Give Reasons :

Lady Macbeth is melancholic because after attaining the crown,

disillusionment overtook her soul since Kingship, wrongly taken brought
them no happiness or peace.
She envies dead Duncan because Duncan is in his grave, enjoying
eternal peace while she lived a life of worries and agonising suspicion.
Seeing her husband, Lady Macbeth consciously shakes off her
melancholic mood because she wants to hide her mental anguish from
him.
Macbeth announces that they have inflicted a slight wound on the snake
because merely by murdering Duncan they have not managed to
eliminate obstacles which continue to stand in their path.
Uneasy lies the crown on Macbeth's head because he lives in feverish
restllesness that his treachery will eventually be discovered.
Macbeth’s note of despair when he expresses envy of Duncan is ironic
because he had murdered Duncan to enjoy the privilege and glory of
Kingship, but only he got a miserable life of relentless mental agony.
The newly crowned royals will have to flatter influential nobles like
Banquo because their positions as queen and king are not secure, since
they have wrested the crown unlawfully.
Macbeths have noticeably drifted apart because Macbeth does not take
his wife into confidence about his diabolical designs against Banquo.
Lady Macbeth’s utterance “...In them Nature’s copy’s not etrerne” is
unintentionally ironic because unknown to her, Macbeth has already
planned Banquo’s murder.
Structured Questions and answers :

Is Lady Macbeth a changed person in Act 3 scene 2?

The character of Lady Macbeth changes drastically through the play. Nothing
similar can be found between her pre-regicide self and her later self. She had
seemed to be made of an iron will and unscrupulous mind before Duncan was
killed; it is she who steadied her husband’s nerves immediately after the crime
had been perpetrated. Seemingly more strong willed than Macbeth, she helped
her husband recover from his fear after he kills Duncan, and helps in the cover
up. Some critics even believe that her fainting at the time of discovery of King’s
murder was merely an affectation . Afraid that her husband might divulge the
guilt out of his excessive fear and pricking conscience, she feigned in order to
draw the attention away from her husband. But she completely changes not
long afterwards;when guilt makes her crumble and break down.
In Act 3 scene 2, alone on stage, Lady Macbeth expresses her unhappiness:
she feels insecure and anxious. Macbeth enters looking upset and she counsels
him to stop mulling over the crimes they have committed. Just as ambition
influenced her more strongly than Macbeth before the crime, so does guilt
plague her more strongly afterward. Also, her influence upon her husband
seems to decline steadily after Duncan’s Murder. Her role in the plot
diminishes. Following Duncan's murder, as Macbeth grows more and more
used to being a tyrant Lady Macbeth plunges in guilt and misery.She becomes
an uninvolved spectator to Macbeth's plotting.She is isolated by her Lord and
is kept ‘innocent of the knowledge’, showing Macbeth’s increasing conviction in
his own viciousness. Lady Macbeth warns Macbeth to act cheerfully in front of
their dinner guests, unaware that Banquo will not be there at the banquet, that
he would be dead by Macbeth’s machination before that.
Macbeth announces that their job is not complete, that he spends his days in
fear and nightmares. He even envies Duncan, who now sleeps peacefully in his
grave. He and his wife have noticeably drifted apart. Macbeth no longer needs
to be encouraged by her in his dark deeds. When Macbeth tells his wife that on
account of Banquo and his son Fleance stabs of fear sting his mind like
scorpions,Lady Macbeth retorts that the lives of Banquo and his son are not
eternal. Spoken just to give him comfort and without intending any special
significance, she means to say that they are destined to die some day. But
Macbeth interprets her harmless statement in his own way. He concludes that
the implied meaning of her statement is that Banquo and Fleance can be made
to die a sudden death.He feels elated and encouraged by the fact that their
lives are ‘assailable’.

Lady Macbeth’s decreasing involvement in the play and downfall comes from
her guilt towards Duncan and is expressed in Macbeth’s increasing paranoia -
telling her to ‘be innocent of the knowledge’. The audience sees less of Lady
Macbeth after Duncan’s murder because of the reversal of roles between her
and Macbeth.

Analyse the phrase “ Naught’s had, all’s spent” an exploration

of the theme of fear in ‘Macbeth’.
Macbeth is set in an atmosphere of darkness, mystery, murkiness and
uncertainty. The unknown produce a sense of irrational fear - the most
life-draining, constricting and paralysing.
Evil, fear and deception in ‘Macbeth’ go hand in hand. After committing the
murder of the King, Macbeth kills the guards of the royal chamber, fearing
exposure from them.The sons of the King, who flee Scotland in fear, are
accused of the murder. From this minute onwards ambition seems to have won
over truth But little do the guilty know that henceforth their life will be
prompted by the fear of discovery, retribution and general mental agony.
Manceth’s plan to kill Banquo is prompted by the fear that while Banquo and
his son live, he can never enjoy his Kingly position. He had killed Duncan to
make the witches’ prophecy come true and now he plots to murder Banquo and
Fleance so that the witches’ promise to Banquo may not come true.
He asks Lady Macbeth to pay special attention to Banquo at the banquet
because although they are royal, they must flatter important noblemen in the
realm,so that their power is never challenged by rebellion and treason.
Macbeth makes up his mind not to let nightmares disturb his sleep in future
and plots “a deed of dreadful note”. But he keeps the plot secret from his wife,
she is obviously under immense mental strain,’terrible dreams’. She feels
alarmed by his conjuring up of an atmosphere of evil, calling upon the ‘seeling
night’ to hide his wickedness.
Lady Macbeth understands the fear that haunts her husband, who may not be
remorseful but he is afraid of discovery. The murder of Duncan has gained
them very little.They have, no doubt attained the object of their desire but
peace and happiness have deserted them forever. Lady Macbeth tried to
comfort her husband by speaking encouragingly: “what's done is done”
However, Macbeth knows better. Being haunted by his despair, he even envies
Duncan who is sleeping in his grave.Terror seized him again when he hears
that Fleance has escaped the attack of the paid assassins. The result of this
fear and guilty conscience translates to the vision he has of Banquo’s ghost in
scene 4.

“Nature’s copy not eterne…..” Saying this, How does Lady

Macbeth unknowingly give her husband the idea that Baquo
and his son could be murdered?
Lady Macbeth is not in Macbeth’s confidence as far as his diabolical designs
against Banquo are concerned. Indeed, he deliberately keeps from his wife the
fact that Banquo will not be there at the banquet, that he would be dead at
that time. He and his wife have noticeably drifted apart. Macbeth no longer
needs to be encouraged by her in his dark deeds. When Macbeth tells his wife
that on account of Banquo and his son Fleance, sharp stabs of fear are always
stinging his mind like scorpions,Lady Macbeth retorts that the lives of Banquo
and his son are not eternal. Spoken just to give him comfort and without
intending any special significance, she means to say that the tenure of life
granted to them by Nature is not everlasting and they are destined to die some
day. The ‘Copy’ refers to the legal document that the land holder keeps
regarding the tenure of his tenants. Men are meant to live their earthly tenure
as if they are on lease from Nature, with a fixed time for termination and must
die some day in the course of nature.
The line is fraught with unintentional irony, as Macbeth, unknown to Lady
Macbeth, is going to cut short Banquo’s life. Though Lady Macbeth says this
without intending any special significance, Macbeth draws a practical inference
from her utterances. He interprets her harmless statement in his own way. He
concludes that the implied meaning of her statement is that Banquo and
Fleance can be made to die a sudden death.He feels elated and encouraged by
the fact that their lives are ‘assailable’. He feels that she has given her consent
to the deed. Cheerfully he asks her to shake off all anxieties, and that a
diabolical deed will be committed before the night and hour of sleep arrives.
Describe how time, place and other circumstances were
favourable for Banquo’s murder. Why doesn't he carry out the
murder herself ?

In Act III of the play, Macbeth hires murderers to kill Banquo instead of killing
him himself because he realizes that Banquo is a well - liked, honored man and
that killing him may raise further suspicion of his involvement withDuncan’s
murder.. Thus, he convinces the murderers that Banquo is the chief reason
for their pain and unfortunate circumstances. The scene of murder is set at
dusk in a secluded location, on the road leading to the Castle of
Inverness.Dusk provides cover for the murderers,ensuring the murder remains
unwitnessed. The lack of witness and secluded setting considerably reduce the
risks of interference and of discovery of the murder. Banquo obviously trusted
Macbeth, and was therefore unaccompanied by armed escorts while heading
towards the banquet. He is caught unprepared by this attack.
After Duncan’s death, Macbeth is a king, the most powerful person in the
land, so it is not hard for him to find henchmen willing to kill an underling for
him. He knew he had to kill the anointed king, Duncan, himself, but Banquo is
a different story. He knows that even if his hired assassins try to betray him, it
will be his word against theirs, and he will be believed: he is the king.Also, he
is hosting a banquet, so he will have an alibi for the time of the murders. He
has questioned Banquo and knows he will be riding that day. Thus, nobody
will suspect Macbeth because many people will see him at the banquet.
Macbeth also has good reason not to wish to be associated with the murder or
near the crime, as he is already under suspicion for having murdered Duncan.
He doesn't want to take the risk of being accused of his friend's murder.Finally,
although Macbeth's heart is hardening, it is not hardened all the way through
yet, as we understand when his guilt is so great after ordering Banquo's
murder that he believes he sees Banquo's ghost. Banquo has been his long
time friend and comrade in arms. To murder him himself is more, at this point,
than Macbeth can do. He has already had the horrible and shattering
experience of killing Duncan: we can only imagine he doesn't want to undergo
anything like that again if he can avoid it.
Explain the significance of the closing lines of this scene.
The lines do not advance the plot anyway but prepares us for the murder to
follow by building up the atmosphere for it. Macbeth’s poetical spirits are well
conveyed here.
Macbeth has already thrown dark hints to Lady Macbeth regarding elimination
of Banquo and his son, Fleance. Their existence is a constant source of worry
and anxiety for Macbeth because according to the prophecies of the witches
Banquo’s heirs will rule Scotland after Macbeth.
While he is reluctant to share the details of what is going to be done before the
deed is committed, he has however, in an exalted mood, begins to invoke night
to come. He describes the night as the agent that blinds the eyes of all to what
happens in the dark just as during training sessions, a falconer sews the eyes
of a hawk.
Macbeth fervently invites the night to come fast and with its scarf of darkness
to blindfold the bright and compassionate eye of the day, so that it may not see
and pity the nefarious deeds that man commits. He invokes the night to come
and with its unseen and cruel hand tear off the bond by which Banquo and
Fleance hold on to life. In other words he asks the darkness of night to give
cover to the murder that is going to be committed at his command.
As darkness slowly pervades the earth, the rooks and the crows fly back to
their nests and all innocent creatures who toil honestly during daytime are
tired and sleepy. The wicked creatures that work by night are waking up to
hunt their prey. The dark hours are the right time for wicked ones who commit
their diabolical deeds against their victims.
He tells Lady Macbeth that deeds begun in wickedness must be strengthened
by repetition of the crime.As he started his career as a king with a murder,he
can only consolidate his position by another murder. The moral in the last two
lines is obvious -Macbeth is now irrevocably linked with the forces of evil which
work while the good sleep.
Macbeth seems to ask his wife to march with him from crime to crime, though
he has not told her the exact detail of his plan.He fears her weakness and
obviously the closeness between them is steadily breaking down.