Character Sketch of the Porter, Macduff, Lennox, Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Banquo and Duncan’s Sons (Malcolm and Donalbain)| Macbeth Act 2 Scene 3

by | Dec 16, 2025 | General | 0 comments

Macbeth Act 2 Scene 3 ChSketch

 

Character Sketch from ISC Class 11 English Drama Macbeth Act 2 Scene 3 of the Porter, Macduff, Lennox, Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Banquo and Duncan’s Sons (Malcolm and Donalbain)

 

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 the Porter, Macduff, Lennox, Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Banquo and Duncan’s Sons (Malcolm and Donalbain) from ISC Class 11 English Drama Macbeth Act 2 Scene 3

 

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Character Sketch of the Porter

The Porter is the first character seen in the scene, providing brief, dark comic relief. He is a commoner who has been drinking heavily, and his primary function is to delay the discovery of the murder while also commenting ironically on the night’s events. He pretends to be the ‘devil-porter’ of hell’s gate, humorously suggesting that the guests i.e. a farmer, an equivocator, and a tailor are all sinners fit for eternal damnation. This role as a gatekeeper of hell subtly foreshadows the morally corrupted state of Macbeth’s castle. His exchange with Macduff about the effects of alcohol is a direct though veiled reference to Macbeth’s recent deed and subsequent emotional paralysis.

 

Questions related to the Character of the Porter

Q1. How does the porter provide comic relief?
Q2. How does the porter delay the discovery of the murder?

 

Character Sketch of Macduff

Macduff, the Thane of Fife, enters as the loyal subject who was commanded to wake King Duncan on time. He is characterized by his commitment to duty and his visceral, unadulterated shock upon discovering the murder. His reaction was crying and exclaiming, ‘O horror, horror, horror!’ and refusing to speak of the sight, instead inviting others to witness the ‘new Gorgon’ marks him as a man of genuine integrity and deep feeling. Unlike the Macbeths, his grief is real. He is the first person to openly challenge Macbeth’s story by asking the reason behind his actions after he admits to killing the guards, establishing Macduff immediately as a figure of suspicion and moral opposition to Macbeth.

 

Questions related to the Character of Macduff

Q1. What can you say about Macduff’s character, based on his reaction to the murder?
Q2. How does Macduff differ from the Macbeths?

 

Character Sketch of Lennox

Lennox serves as an observer and a voice for the supernatural and political disorder that follows the regicide. Before the discovery, he sets a chilling atmosphere by describing the ‘unruly’ night filled with unnatural omens, chimneys being blown down, ‘strange screams of death’, and the earth shaking. This description heightens the cosmic significance of Duncan’s murder, confirming that the physical world is reacting to Macbeth’s unnatural crime. After the murder is revealed, Lennox provides the initial proof by describing the blood-covered grooms, unwittingly framing the wrong people and solidifying the narrative Macbeth needs.

 

Questions related to the Character of Lennox

Q1. Elaborate on the description given by Lennox, which forewarned of the regicide.
Q2. How does Lennox describe the crime scene?

 

Character Sketch of Macbeth

Macbeth is now playing the role of the innocent, welcoming host, but his language and actions are heavily controlled and performative. He delivers a dramatic, sorrowful speech about how all life is meaningless now that Duncan is gone. His most crucial moment is the revelation that he killed the two guards out of supposed fury and love for the King. This is a brilliant, though risky, tactical move to silence witnesses and ensure the murder is pinned on them. When justifying his haste, he contrasts his ‘violent love’ with the ‘pauser, reason’, demonstrating his ability to quickly fabricate a compelling emotional defense, even if it immediately draws suspicion from Macduff.

 

Questions related to the Character of Macbeth

Q1. How does Macbeth feign innocence?
Q2. What reason does Macbeth give for killing the grooms?

 

Character Sketch of Lady Macbeth

Lady Macbeth enters the scene perfectly embodying the role of the frail, gentle, and concerned hostess. Her initial line, ‘What’s the business… that such a hideous trumpet calls to parley / The sleepers of the house?’ is a masterful piece of dramatic irony. Her true moment of service to Macbeth, however, comes when Macduff questions Macbeth’s decision to kill the guards. By feigning a dramatic collapse, she successfully draws all attention and scrutiny away from her husband’s highly suspicious confession, allowing him to escape further interrogation at a critical moment.

 

Questions related to the Character of Lady Macbeth

Q1. What irony does Lady Macbeth project?
Q2. How does Lady Macbeth resume her husband?

Character Sketch of Banquo

Banquo’s role is brief but significant. He enters after the alarm has been raised, expressing genuine shock and concern. However, his most powerful moment is his concluding speech where he takes a firm, moral stance. He declares his intention to stand ‘In the great hand of God’ and fight ‘Against the undivulged pretense I fight / Of treasonous malice’. This statement confirms his unwavering integrity and his suspicion that the murder is part of a larger, hidden plot, marking him as the first character to explicitly pledge to find the real truth.

 

Questions related to the Character of Banquo

Q1. How do we see Banquo’s integrity?
Q2. How does Banquo put forth his suspicion?

 

Character Sketch of Duncan’s Sons (Malcolm and Donalbain)

The two princes are initially overwhelmed by the news, but their reaction quickly turns to pragmatic fear and self-preservation. While Macbeth and Banquo engage in dramatic grieving and plotting, Malcolm and Donalbain speak quietly aside, realizing that since they are next in line for the throne, they are now the most vulnerable. They decide to split up and flee immediately, with Malcolm going to England and Donalbain to Ireland. This calculated escape is based on the saying, ‘There’s daggers in men’s smiles. The near in blood, / The nearer bloody’, showing their mature understanding of the treachery around them, but also conveniently making them look guilty of the murder in the eyes of the other Thanes.

 

Questions related to the Character of Duncan’s Sons (Malcolm and Donalbain)

Q1. Why do the slain king’s sons flee?
Q2. What fear do the royal princes have in hte face of their father’s murder?

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