of the Grooms
- Questions related to the character of the Grooms
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Character Sketch of Macbeth
In Act 2, Scene 2, Macbeth transforms from a decisive, ruthless warrior into a psychologically broken man. Immediately after the murder, he is consumed by intense, paralyzing guilt. His mental state is defined by hallucinations, notably the voice crying, ‘Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep’, which signifies his spiritual and psychological damnation. He is incapable of thinking practically, demonstrating a profound moral horror at his actions by refusing to return to the scene of the crime and stating that not even the entire ocean can wash the blood from his hands. This scene marks the beginning of his descent into paranoia and tyranny, as he realizes the profound, irreparable cost of his ambition.
Questions related to the Character of Macbeth
Q1. What incident leads to the transformation in Macbeth’s character?
Q2. Describe the instances which indicate Macbeth’s mental state.
Character Sketch of Lady Macbeth
Lady Macbeth is the dominant figure in this scene, exhibiting remarkable composure and cold-blooded efficiency. She is focused entirely on the practical reality of the cover-up, berating Macbeth for his emotional collapse and calling him ‘Infirm of purpose!’ Her defining moment is physically taking the daggers back to the room, demonstrating her greater resolve and temporary mastery over the situation. She minimizes the gravity of the murder, equating the dead to ‘pictures’ and claiming that ‘A little water clears us of this deed’. Her strength here is a façade built on sheer will, which sharply contrasts with Macbeth’s weakness, but her dismissal of the spiritual horror foreshadows her own inevitable collapse into madness later in the play.
Questions related to the Character of Lady Macbeth
Q1. How can you distinguish between the mental state of Mcbeth and Lady Mcbeth in the light of the crime that they have committed?
Q2. What metaphors does Lady Macbeth use?
Character Sketch of King Duncan
Although Duncan is dead and never appears, his presence is still highly significant as the victim of the regicide. Lady Macbeth reveals a moment of vulnerability when she admits she would have committed the murder herself, had the sleeping Duncan not ‘resembled My father as he slept’. This momentary pause indicates that Duncan, even in death, possesses a residual moral authority that momentarily touches Lady Macbeth’s conscience. His killing is the catastrophic event that propels the entire action of the scene, creating the guilt, the blood, and the subsequent chaos.
Questions related to the Character of King Duncan
Q1. How can we see the residual authority of King Duncan?
Q2. How do we see the victimization of King Duncan?
Character Sketch of the Grooms
The King’s chamberlains, or grooms, are present as the heavily drugged scapegoats of the murder. They serve the practical purpose of the plot: their inebriated state is essential for framing them, allowing Lady Macbeth to drug their drink so they ‘mock their charge with snores’. They are also key to Macbeth’s torment, as he overhears one laugh and the others cry ‘God bless us’ and ‘Amen’ in their sleep. Their voices, heard immediately after the crime, prevent Macbeth from saying ‘Amen’, symbolising his complete and immediate exclusion from God’s grace and signalling that the world of the innocent has rejected him.
Questions related to the Character of the Grooms
Q1. How do the grooms scare Macbeth?
Q2. What injustice is meted out to the grooms?