Macbeth Analysis Act 2 Scene 4: Full Commentary

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See also my Macbeth Soliloquies Playlist:
• Shakespeare Soliloquie...
See also my tips on reading Shakespeare’s LANGUAGE: dai.ly/x80qtdh
You might also find my Romeo and Juliet series interesting: dai.ly/x80qt0r
This video is a line-by-line walkthrough guide for William Shakespeare’s Macbeth: Act 2, Scene 4.
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:
- Ross, an Old man, and MacDuff guardedly discuss recent events:
- the strange weather: disturbances in nature; horses eating each other
- because they have fled, Malcolm and Donalbain appear guilty of paying the guards to kill Duncan
- as Duncan’s cousin, Macbeth will be crowned king
CHARACTER:
- Ross/MacDuff: guarded, distrustful = wise in a time of treachery
THEME:
- Recap scene, exposition
- Wasteland: the Great Chain of Being disrupted
- Appearance vs reality: erosion of trust caused by wasteland/tyranny
- Ill-fitting clothes
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...
For Macbeth THESIS STATEMENT prompts see:
• Playlist
ROMEO and JULIET:
• Romeo and Juliet
For Romeo and Juliet THESIS STATEMENT prompts see:
• Playlist
HAMLET:
• Hamlet Scene by Scene
For Hamlet THESIS STATEMENT prompts see:
• Playlist
OTHELLO:
• Othello
TWELFTH NIGHT:
• Twelfth Night

[@hughmorgan2941]

these are very useful as the depth of explanation you go to really helps push my essays past those of other students!

[@5QShakespeare]

Glad to hear it:) And thanks for the support!

[@maxmarett8544]

You are a life saver, I could barely understand Macbeth before this, thanks a lot!

[@5QShakespeare]

I remember that feeling. Keep at it:)

[@lisapollifroni2417]

As a gamer and a teacher, I love how you include video game references and analogies!

[@5QShakespeare]

All good teachers are gamers;)

[@lisapollifroni2417]

@@5QShakespeare Agreed :D

[@chronosilius7296]

I see occasionally that you're all like "Oh, motifs again, I know you hate them!" or something to that effect, but I think you gotta bring up a more optimistic approach; I, for one, thoroughly enjoy the details which you mention, and understanding the motifs and their reasoning for appearance deepens the understanding for the play as a whole. What I mean to say, basically, in simple words: you talk about great stuff, even if not all of it is important (or even relevant) to the play itself.
You have my thanks, especially for providing this sort of education - free of charge!

[@5QShakespeare]

Thanks for the kind words, chronosilius. They mean a lot. I love the details, too, and I'm speaking tongue in cheek when I "eye-roll" about yet another appearance of a motif:)

[@quiria1402]

These are really useful thankyou!

[@5QShakespeare]

Glad you like them!