Macbeth Soliloquy: Act II Scene I

Prior to this soliloquy, Lady Macbeth convinces Macbeth to murder king Duncan. She has come up with a plan to get his servants drunk so they won't remember and Duncan will be unguarded. While he is unguarded they will kill him and blame it on the servants. Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth to be courageous which gives Macbeth the strength he needs to be able to kill Duncan. This soliloquy takes place after Banquo has informed Macbeth of his dream about the witches speaking the truth. Macbeth has just convinced himself to follow through in killing Duncan. He speaks of a dagger, which is most likely a symbol for the witches that are controlling the situation. It is likely that the witches aren't using magic to control, but instead are using the idea that they had previously put in Macbeth's head. The dagger points to his hand, which could mean that it is time for him to use the dagger to kill Duncan. Macbeth has become so obsessed with this murder that he is hallucinating to make himself feel better about the decision he's made. Macbeth says,  "I have thee not, and yet I see thee still" (Line 36, Act 2, Scene 1) suggesting that this is a hallucination or a sign from the witches who like to create chaos and negativity in the lives of others. Macbeth thinks about e fact that he cannot reach out and touch the dagger, because it is not real. He begins to tell the dagger that it looks as though it is as real as the news is pulling out now, sugggesting that the fake dagger directed him in a way he was already going. This action proves that he is set in his decision to kill the king and he is going mad with the idea of it. He realizes that there is no dagger there and that he is having the types of thoughts in preparation for the murder he is planning. He says that now the world is asleep and they seem dead in their sleep. This means that Duncan is asleep and the py can kill him, but he no longer seems to sleep as restful as before. He says that wicked dreams abuse sleep suggesting that he has been loosing sleep over the fact that he has an internal struggle between killing Duncan and allowing him to continue as king. These thoughts of sleep representing the dead may cause Macbeth to loose sleep due to his overwhelming guilt later.      
Macbeth mentions  Pale Hecate's, the goddess with three powers and possibly three different heads to accompany each side. These powers consisted of witches with magic, the darkness of the moon and the underworld and those who need her protection are granted the ability to move safely in the dark. In this act Shakespeare only addresses the magic side, saying that witchcraft celebrate's Pale Hecate's offerings. One of Pale's faces was a dog which represents the wolf in the line, "Alarum'd by his sentinel, the wolf, / whose howl's his watch, thus with his stealthy pace,/ moves like a ghost." (Lines 54 to 58, Act 2, Scene 1). As Macbeth uses this he is imagining offering murder to be able to move safely in the dark, watched by the wolf head of Pale Hecate so that everything goes according to Lady Macbeth's plan. He thinks that the wolf head will watch over him and alert him if something goes wrong, allowing him to complete his task safely without being seen, like a ghost.      
Macbeth also mentions Tarquin's strides as he tries to imagine moving as smoothly, as quickly and as quietly as the roman prince who sneaked into a roman wife's bedroom and raped her. The majority of his focus in this part of the soliloquy is on being stealthy and accomplishing the task quickly and with ease opposed to thinking about killing Duncan. He continues to focus on stealth as he asks the hard surface of the earth to not hear his steps or the direction of his steps because he knows that they will echo back when he breaks the silence with his act of murder. Macbeth then finishes the soliloquy saying, "Whiles I threat, he lives:/ Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives."(Lines 62 to 63, Act 2, Scene1) meaning that while he speaks, Duncan is living and the longer he stands talking the more the heat of the moment wears off and he will not have the courage. He then leaves to kill the king at the ring of a bell from Lady Macbeth, a signal that to a servant means that his drink is ready but to him it means that Duncan is represented by the drink and that Lady Macbeth is ready for him to die. He tells Duncan to not listen to the bell because it summons him to either heaven or hell and he mustn't wake. In conclusion this soliloquy is Macbeth preparing himself to kill the king so that he is not to be noticed while waiting for Lady Macbeth's signal.