As Bells and Knocking aren’t present in the first act, Appearances was traced instead. Appearances: “All our service, done and then done double(…)” (I.vi.1819)
“Your servants ever have theirs, themselves, and what is theirs in compt to make their audit at your Highness’ pleasure (…)” (I.vi.3234) Lady Macbeth is the exact representation of fake appearances. Right after praying for evil spirits to give her the power to murder the king she greets the king as a loyal and loving servant. The fake apprearances made by Lady Macbeth are a strong example of dramatic irony because Duncan doesn’t know about her plans to murder him and shows love to her.
Pietro, these are fine initial comments, but perhaps expand your analysis next time of bells/knocking with additional quotations. How and when does Lady Macbeth instruct Macbeth to be false in his appearances?
Bells/Knocking
“Go bid thy mistress, when my drink is ready, she strike upon the bell.” (II.i.42-43) In this quote Macbeth orders a servant to tell Lady Macbeth to ring the bell when his “drink”, or murder scene, is ready. In this scenario bells mean the coming of death to Duncan and the moment of decision, the calling of Macbeth. This makes the bell symbolize the call to tragedy in a certain way, for it is the bell who calls for the death of Duncan. “I go, and it is done. The bell invites me. Hear it not, Duncan, for it is a knell that summons thee to heaven or to hell.” (II.i.75-77) This is another support for the bell to be the call to death, to Heaven or to Hell. In this quote the bell is characterized as a knell, the bell rung before an execution, emphasizing the quality of the coming of death. “Awake, awake! Ring the alarum bell! – Murder and treason!” (II.iii.85-86) This is another support to bells being the call to death, but in a more direct and literal form because the bell is being rung to announce the death of Duncan and his passing into the afterlife, be it heaven or hell. “Whence is that knocking? How is’t with me when every noise appals me?” (II.ii.74-75) In this scene Macbeth is startled by a constant knocking which may mean madness brought by his paranoia, a constant knocking in his mind that is never at quiet (porter scene). “Knock, knock! Never at quiet. – What are you? – But this place is too cold for Hell (…)” (II.ii.16-17) + Entirety of Porter Scene. The entirety of the porter scene is a powerful example of knocking being a representation of madness, of hell on earth. In this specific quote the porter specifically mentions the knocking being relentless, never at quiet, and the idea that Hell may be found on Earth. The porter pictures his job as the porter of hell and this may also be an allusion to madness, but in his case caused by drink and joking.
Pietro, a good analysis of both bells and knocking and key evidence. Could you compare and contrast these? Are they used similarly or differently by Shakespeare? (Watch: use paragraphs to separate and organize your ideas.)
Act III had no bells or knocking presented, so I traces appearances instead:
“Ourself will mingle with society and play the humble host (…)” (III.iv.4-5)
Macbeth is hiding behind the appearance of a noble and humble king. Truly, he is an evil and corrupt king, and the people who would have killed the one who killed the old king are the ones adhering to Macbeth’s “humbleness” and kindness as the king. Again, dramatic irony is extremely present and effective in the opening of the banquet scene.
“Sit, worthy friends.My lord is often thus and hath been from his youth. Pray you, keep seat. The fit is momentary; upon the thought he will again be well. If much you note him you shall offend him and extend his passion. Feed and regard him not.” (III.iv.64-69)
In this quote Lady Macbeth is trying to remove any suspicion from the guests of her banquet. Macbeth is talking to Banquo’s ghost and is nearly spilling out all of his evil and monstrous deeds, and Lady Macbeth is maintaining a calm and strong appearance so that the lords and ladies in the feast would believe her that Macbeth is having a fit and that it is normal for that to happen since he was young. This presents dramatic irony once more in the form of lords and ladies being so close to discovering Macbeth’s deeds and yet falling prey to Lady Macbeth’s evil mind once more.
“Don’t muse at me, my most worthy friends. I have a strange infirmity, which is nothing to those that know me. Come, love and health to all.” (III.iv.103-105)
In this quote Macbeth joins in with Lady Macbeth in the cover up of his encounter with Banquo’s ghost and supports Lady Macbeth’s lie of him having a condition since he was born. He presents a calm and natural appearance to the lords to cover up his fear and creeping madness due to his bloodied conscience. This presents dramatic irony in both sides, Macbeth trying to act normal and calm down while the audience knows what he has saw and knows how strong his fear is, and the lords and ladies believing Macbeth was fine and that he had an infirmity while the readers all know that it is a lie.
Pietro, good comments on the motif of appearances. Generally, how do you think Shakespeare is using this motif to link to a larger theme? Which characters are always concerned with outward appearances? (Watch that you proof read your work before posting.)
“By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes. Open, locks, whoever knocks.” (IV.i.44-47)
This quote is very powerful and said by the witches. The pricking of the thumbs relates to a practice at the time made to discover witches, where they would prick the woman’s thumb, and if she bleeds she is normal, but if she doesn’t she’s a witch. This and the fact that the witches feel the coming of an evil presence emphasize Macbeth’s evil. With this stated, it is possible to connect knocking with the coming of death and evil. Knocking has proven to be the coming of death and evil during the Porter scene and the killing of Duncan, and now it is emphasized because the knocking represents the coming of Macbeth, a representation of evil and death. This connects to the Porter scene where he makes knocking the coming in of demons AND condemned souls, Macbeth being both.
“Ring the alarum bell! – Blow wind, come wrack, at least we’ll die with harness on our back.” (V.vi.58-59)
This quote said by Macbeth shortly before engaging in the battle which would decide his fate shows the ultimate ideal of the bells, the coming of death. The bells are used a lot throughout the battle, when the noblemen under Malcolm engage in battle, when Young Siward enters and fights Macbeth, when Young Siward dies, and twice while Macduff fought Macbeth. At all these cases it is possible to see the one thing in common, every time the bell rang a character went closer to death in a way or literally died. This quote also relates back to the murder of Duncan when Macbeth asks Lady Macbeth to ring the bell when all is ready. When Lady Macbeth rang the bell it signaled the coming of Macbeth, death, towards the king. Now there is an irony of some sorts because the bell rings when Macduff enters Dunsinane castle, signaling the coming of death for Macbeth, the king after Duncan. The bell overall in these last scenes is the harbinger of death, and at each time it rung Macbeth got one step closer to his end. There are a total of seven alarum bells rung before Macbeth is slain, which may represent many things, specifically the seven trumpets blown in the last book of the bible, Revelations.
Macbeth Characters and Motifs 
As Bells and Knocking aren’t present in the first act, Appearances was traced instead. Appearances: “All our service, done and then done double(…)” (I.vi.1819)
“Your servants ever have theirs, themselves, and what is theirs in compt to make their audit at your Highness’ pleasure (…)” (I.vi.3234) Lady Macbeth is the exact representation of fake appearances. Right after praying for evil spirits to give her the power to murder the king she greets the king as a loyal and loving servant. The fake apprearances made by Lady Macbeth are a strong example of dramatic irony because Duncan doesn’t know about her plans to murder him and shows love to her.
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Pietro, these are fine initial comments, but perhaps expand your analysis next time of bells/knocking with additional quotations. How and when does Lady Macbeth instruct Macbeth to be false in his appearances?
LikeLike
Bells/Knocking
“Go bid thy mistress, when my drink is ready, she strike upon the bell.” (II.i.42-43) In this quote Macbeth orders a servant to tell Lady Macbeth to ring the bell when his “drink”, or murder scene, is ready. In this scenario bells mean the coming of death to Duncan and the moment of decision, the calling of Macbeth. This makes the bell symbolize the call to tragedy in a certain way, for it is the bell who calls for the death of Duncan. “I go, and it is done. The bell invites me. Hear it not, Duncan, for it is a knell that summons thee to heaven or to hell.” (II.i.75-77) This is another support for the bell to be the call to death, to Heaven or to Hell. In this quote the bell is characterized as a knell, the bell rung before an execution, emphasizing the quality of the coming of death. “Awake, awake! Ring the alarum bell! – Murder and treason!” (II.iii.85-86) This is another support to bells being the call to death, but in a more direct and literal form because the bell is being rung to announce the death of Duncan and his passing into the afterlife, be it heaven or hell. “Whence is that knocking? How is’t with me when every noise appals me?” (II.ii.74-75) In this scene Macbeth is startled by a constant knocking which may mean madness brought by his paranoia, a constant knocking in his mind that is never at quiet (porter scene). “Knock, knock! Never at quiet. – What are you? – But this place is too cold for Hell (…)” (II.ii.16-17) + Entirety of Porter Scene. The entirety of the porter scene is a powerful example of knocking being a representation of madness, of hell on earth. In this specific quote the porter specifically mentions the knocking being relentless, never at quiet, and the idea that Hell may be found on Earth. The porter pictures his job as the porter of hell and this may also be an allusion to madness, but in his case caused by drink and joking.
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Pietro, a good analysis of both bells and knocking and key evidence. Could you compare and contrast these? Are they used similarly or differently by Shakespeare? (Watch: use paragraphs to separate and organize your ideas.)
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Act III had no bells or knocking presented, so I traces appearances instead:
“Ourself will mingle with society and play the humble host (…)” (III.iv.4-5)
Macbeth is hiding behind the appearance of a noble and humble king. Truly, he is an evil and corrupt king, and the people who would have killed the one who killed the old king are the ones adhering to Macbeth’s “humbleness” and kindness as the king. Again, dramatic irony is extremely present and effective in the opening of the banquet scene.
“Sit, worthy friends.My lord is often thus and hath been from his youth. Pray you, keep seat. The fit is momentary; upon the thought he will again be well. If much you note him you shall offend him and extend his passion. Feed and regard him not.” (III.iv.64-69)
In this quote Lady Macbeth is trying to remove any suspicion from the guests of her banquet. Macbeth is talking to Banquo’s ghost and is nearly spilling out all of his evil and monstrous deeds, and Lady Macbeth is maintaining a calm and strong appearance so that the lords and ladies in the feast would believe her that Macbeth is having a fit and that it is normal for that to happen since he was young. This presents dramatic irony once more in the form of lords and ladies being so close to discovering Macbeth’s deeds and yet falling prey to Lady Macbeth’s evil mind once more.
“Don’t muse at me, my most worthy friends. I have a strange infirmity, which is nothing to those that know me. Come, love and health to all.” (III.iv.103-105)
In this quote Macbeth joins in with Lady Macbeth in the cover up of his encounter with Banquo’s ghost and supports Lady Macbeth’s lie of him having a condition since he was born. He presents a calm and natural appearance to the lords to cover up his fear and creeping madness due to his bloodied conscience. This presents dramatic irony in both sides, Macbeth trying to act normal and calm down while the audience knows what he has saw and knows how strong his fear is, and the lords and ladies believing Macbeth was fine and that he had an infirmity while the readers all know that it is a lie.
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Pietro, good comments on the motif of appearances. Generally, how do you think Shakespeare is using this motif to link to a larger theme? Which characters are always concerned with outward appearances? (Watch that you proof read your work before posting.)
LikeLike
Knocking
“By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes. Open, locks, whoever knocks.” (IV.i.44-47)
This quote is very powerful and said by the witches. The pricking of the thumbs relates to a practice at the time made to discover witches, where they would prick the woman’s thumb, and if she bleeds she is normal, but if she doesn’t she’s a witch. This and the fact that the witches feel the coming of an evil presence emphasize Macbeth’s evil. With this stated, it is possible to connect knocking with the coming of death and evil. Knocking has proven to be the coming of death and evil during the Porter scene and the killing of Duncan, and now it is emphasized because the knocking represents the coming of Macbeth, a representation of evil and death. This connects to the Porter scene where he makes knocking the coming in of demons AND condemned souls, Macbeth being both.
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“Ring the alarum bell! – Blow wind, come wrack, at least we’ll die with harness on our back.” (V.vi.58-59)
This quote said by Macbeth shortly before engaging in the battle which would decide his fate shows the ultimate ideal of the bells, the coming of death. The bells are used a lot throughout the battle, when the noblemen under Malcolm engage in battle, when Young Siward enters and fights Macbeth, when Young Siward dies, and twice while Macduff fought Macbeth. At all these cases it is possible to see the one thing in common, every time the bell rang a character went closer to death in a way or literally died. This quote also relates back to the murder of Duncan when Macbeth asks Lady Macbeth to ring the bell when all is ready. When Lady Macbeth rang the bell it signaled the coming of Macbeth, death, towards the king. Now there is an irony of some sorts because the bell rings when Macduff enters Dunsinane castle, signaling the coming of death for Macbeth, the king after Duncan. The bell overall in these last scenes is the harbinger of death, and at each time it rung Macbeth got one step closer to his end. There are a total of seven alarum bells rung before Macbeth is slain, which may represent many things, specifically the seven trumpets blown in the last book of the bible, Revelations.
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