As I read the first 4 scenes of act 1, I could understand that Macbeth is a very noble warrior and until the prophecy, he was really loyal to Duncan. But when he found out about the prophecy that the witches told him that he was Thane of Glamis and Thane of Cawdor, and that he would be king one day, his ambition and thirst for power starts messing around in his mind. Macbeth gets really interested in knowing more about the prophecy, as we can see in scene 3 line 78-80, “Say from whence you owe this strange intelligence or why upon this blasted heath you stop our way with such prophetic greeting. Speak, I charge you.” If Macbeth was not ambitious, as he is loyal to the king, he would not want to hear of such a foretelling of him becoming king, as the only way for him to achieve that would be to either kill the king, or overthrow him off his power.
From scenes 5-7, I learned that although Macbeth is full of ambition, he does not have the courage by himself to kill Duncan. Therefore, Lady Macbeth comes in and tells him that she will help him achieve his goal. Lines 17-18, page 31, “Yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way.” Lady Macbeth believes that Macbeth is too good to commit such a crime. As Macbeth does not have the courage, Lady Macbeth takes over the act of killing the king. She tells him to be have the image of a good person, but in reality be a snake and trick the king. We can see this on page 35 lines 75-78, “Bear welcome in your eye, your hand, your tongue. Look like th’ innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t.” So it is Lady Macbeth that actually moves Macbeth to commit the crime. She tells him that they are going to get Duncan drunk and then make him fall asleep, so they can stab him and then put blood in his servants hands while they are sleeping so everyone will think that it was the servants who killed the king. So I learned that Macbeth is not a bad person, but he still wants to accomplish his ambition, but he would not be able to without lady Macbeth.
Macbeths motivation is to kill the king so he can take over his throne and become the king. Since Macbeth heard about the prophecy he could not think of anything else. He wants to be king and Lady Macbeth will help him with the killing of Duncan. However, he does not like to have to kill Duncan, but he knows it is the only way to conquer his goal to be king. We can clearly see this on page 45 lines 92-95 “I am settled and bend up each corporal agent to this terrible feat. Away, and mock the time with fairest show. False face must hide what the false hearth doth know.” He is not very comfortable with having to do this, and he has to be fake and act like everything is good and he knows he is being a traitor to the king.
I can see that Macbeth is very worried about the prophecy. At first he did not believe it was true, and even questioned Banquo if he believed it. But as the guards came up and said that he was also the thane of Cawdor, he started believing in what the witches said. Macbeth likes what the prophecy says, but he is not comfortable with it because he doesn’t know if it is true. This is shown in page 23 lines 143-150, “This supernatural soliciting cannot be ill, cannot be good. If ill, why hath it given me earnest of success commencing in a truth? I am Thane of Cawdor. If good, why do I yield to that suggestion whose horrid image doth unfix my hair and make my seated heart knock at my ribs against the use of nature?”. He does not know if the prophecy tends to be good or bad, but it makes his hair stand up as he is not comfortable with it.
Macbeth in Act 2, scene 2, is feeling very regretful of his action of killing the king. First, the act of forgetting to put the dagger in the servants can be seen as he was nervous and wanted to leave Duncan’s room quickly.
While in the hall, Macbeth has a vision of a dagger floating in the air, the handle facing him, and the tip toward Duncan. He goes to grab it, but the dagger vanishes, and that makes him wonder if it was actually real or just a trick that his troubled mind was playing on him. “A dagger of the mind, a false creation proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?” (page 59).This quote shows Macbeth thinking about if the dagger is actually real. It can be clearly seen that Macbeth regrets what he has done, but still will not give up his objective of becoming king. When Lady Macbeth discusses with him why he had not left the daggers with the servants, and tells him to go back and place them with them, he says he does not want to see more of what he has done. With this quote,it can be understood that Macbeth is starting to become paranoid, 2.ii.76, “Whence is that knocking? How is ‘t with me when every noise appalls me?” Even Macbeth himself, can see that he is hearing noises out of nowhere. He hears owls and the knocking disturb him for no reason.
When the servants wake up full of blood, Macbeth instantly chooses to kill them, as he does not know if they remember that he killed Duncan. This action raises suspicion to himself, but he says that he was so full of anger he could not contain himself from killing the servants. Macduff then asks why he killed them and Macbeth starts to talk to much, so Lady Macbeth faints as to raise attention to her, as she is seen weak ass a woman, and the sight of death is too harsh for her.
The news of Duncan being killed in Act 2, starts a chain of events. In Act 2, Malcolm and Donalbain decide to leave, as they are afraid of being killed, as they believe that they will be killed next for they are the same blood of Duncan. 2.iiii.163-166, “To Ireland I. Our separate fortune shall keep us both safer. Where we are, there’s daggers in men’s smiles. The near in blood, the nearer the bloody.” Donalbain means that there are snakes that they can’t trust, and as they don’t know who it is, it’s better to leave before they are also killed. As both are sons of Duncan and they know that whoever killed the king wants the throne, they are a threat to whoever killed their father. This makes the others suspicious of Malcolm and Donalbain, as they are leaving just after the death of their own father. Another event that Macbeth causes, is his coronation in Scone. As the King of Scotland is dead, other lords named Macbeth as the new King. Therefore Ross goes to Scone to see Macbeth become the official king. 2.iiii.43-44, “He is already named and gone to Scone to be invested.” This quote by Macduff shows that Macbeth has already been chosen.
In Act 2, Macbeth raises a bit of suspicion in Banquo, as Banquo recalls the prophecy of the witches, and then Banquo realizes that it is becoming true. Macbeth lies saying that he did not think about it anymore, and tells Banquo to discuss another time. However, it is only in act 3, that Banquo starts to really question that Macbeth was responsible for the crime. Later on to Act 3, Banquo and Macbeth start to not trust each other as Banquo believes Macbeth was the one who killed the King, and Macbeth realizes this, and is afraid that Banquo’s children are going to become kings.
Enrico, I think that your comments about Macbeth are really detailed and they mention most of the parts of Macbeth in the act, however I think you could also focus on how other characters see Macbeth in the act, and how they might talk about him and also the small parts of Macbeth in the play because they are important as well. Also something to focus on is the order that the evnts happened sometimes they are not in order.
Enrico, your comments on Macbeth and evidence from the act are fine, but watch that you don’t fall into plot summary at times. You have a LOT of things you could trace, so choose 3-5 quotations that show how Macbeth’s character is changing in the act and focus on these and your analysis of his character. No need to comment too much on other characters, as this may detract from your focus.
In act 3, Macbeth is much more manly and evil, and he seems to have switched roles with Lady Macbeth. From scenes 1 through 3, Macbeth shows us evidence that he has changed completely. In Act 2 and Act 1, he was not bold enough to kill Duncan. Macbeth was very scared and it was Lady Macbeth who encouraged him to kill Duncan. But now it seems that Macbeth got used to killing for his own benefit, as in scene 1 Macbeth taunts the murderers so they will kill Banquo and Fleance for him. It is clearly seen that Macbeth has taken Lady Macbeth’s role, in Act 1 scene 7, when she asked him if he was man enough to complete the task. Macbeth uses manhood to question the murderers if they are not man enough to kill them, just as Lady Macbeth used on Macbeth to make him kill Duncan. Macbeth realized that this technique worked on him, so he knew it would also work on the murderers. Macbeth has become fearless and ruthless in Act 3, as he now realizes that his hand is covered in blood, so he must at least complete his ambition of staying King. It can be seen that Macbeth is becoming evil when he asks the murderers to kill Banquo, “So is he mine, and in such bloody distance that every minute of his being thrusts against my near’st of life. And though I could with barefaced powers sweep him from my sight, yet I must not, for certain friends that are both his and mine, whose loves I may not drop, but wail his fall that I to your assistance do make love, masking the business from the common eye for sundry weighty reasons” 3.1.132-142. This is Macbeth lying to the murderers saying that Banquo is his enemy, and that he could order him to be killed as he is the king, but he can’t because he has noble friends that are close to him and would not like him killing Banquo. This is not true, as Banquo has done nothing to Macbeth, and he does not actually care if the other nobles become mad at him, he just wants to persuade the murderers to complete the killing of Banquo and Fleance for him.
Although Macbeth has become ruthless and evil in Act 3, he feels really guilty about having killing Duncan. The act of killing Duncan has taken a heavy toll on Macbeth, and is making him have nightmares and is not sleeping well. Macbeth is not happy even though he became the King, his ambition since he heard the prophecy in Act 1. “ O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife! Thou know’st that Banquo and his Fleance lives” 3.ii.41-42. He is going paranoid, as he says ‘‘we have scorched the snake, not killed it.” (3.ii.15) By this he means that by killing Duncan, he has ensured his seat as king for some time, but there is still Banquo’s son that might become king as the prophecy stated.
The language between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth has changed in Act 3. Now they use a more paranoid and suspicious style of language. Conquering the title as King turned out to bring Macbeth more drama and torture than happiness. “full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife” (3.2.37), shows how Macbeth has become troubled along the way. Every person that Macbeth kills is supposed to make him feel less stressed and more secure that the title of king will belong to him. However, Macbeth becomes more violent and frightful than before.
The theme of the beginning of Act 3 is how acting toward ambition without any moral limitation, is presented. Macbeth has become unpredictable as he will do anything that will ensure he remains the King. By Act 3, it can be understood that Macbeth has become crazy and will kill anyone, or lie, or trick anyone, just so he will stay king. He has come to far to look back, and he came a long way to give up. “I am in blood / Stepped in so far that, should I wade no more, / Returning were as tedious as go o’er” (3.4.135–137). This shows how Macbeth sees that he has come to far to quit.
It is seen that Lennox is very suspicious of Macbeth. He believes that Macbeth is the one who killed Duncan and then Banquo afterwards. Lennox believes that Macbeth is responsible for killing Duncan because Macbeth told everyone that he killed Duncan’s guards as he was outraged that they were the ones who killed Duncan. “Damned fact, how did it grieve Macbeth! Did he not straight in pious rage the two delinquents tear that were the slaves of drink and thralls of sleep? Was not that nobody done? Ay and wisely too, for ‘twould have angered any heart alive to hear the men deny ’t” 3.ii.11-17. Lennox says this while talking to the Lord on scene 6. This shows how Lennox is suspicious of Macbeth, as he had killed the guards, and said they were the ones who killed Duncan, as to avoid suspicion to himself. However, Lennox is figuring out that Macbeth is the traitor. Another act that raises suspicion to Lennox about Macbeth, is when Macbeth is at the feast and he sees Banquo’s ghost. When Macbeth sees the ghost, he says to the ghost, “Thou canst not say I did it. Never shake thy gory locks at me” 3.iiii.49-50. Even with Lady Macbeth telling everyone that Macbeth is not well, it still raises suspicion to Lennox.
In act 4, we can see that Macbeth has entered into a phase of complete madness. When Macbeth decides to kill Macduff’s wife and his young son in Act 4, scene 2, marks him going mad. Now Macbeth is not killing to fulfill his ambition, he is just doing it to harm and show the people around him not to mess with him. Macbeth also seems to be lost in thought. He seems to have lost the touch of reality and reason. When he sets out to search for the Weird Sister, and comes back and talks to Lennox about them, we can clearly see Irony. Macbeth himself says, “Infected be the air whereon they ride, and damned all those that trust them!”, iiii.1.157-158. The irony in this is that Macbeth tells Lennox that those who listen and believe the witches, are cursed. We can see this in both ways, that Macbeth has realized he trusted them and now he is damned, or that he has not thought about it, but he was the one who trusted them in the first place and he is starting to become cursed.Even though the Witches tell Macbeth that no man of woman born going to harm him, he will kill him to make sure he is safe. “Then live, Macduff; what need I fear of thee? But yet I’ll make assurance double sure and take a bond of fate. Thou shalt not live, that I may tell pale-hearted fear it lies, and sleep in spite of thunder” iiii.1.93-97. This is also a mark that shows that Macbeth is going mad, as even though the prophecy assures him that no men is dangerous, he will kill Macduff anyway. This shows also an extreme sense of ambition. Macbeth is going to kill Macduff for no reason, just so he is another less problem for him to be faced with.
Malcolm knows that Macbeth is the one that is responsible for all the deaths from happening. So Malcolm does not know who is siding with Macbeth and who’s not. So when he goes talk to Macduff, he makes a clever plan saying that if he was king he was going to cause war, take the wealth from the nobles, and take all the women for himself. This was to test Macduff to see if he would agree with him, just so he could come with him back to the kingdom. As Macduff said he was not fit to govern, Malcolm realized he is not a loyal follower of Macbeth, so he trusts him. Therefore he tells him he was testing him, and know he knows that Macduff is a trustworthy noble.
Enrico, good initial analysis and use of evidence. What does the second paragraph have to do with Macbeth’s character? Make this link clearer. How is Macbeth portrayed in the conversation between Malcolm and Macduff? (Watch that you carefully proof read before posting.)
In act 5 Macbeth is a whole different person. He has changed completely since the killings. During the beginning of the play, Macbeth was a hero. Duncan and all the other nobles looked up to him. But the Witches twisted Macbeth’s mind, which led him to become a tyrant and kill others for his own benefit. In Act 5 Macbeth also changes during the scenes. In scene 3, Macbeth is not afraid of the Scottish and British forces marching to kill him. He feels confident about the prophecy that no man of woman born can kill him. “The spirits that know all mortal consequences have pronounced me thus: ‘Fear not, Macbeth. No man that’s born of woman shall e’er have power upon thee.’ Then fly, false thanes, and mingle with the English epicures. The mind I sway by and the heart I bear shall never sag with doubt nor shake with fear” (v.3.4-11). This shows how Macbeth trusts the prophecy and becomes brave as he believes no man of woman born can hurt him. He says that the heart he has will never feel fear. Macbeth has become brave during act 5, as he trusts the prophecy.
In scene 5, Macbeth has changed from scene 3. He feels shocked and hopeless when he hears about Lady Macbeth’s death, and about the coming of the trees of Birnam Wood to Dunsinane. Macbeth, the one who was responsible for all the killings in the book, and did all in cold blood, feels shocked and sad about hearing that Lady Macbeth is dead. “She should have died hereafter” (v.5.19). This line shows how careless Macbeth is toward her death. He states that she should have died later on in life, but not today. Instead of mourning for her, he feels no sorrow, he expresses a sort of hopeless sadness. “Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing” (v.5.27-31). This speech shows pessimism and despair, and shows how there is no meaning in life. Macbeth states that he is a player, and he will later on be heard no more, after his death. So life is just a story told by someone we just plays a part, until we die and life becomes insignificant.
Macbeth does not fear noises anymore. In Act 2, Macbeth was haunted by noises because of the curse that the witches placed on him. “Whence is that knocking? How is’t with me when every noise appalls me?” (ii.2.74-75). This shows how even Macbeth realized that he was being tortured with the noises. But he changed in Act 5, as he is not tortured by the noises anymore. “I have almost forgot the taste of fears. The time has been my senses would have cooled to hear a night-shriek, and my fell of hair would at a dismal treatise rouse and stir as life were in ‘t. I have supped full with horrors. Direness, familiar to my slaughterous thoughts, cannot once start me” (v.5.11-17). Macbeth says that he was startled by noises before, they made his hair stand up. Now there is no horror that his mind is haunted with, that can scare him. He has committed such horrific things that he does not feel fear anymore.
There has been some literary devices used in Macbeth in Act 5. The devices are present in the situation where Lady Macbeth dies and a few moments before Birnam Woods comes to Dunsinane. Shakespeare uses repetition and personification.
Repetition is present when Macbeth says, “Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow” (v.5.22). This shows the lack of interest in human life. In “Out, out brief candle” (v.5. 26) we see “out’’ being repeated, meaning how life slips out of our control. In the “brief candle” we see a metaphor, showing how life goes really fast, just like a candle. In one moment, we can be burned out and nothing is left of us.
Macbeth does not have a main objective in Act 5, he simply just waits for the battle. He wants to fight the 10,000 English and Scotts, as he knows no man can kill him. His main objective becomes to fight Macduff and die, when he learns he is not of woman born. “I will not yield To kiss the ground before young Malcolm’s feet and to be baited with the rabble’s curse. Though Birnam Wood be come to Dunsinane And thou opposed, being of no woman born, Yet I will try the last. Before my body I throw my warlike shield” (5.8.31-38). This shows how Macbeth knows that death is upon him, but he will not bow to Malcolm, as he would become king. Macbeth shows his last sign of bravery and fights Macduff, and is killed.
Macbeth Characters and Motifs 
As I read the first 4 scenes of act 1, I could understand that Macbeth is a very noble warrior and until the prophecy, he was really loyal to Duncan. But when he found out about the prophecy that the witches told him that he was Thane of Glamis and Thane of Cawdor, and that he would be king one day, his ambition and thirst for power starts messing around in his mind. Macbeth gets really interested in knowing more about the prophecy, as we can see in scene 3 line 78-80, “Say from whence you owe this strange intelligence or why upon this blasted heath you stop our way with such prophetic greeting. Speak, I charge you.” If Macbeth was not ambitious, as he is loyal to the king, he would not want to hear of such a foretelling of him becoming king, as the only way for him to achieve that would be to either kill the king, or overthrow him off his power.
From scenes 5-7, I learned that although Macbeth is full of ambition, he does not have the courage by himself to kill Duncan. Therefore, Lady Macbeth comes in and tells him that she will help him achieve his goal. Lines 17-18, page 31, “Yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way.” Lady Macbeth believes that Macbeth is too good to commit such a crime. As Macbeth does not have the courage, Lady Macbeth takes over the act of killing the king. She tells him to be have the image of a good person, but in reality be a snake and trick the king. We can see this on page 35 lines 75-78, “Bear welcome in your eye, your hand, your tongue. Look like th’ innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t.” So it is Lady Macbeth that actually moves Macbeth to commit the crime. She tells him that they are going to get Duncan drunk and then make him fall asleep, so they can stab him and then put blood in his servants hands while they are sleeping so everyone will think that it was the servants who killed the king. So I learned that Macbeth is not a bad person, but he still wants to accomplish his ambition, but he would not be able to without lady Macbeth.
Macbeths motivation is to kill the king so he can take over his throne and become the king. Since Macbeth heard about the prophecy he could not think of anything else. He wants to be king and Lady Macbeth will help him with the killing of Duncan. However, he does not like to have to kill Duncan, but he knows it is the only way to conquer his goal to be king. We can clearly see this on page 45 lines 92-95 “I am settled and bend up each corporal agent to this terrible feat. Away, and mock the time with fairest show. False face must hide what the false hearth doth know.” He is not very comfortable with having to do this, and he has to be fake and act like everything is good and he knows he is being a traitor to the king.
I can see that Macbeth is very worried about the prophecy. At first he did not believe it was true, and even questioned Banquo if he believed it. But as the guards came up and said that he was also the thane of Cawdor, he started believing in what the witches said. Macbeth likes what the prophecy says, but he is not comfortable with it because he doesn’t know if it is true. This is shown in page 23 lines 143-150, “This supernatural soliciting cannot be ill, cannot be good. If ill, why hath it given me earnest of success commencing in a truth? I am Thane of Cawdor. If good, why do I yield to that suggestion whose horrid image doth unfix my hair and make my seated heart knock at my ribs against the use of nature?”. He does not know if the prophecy tends to be good or bad, but it makes his hair stand up as he is not comfortable with it.
LikeLike
Enrico, good comments on Macbeth’s character. What do you think is his flaw? (Watch the use of apostrophes at times – Macbeth’s – and use citations!)
LikeLike
Macbeth in Act 2, scene 2, is feeling very regretful of his action of killing the king. First, the act of forgetting to put the dagger in the servants can be seen as he was nervous and wanted to leave Duncan’s room quickly.
While in the hall, Macbeth has a vision of a dagger floating in the air, the handle facing him, and the tip toward Duncan. He goes to grab it, but the dagger vanishes, and that makes him wonder if it was actually real or just a trick that his troubled mind was playing on him. “A dagger of the mind, a false creation proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?” (page 59).This quote shows Macbeth thinking about if the dagger is actually real. It can be clearly seen that Macbeth regrets what he has done, but still will not give up his objective of becoming king. When Lady Macbeth discusses with him why he had not left the daggers with the servants, and tells him to go back and place them with them, he says he does not want to see more of what he has done. With this quote,it can be understood that Macbeth is starting to become paranoid, 2.ii.76, “Whence is that knocking? How is ‘t with me when every noise appalls me?” Even Macbeth himself, can see that he is hearing noises out of nowhere. He hears owls and the knocking disturb him for no reason.
When the servants wake up full of blood, Macbeth instantly chooses to kill them, as he does not know if they remember that he killed Duncan. This action raises suspicion to himself, but he says that he was so full of anger he could not contain himself from killing the servants. Macduff then asks why he killed them and Macbeth starts to talk to much, so Lady Macbeth faints as to raise attention to her, as she is seen weak ass a woman, and the sight of death is too harsh for her.
The news of Duncan being killed in Act 2, starts a chain of events. In Act 2, Malcolm and Donalbain decide to leave, as they are afraid of being killed, as they believe that they will be killed next for they are the same blood of Duncan. 2.iiii.163-166, “To Ireland I. Our separate fortune shall keep us both safer. Where we are, there’s daggers in men’s smiles. The near in blood, the nearer the bloody.” Donalbain means that there are snakes that they can’t trust, and as they don’t know who it is, it’s better to leave before they are also killed. As both are sons of Duncan and they know that whoever killed the king wants the throne, they are a threat to whoever killed their father. This makes the others suspicious of Malcolm and Donalbain, as they are leaving just after the death of their own father. Another event that Macbeth causes, is his coronation in Scone. As the King of Scotland is dead, other lords named Macbeth as the new King. Therefore Ross goes to Scone to see Macbeth become the official king. 2.iiii.43-44, “He is already named and gone to Scone to be invested.” This quote by Macduff shows that Macbeth has already been chosen.
In Act 2, Macbeth raises a bit of suspicion in Banquo, as Banquo recalls the prophecy of the witches, and then Banquo realizes that it is becoming true. Macbeth lies saying that he did not think about it anymore, and tells Banquo to discuss another time. However, it is only in act 3, that Banquo starts to really question that Macbeth was responsible for the crime. Later on to Act 3, Banquo and Macbeth start to not trust each other as Banquo believes Macbeth was the one who killed the King, and Macbeth realizes this, and is afraid that Banquo’s children are going to become kings.
LikeLike
Enrico, I think that your comments about Macbeth are really detailed and they mention most of the parts of Macbeth in the act, however I think you could also focus on how other characters see Macbeth in the act, and how they might talk about him and also the small parts of Macbeth in the play because they are important as well. Also something to focus on is the order that the evnts happened sometimes they are not in order.
LikeLike
Enrico, your comments on Macbeth and evidence from the act are fine, but watch that you don’t fall into plot summary at times. You have a LOT of things you could trace, so choose 3-5 quotations that show how Macbeth’s character is changing in the act and focus on these and your analysis of his character. No need to comment too much on other characters, as this may detract from your focus.
LikeLike
In act 3, Macbeth is much more manly and evil, and he seems to have switched roles with Lady Macbeth. From scenes 1 through 3, Macbeth shows us evidence that he has changed completely. In Act 2 and Act 1, he was not bold enough to kill Duncan. Macbeth was very scared and it was Lady Macbeth who encouraged him to kill Duncan. But now it seems that Macbeth got used to killing for his own benefit, as in scene 1 Macbeth taunts the murderers so they will kill Banquo and Fleance for him. It is clearly seen that Macbeth has taken Lady Macbeth’s role, in Act 1 scene 7, when she asked him if he was man enough to complete the task. Macbeth uses manhood to question the murderers if they are not man enough to kill them, just as Lady Macbeth used on Macbeth to make him kill Duncan. Macbeth realized that this technique worked on him, so he knew it would also work on the murderers. Macbeth has become fearless and ruthless in Act 3, as he now realizes that his hand is covered in blood, so he must at least complete his ambition of staying King. It can be seen that Macbeth is becoming evil when he asks the murderers to kill Banquo, “So is he mine, and in such bloody distance that every minute of his being thrusts against my near’st of life. And though I could with barefaced powers sweep him from my sight, yet I must not, for certain friends that are both his and mine, whose loves I may not drop, but wail his fall that I to your assistance do make love, masking the business from the common eye for sundry weighty reasons” 3.1.132-142. This is Macbeth lying to the murderers saying that Banquo is his enemy, and that he could order him to be killed as he is the king, but he can’t because he has noble friends that are close to him and would not like him killing Banquo. This is not true, as Banquo has done nothing to Macbeth, and he does not actually care if the other nobles become mad at him, he just wants to persuade the murderers to complete the killing of Banquo and Fleance for him.
Although Macbeth has become ruthless and evil in Act 3, he feels really guilty about having killing Duncan. The act of killing Duncan has taken a heavy toll on Macbeth, and is making him have nightmares and is not sleeping well. Macbeth is not happy even though he became the King, his ambition since he heard the prophecy in Act 1. “ O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife! Thou know’st that Banquo and his Fleance lives” 3.ii.41-42. He is going paranoid, as he says ‘‘we have scorched the snake, not killed it.” (3.ii.15) By this he means that by killing Duncan, he has ensured his seat as king for some time, but there is still Banquo’s son that might become king as the prophecy stated.
The language between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth has changed in Act 3. Now they use a more paranoid and suspicious style of language. Conquering the title as King turned out to bring Macbeth more drama and torture than happiness. “full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife” (3.2.37), shows how Macbeth has become troubled along the way. Every person that Macbeth kills is supposed to make him feel less stressed and more secure that the title of king will belong to him. However, Macbeth becomes more violent and frightful than before.
The theme of the beginning of Act 3 is how acting toward ambition without any moral limitation, is presented. Macbeth has become unpredictable as he will do anything that will ensure he remains the King. By Act 3, it can be understood that Macbeth has become crazy and will kill anyone, or lie, or trick anyone, just so he will stay king. He has come to far to look back, and he came a long way to give up. “I am in blood / Stepped in so far that, should I wade no more, / Returning were as tedious as go o’er” (3.4.135–137). This shows how Macbeth sees that he has come to far to quit.
It is seen that Lennox is very suspicious of Macbeth. He believes that Macbeth is the one who killed Duncan and then Banquo afterwards. Lennox believes that Macbeth is responsible for killing Duncan because Macbeth told everyone that he killed Duncan’s guards as he was outraged that they were the ones who killed Duncan. “Damned fact, how did it grieve Macbeth! Did he not straight in pious rage the two delinquents tear that were the slaves of drink and thralls of sleep? Was not that nobody done? Ay and wisely too, for ‘twould have angered any heart alive to hear the men deny ’t” 3.ii.11-17. Lennox says this while talking to the Lord on scene 6. This shows how Lennox is suspicious of Macbeth, as he had killed the guards, and said they were the ones who killed Duncan, as to avoid suspicion to himself. However, Lennox is figuring out that Macbeth is the traitor. Another act that raises suspicion to Lennox about Macbeth, is when Macbeth is at the feast and he sees Banquo’s ghost. When Macbeth sees the ghost, he says to the ghost, “Thou canst not say I did it. Never shake thy gory locks at me” 3.iiii.49-50. Even with Lady Macbeth telling everyone that Macbeth is not well, it still raises suspicion to Lennox.
LikeLike
Enrico, good comments on Macbeth’s changing character and how he contrasts with LM in this act. (Watch spelling and proof reading at times.)
LikeLike
In act 4, we can see that Macbeth has entered into a phase of complete madness. When Macbeth decides to kill Macduff’s wife and his young son in Act 4, scene 2, marks him going mad. Now Macbeth is not killing to fulfill his ambition, he is just doing it to harm and show the people around him not to mess with him. Macbeth also seems to be lost in thought. He seems to have lost the touch of reality and reason. When he sets out to search for the Weird Sister, and comes back and talks to Lennox about them, we can clearly see Irony. Macbeth himself says, “Infected be the air whereon they ride, and damned all those that trust them!”, iiii.1.157-158. The irony in this is that Macbeth tells Lennox that those who listen and believe the witches, are cursed. We can see this in both ways, that Macbeth has realized he trusted them and now he is damned, or that he has not thought about it, but he was the one who trusted them in the first place and he is starting to become cursed.Even though the Witches tell Macbeth that no man of woman born going to harm him, he will kill him to make sure he is safe. “Then live, Macduff; what need I fear of thee? But yet I’ll make assurance double sure and take a bond of fate. Thou shalt not live, that I may tell pale-hearted fear it lies, and sleep in spite of thunder” iiii.1.93-97. This is also a mark that shows that Macbeth is going mad, as even though the prophecy assures him that no men is dangerous, he will kill Macduff anyway. This shows also an extreme sense of ambition. Macbeth is going to kill Macduff for no reason, just so he is another less problem for him to be faced with.
Malcolm knows that Macbeth is the one that is responsible for all the deaths from happening. So Malcolm does not know who is siding with Macbeth and who’s not. So when he goes talk to Macduff, he makes a clever plan saying that if he was king he was going to cause war, take the wealth from the nobles, and take all the women for himself. This was to test Macduff to see if he would agree with him, just so he could come with him back to the kingdom. As Macduff said he was not fit to govern, Malcolm realized he is not a loyal follower of Macbeth, so he trusts him. Therefore he tells him he was testing him, and know he knows that Macduff is a trustworthy noble.
LikeLike
Enrico, good initial analysis and use of evidence. What does the second paragraph have to do with Macbeth’s character? Make this link clearer. How is Macbeth portrayed in the conversation between Malcolm and Macduff? (Watch that you carefully proof read before posting.)
LikeLike
In act 5 Macbeth is a whole different person. He has changed completely since the killings. During the beginning of the play, Macbeth was a hero. Duncan and all the other nobles looked up to him. But the Witches twisted Macbeth’s mind, which led him to become a tyrant and kill others for his own benefit. In Act 5 Macbeth also changes during the scenes. In scene 3, Macbeth is not afraid of the Scottish and British forces marching to kill him. He feels confident about the prophecy that no man of woman born can kill him. “The spirits that know all mortal consequences have pronounced me thus: ‘Fear not, Macbeth. No man that’s born of woman shall e’er have power upon thee.’ Then fly, false thanes, and mingle with the English epicures. The mind I sway by and the heart I bear shall never sag with doubt nor shake with fear” (v.3.4-11). This shows how Macbeth trusts the prophecy and becomes brave as he believes no man of woman born can hurt him. He says that the heart he has will never feel fear. Macbeth has become brave during act 5, as he trusts the prophecy.
In scene 5, Macbeth has changed from scene 3. He feels shocked and hopeless when he hears about Lady Macbeth’s death, and about the coming of the trees of Birnam Wood to Dunsinane. Macbeth, the one who was responsible for all the killings in the book, and did all in cold blood, feels shocked and sad about hearing that Lady Macbeth is dead. “She should have died hereafter” (v.5.19). This line shows how careless Macbeth is toward her death. He states that she should have died later on in life, but not today. Instead of mourning for her, he feels no sorrow, he expresses a sort of hopeless sadness. “Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing” (v.5.27-31). This speech shows pessimism and despair, and shows how there is no meaning in life. Macbeth states that he is a player, and he will later on be heard no more, after his death. So life is just a story told by someone we just plays a part, until we die and life becomes insignificant.
Macbeth does not fear noises anymore. In Act 2, Macbeth was haunted by noises because of the curse that the witches placed on him. “Whence is that knocking? How is’t with me when every noise appalls me?” (ii.2.74-75). This shows how even Macbeth realized that he was being tortured with the noises. But he changed in Act 5, as he is not tortured by the noises anymore. “I have almost forgot the taste of fears. The time has been my senses would have cooled to hear a night-shriek, and my fell of hair would at a dismal treatise rouse and stir as life were in ‘t. I have supped full with horrors. Direness, familiar to my slaughterous thoughts, cannot once start me” (v.5.11-17). Macbeth says that he was startled by noises before, they made his hair stand up. Now there is no horror that his mind is haunted with, that can scare him. He has committed such horrific things that he does not feel fear anymore.
There has been some literary devices used in Macbeth in Act 5. The devices are present in the situation where Lady Macbeth dies and a few moments before Birnam Woods comes to Dunsinane. Shakespeare uses repetition and personification.
Repetition is present when Macbeth says, “Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow” (v.5.22). This shows the lack of interest in human life. In “Out, out brief candle” (v.5. 26) we see “out’’ being repeated, meaning how life slips out of our control. In the “brief candle” we see a metaphor, showing how life goes really fast, just like a candle. In one moment, we can be burned out and nothing is left of us.
Macbeth does not have a main objective in Act 5, he simply just waits for the battle. He wants to fight the 10,000 English and Scotts, as he knows no man can kill him. His main objective becomes to fight Macduff and die, when he learns he is not of woman born. “I will not yield To kiss the ground before young Malcolm’s feet and to be baited with the rabble’s curse. Though Birnam Wood be come to Dunsinane And thou opposed, being of no woman born, Yet I will try the last. Before my body I throw my warlike shield” (5.8.31-38). This shows how Macbeth knows that death is upon him, but he will not bow to Malcolm, as he would become king. Macbeth shows his last sign of bravery and fights Macduff, and is killed.
LikeLike