Literature | High school » Macbeth Essay Pack Six Revision

MACBETH ESSAY PACK SIX / REVISION MAY 2013 Ke y T h e mes an d Ch ar acter s 1 Tabl e o f Co n te n ts 1. REVISION: MACBETH’S CHARACTER! 3 2. REVISION: LADY MACBETH’S CHARACTER! 16 3. Revision: Lady Macbeth’s Guilt! 21 4. The Theme of Guilt in Macbeth! 24 5. The role of the witches in Macbeth! 29 2 1. REVIS I O N: M A CB E T H ’ S C H A RA C T E R Macbeth, the cousin of an old, benevolent, and vener able king is introduced to u s as a gen er al of extr aordin ar y prowess, wh o h as covered h imself in glor y by pu tti n g down a rebellion an d repellin g th e invasion of a foreign ar my. In h i s battl e s w i th th e invadin g Norwegian s an d th eir allies (led by th e tr aitor, th e ‘ m e r c i l e s s M a c D o n wa l d ’ ) M a c b e t h i s u n e q u i v o c a l a n d b l o o d y. H e d i s p l a y s e xt r a or di n a r y pe r s o n a l c o u r a g e and thi s cour age i s matched by an astonis h i n g l e vel o f v i o l en c e . Th e

fir s t t h in g we hear about hi m, well befor e he enter s, is th at h e i s d r e n c h e d i n bl o o d a n d h a s s l i t s o m e o n e o p e n f r o m t h e ‘n a v e t o t h e c h o p s’: alls too weak: For brave Macbeth – well he deser ves that name – Disdaining for tune , with his brandishd steel, Whic h smoked with bloody execution, L ike valours m inion car ve d o ut hi s passage Till he faced the slave; Whic h neer shook hands , nor bade farewell to him, Till he unseamd him from the nave to the c hops , And fix d his head up on o ur battl e ments . I n f ac t, i t qu ickly becomes apparen t th at Macbeth ’s social statu s comes f rom h i s e f fe c t i ven ess a s a blo o dy a n d v iol ent w ar r i or. Duncan under scor es the sens e of r e s pe c t an d admir ation th e au dien ce feels for th is br ave soldier wh en h e descr ibes him as ‘ valiant ’ a nd ‘w o r t hy’. If all this were not enough, the ser geant c o n ti nu e s h is n ar r ative of

Macbeth an d Ban qu o’s exploits, in for min g u s th at th e y m an age d to repel a cou n ter attack by th e Norwegian kin g h imself . It wou ld s e e m that the day was won by the hard wor k, deter mination and unflinching cour age of Mac be th an d Ban qu o. S o, h ow does a man wh o is viewed by ever yon e as a h e r o f a l l s o l ow a s t o b e d e s c r i b e d a t t h e e n d o f t h e p l ay a s , v a r i o u s ly, a ‘h e l l h o u n d’, ‘b l a c k M a c b e t h’ an d a ‘fi e nd o f Sc otla n d ’? It is th is ten sion between th e pote n ti al fo r gr e atn e s s th at th e au di e n c e w i tn e s s e s at th e o u ts e t o f th e pl ay an d 3 S h a ke s p e a r e ’s d e p i c t i o n o f M a c b e t h ’s h o r r i f y i n g c r i m e s t h a t m a ke s t h i s p l ay j u s t s o f as c i n ati n g. In f act, Macbeth ’s h on ou r able an d cou r ageou s defen ce of h i s c o u n t r y i n t en s ifie s t h e fe e lin g s o f sympathy we w i l l

later come to feel for him . O n e o f t h e m o s t i n t e r e s t i n g a s p e c t s o f M a c b e t h ’s d ow n f a l l i s j u s t h ow qu i c kly h e f alls f rom gr ace . H owever, it is impor tan t to remember th at th e pr o c e s s be gin s lon g before we fir st meet h im or in deed before h e meets th e weird sister s. His encounter with the witches on the ‘ b a r re n ’ an d desolate pi e c e of l an d c atalyses an d stren gth en s h is str u ggle with h is in n er demon s. Bu t, it i s s o i m po r tan t to remember th at th e witch es are in n o way respon sible for th e tr age dy th at follows. T h ey are agen ts of ch aos, th ey are th ere to tempt, bu t th e i r powe r s ar e obviou sly limited. Con sider th e dismissive reaction of th e sailor’s w i fe to th e w i tc h ’s deman ds an d th e in ability of th e witch es to do more th an depr i ve the sailor of sleep and ‘ tempest toss’ h is sh ip. H owever, it is clear f rom Macbe th ’s fi r s t

e n c o u n ter with th e witch es th at a deeply trou blin g metaphysical lin k e x i s ts be twe e n h i m an d th ese oth erwor ldly creatu res. T h e fir st words spoken by Macbeth echo the witches: So foul and fair a day I have not seen. F u r t h e r m or e , wh ile h e is ‘ rap t ’ by th ese su per n atu r al creatu res, Ban qu o n ei th e r fe a r s n o r c o u r t s t h e i r f avo u r. I n f a c t , B a n q u o d e s c r i b e s t h e m a s t h e y a r e Ac c o r di n g t o h im, t h e y lo o k ‘ n o t l i ke t h e i n h a b i t a n t s o t h e e a r t h , A n d ye t a re o n t ?’ H e e m p h a s i s e s t h e i r a p p e a r a n c e t h e i r ‘c happy finger s’ and ‘ sk inny l i ps’ an d th e i r di s tu r bi n g an drogyny. In oth er words, Ban qu o recogn ises th at th ese creatu res ar e d e m o n i c ‘ i n s t r u m e n t s o f d a r k n e s s ’ . M a c b e t h f a i l s t o s e e a ny o f t h i s H e c o n ce n t r a t es o n t h

e t r u t h o f wh at they have sai d. He begs them to stay so th at th e y m ay te ll h im more an d, followin g th e ar r ival of R oss an d An gu s, in dicate s to Ban qu o th at h e sees th em as h avin g been respon sible for gr an tin g h im th e ti tl e , T h a n e o f C aw d o r : Do you not hope your c hildren shall be kings , When those that gave the thane of Cawdor to me P ro m i s e d n o l e s s t o t h e m ? 4 A n d o f co u r s e , Ma c be t h is de a f t o Banquo’s w ar ni ng that ‘o f t e n t i m e s , t o w i n u s t o o u r h a r m , T h e i n s t r u m e n t s o f d a r k n e s s t e l l u s t r u t h s’. S o, th e witch es do n ot con tr o l h i s o r a nyo n e e l s e ’s b e h av i o u r i n t h e p l ay. T h e y a r e s y m b o l i c o f e v i l a n d p r e s c i e n t of c r i m e s w h ich are to come , bu t th ey n eith er en cou r age n or f acilitate Macbe th ’s actions, even if those actions are congr uent with the chaos they wish to

cause . T h e y a r e m e r e ly a p owe r f u l e x t e r n a l s y m b o l o f t h e a m b i t i o n t h a t i s a l r e a d y w i t h i n Macbeth. Indeed, when he discusses the witches’ prophecy with Lady Macbeth, it i s cl ea r t h a t t h e po s s ibilit y h as been di scussed befor e . Per haps the m ost f as c i n ati n g aspect of Macbeth ’s ch ar acter is th at h e gr ipped by powerf u l fo r c e s th at h e m ay n ot f u lly u n der stan d. In oth er words, it is n ever made clear to u s w h e r e e x ac tly Macbeth ’s bu r n in g desire to become kin g or igin ates. T h e witc h e s put the suggestion into the play, but as we have just said there is a strong hint in A c t I , sce n e v ii f ro m La dy M a c be t h that she and her husband have alr eady ta l ked about the matter well before the play begins: What beast wast then/ That made you break this enterpr ise to me?". T h e appe ar an ce of th e witch es th en can be viewed, in par t, as a respon se to s o m

e de e p desire with in Macbeth . H e h as n ot exactly su mmon ed th em, bu t th e y are responding to his dar kest wishes. Ver y quickly, following his encounter with the witches, Macbeth has begun the jour ney to the hear t of dar kness. The fir st s i gn i fi c an t i n dication th at Macbeth is willin g to tu r n h is back on th e medi e val h i e r ar c hy th at h e h as so ferociou sly defen ded can be seen in h is reaction to Malcolm’s investiture as ‘ P r i n c e o f C u m b e r l a n d’. Wh ere Macbeth h ad previo u s ly s t a t ed t h a t ch a n c e mig h t be s u f fici ent ‘to crown [him] king, ’ he now de cl ar e s in an aside that: The Pr ince of Cumberland! that is a step On whic h I must fall down, or else oerleap, For in my way it lies . Star s , hide your fires; L et not lig ht s ee my bl ac k and deep desires: The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be , Whic h the eye fear s , when it is done , to see . T h i s s pe e c h represen ts a sign ifican t step

towards th e dar kn ess an d ch aos th at th e w i t c h es se e k t o c re a t e . He wr it e s to hi s w i fe to infor m her of hi s encounter w i th 5 th e w i tc h e s an d in th e letter h e eager ly an ticipates th e f u tu re greatn ess th at h as be e n pr o m i sed h im. S h e reads th e letter an d is deter min ed th at h e will reach h i s f u l l po te n ti al. H owever, despite h er goadin g, L ady Macbeth can in n o way be bl am e d fo r Macbeth ’s down f all. S h e acts ou t of a misgu ided sen se of loyalty to h e r h u s ban d by en cou r agin g h im to do wh at sh e believes is in both of th e i r i n te r e s ts . A n d wh ile sh e is a catalyst an d su ppor ter, we mu st n ever for get th at s h e does not make the gr im decision to kill the kind old King. Fur ther more , Macbeth n e ve r t r i e s t o l ay t h e bl a m e o n h e r. T h e d e c i s i o n i s a lw ay s h i s t o m a ke Yo u s h o u l d m ake i t c l e ar, in any essay th at you wr ite abou t

Macbeth , th at h e is a r u th l e s s ly am bi ti o u s man wh o h as been over powered by h is own dar k desires. D espite h i s w i fe ’s atte m pts to u n der min e h is better con scien ce , h e makes th e decision to ki l l D u n c an i n th e complete awaren ess of th e awf u ln ess of h is cr ime . It is s o i m po r tan t th at we remember th at wh en Macbeth fin ally makes u p h is min d to ki l l D u n c an , h e does so in th e f u ll kn owledge of th e political, mor al an d so c i al c o n sequ en ce s o f k illin g a k in g : H e s h e re i n d o u b l e t r u s t ; F ir s t, as I am his k i nsman and his subj e ct, Strong bot h ag ainst the de e d; the n, as his ho st, Who should against his murderer shut the door, Not bear t he knife myse l f. Besides , this Duncan H a t h b o r n e h i s fa c u l t i e s s o m e e k , h a t h b e e n So c lear in his g re at o ffice , that his vir tues Will plead like angels , trumpet-tongued, against The deep damnation of his

taking-off; And p it y, like a nake d new-bo rn babe , Str iding t he blas t, o r heave n s c he r ubi m, ho r sed Upon the sightless cour ier s of the air, Shall blow the horr id de e d in eve r y e ye , That tear s shall drown the wind. I have no spur To p r ic k th e sid es o f my in ten t, b u t o n ly Va u ltin g a m b itio n , w h ic h o erlea p s itself And falls on t he o ther. R e a d i n g t h i s s o l i l o q u y i t i s o bv i o u s t h a t M a c b e t h f u l ly g r a s p s t h e d i f fe r e n c e between r ight and wrong. At this point in the play, he is far from being an amor al 6 m o n st er. H e k n ows t h a t k illin g h is king i s a vi olation of God’s natur al or der, he i s aware th at it is u n likely th at th e people will accept su ch a violation an d h e feels that justice can not be evaded indefinitely. Yet, his “ vaul ti ng ambitio n ” is such that h e d e c i d e s t o p r o c e e d . T h i s i s p r e c i s e ly w h a t m a ke s t h i s p l ay

s u c h a c o m p e l l i n g piece of dr ama. In highlighting Macbeth’s clear-eyed awareness of the disastrous c o u r se h e h is a bo u t t o t a ke , Sh a kespear e r eveals uni ver sal tr uths about the h u m a n c o n d i t i o n a n d c o r r o s i ve e f fe c t s o f e v i l . Macbeth’s battlefield exploits show us that he has few compunctions about ki l l i n g. S o, th is is n ot wh at trou bles h im so deeply before th e mu rder It is r ath e r h i s c l e ar aw aren ess th at in killin g D u n can h e will be violatin g ever y r u le th at h e h a s s p e n t h i s c a r e e r d e fe n d i n g . T h i s aw a r e n e s s i s a c c o m p a n i e d by a d e e p u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f w h a t t h e mu r d e r w i l l m e a n fo r h i m : But in these cases We still h a ve ju d gem en t h ere , th a t w e b u t tea c h Bloody instructions whic h, being taught, return To p la gu e th inven to r. Th is even -h a n d ed ju stice Commends thingredience of our poisoned c

halice To o u r ow n lip s . A l th o u gh Macbeth is acu tely aware th at by killin g D u n can h e will be dr in kin g f r o m a po i s o n e d ch alice , h e decides th at h e will proceed n ever th eless. T h e probl e m fo r h i m i s th at h is imagin ation f u elled by ambition will n ot let go of th e possibi l i ty th at h e c an realise h is dar kest desire an d become kin g. T h is of cou r se is ve r y di f fe r e n t to Ban qu o. Wh ile h e , also, is also tempted by th e witch es (h e wou ld l i ke to talk fur ther about what they said), and, it seems clear, likes to remember what th e y h ave proph esied for h im. H owever, Ban qu o pu ts at th e f ron t of h i s c o n s c i o u s n e ss an awaren ess th at if h e sh ou ld to act in order to h asten th e prophecies, he will compromise his honour. So, the prospect of a royal line of de s c e n dan ts does n ot gr ip Ban qu o s imagin ation ; it does n ot, in a word, obs e s s h i m , a s i t d o e s M a c b e t h , w h

o c a n n o t p u t f r o m h i s m i n d s o e a s i ly t h e v i s i o n o f himself as king. 7 W h a t i s m o s t r e m a r k a bl e a b o u t t h e p l ay i s t h e m a n n e r i n w h i c h S h ake s pe ar e man ages to elicit feelin gs of sympathy for Macbeth f rom th e au di e n c e . D espite th e evil of h is action s, Macbeth does n ot arou se th e distas te audiences reser ve for other Shakespear ian villains. This is par tially due to the fact that he is not evil incar nate , but a human being who has sinned. Moreover, au di e n c e s are as mu ch af fected by wh at Macbeth says abou t h is action s as by th e deeds themselves. Macbeth does not commit his cr imes easily As we have seen, h e k n ow s w h a t h e i s d o i n g i s d e e p ly w r o n g , a n d h i s a g o n i s i n g r e f l e c t i o n s s h ow a m an i n c r e as in gly losin g con trol over h is own mor al destiny. O n ce h e makes th e de c i s i o n to kill D u n can Macbeth is lost to u s.

Alth ou gh , at th is ear ly stage in h i s c ar e e r as a cr imin al h e is n ot yet a mon ster, th e mu rder h as already begu n to h ave di s as tr ou s an d immediate ef fects on h is psych e . T h e man wh o on ce fear l e s s ly f ac e d ove r w h elmin g odds on th e battle field is petr ified by th e n igh t’s even ts. T h e ‘k n o c k i n g a t the s outh entr y ’ an d oth er wor ldly voices th at cr y ou t an d war n h i m that he will ‘ s leep no m ore , ’ ‘a p p a l ’ an d ter r if y h im. Wh en sh e reappear s, L ady Mac be th r e tu r n s to th e f amiliar grou n d of emascu latin g h im, bu t n oth in g w i l l c o nvi n c e h i m to retu r n to th at room. Wh en h is wife leaves, Macbeth empl oy s powe r f u l l an gu age to convey th e all en compassin g n atu re of h is gu ilt. H e won de r s w h e t h e r ‘ a l l g re a t N e p t u n e s o c e a n wa s h [ D u n c a n ’s ] b l o o d C l e a n f ro m [ h i s ] h a n d?’ O n ly t o c o n c l u d e

t h a t h i s ‘h a n d w i l l ra t h e r | T h e mu l t i t u d i n o u s s e a s i n c a r n a d i n e , | M a k i n g t h e g reen one red ’. Macbeth is not only afr aid of what this murder means, bu t m o r e ove r h e i s di s g u s t e d by w hat he has done to himself: To kn ow my d eed , tw ere b est n o t kn ow myself. T h e fe ar th at overwh elms h im on th e n igh t of th e mu rder is momen tar i ly s u ppr e s s e d du r in g th e even ts of th e followin g mor n in g. H ere , Macbeth is dec i s i ve an d c e r tai n abou t wh at is to be don e . T h e killin g of th e ch amber lain s is a clu m s y bu t n e c e s s ar y move . H is poor ly acted protestation s of in n ocen ce an d sh ock do l i t t l e t o ave r t t h e s u s pic io n s o f the other thanes i n gener al and Macdu f f i n par ticular. Yet the plan wor ks, and just as Shakespeare denies us the sight of D u n c a n ’s mu r d e r, h e a l s o e m p l oy s e l i s i o n i n d e m o n s t r a t i n g i t

s mu s t d i r e c t c o n sequ en ce s , M a c be t h ’s c o ro n a t ion. 8 T h e tr agic elemen t of Macbeth s ch ar acter emer ges most clear ly af te r D u n c a n ’s mu r d e r. H av i n g v i o l a t e d a l l t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t r u l e s o f s o c i e t y by k i l l i n g h i s Ki n g, Macbeth attempts to mu rder h is way to peace of min d. H owever, th i s m e an s th at h e will simply br in g u pon h imself even greater su f fer in g th an th e killing of Duncan or iginally caused. The most remar kable quality that Macbeth di s pl ay s i s h is clear-eyed awaren ess of wh at is h appen in g to h im per son ally. H e s u f fe r s h or r ibly t h ro u g h o u t , a n d he ar ti cul ates thi s suffer ing in the most eloq u en t and moving language: I am in blood Steppd in so far that, should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go oer: Strange things I have in head,

that will to hand; Which must be acted ere they may be scannd. I f th at mean s damn in g h imself even f u r th er, th en so be it. T h e f act th at h e i s w i l l i n g to do anyth in g in order to secu re h is position is fir st seen in h i s treatment of Banquo. His for mer fr iend stands as a living rebuke to the path that h e h a s t a ke n . B a n q u o ’s “valour ” a n d “w i s d o m ” ser ve on ly to remin d Macbeth of e ver y t h i n g t h a t h e h a s lo s t a n d, a s a r esul t, Banquo must die: To b e th u s is n o th in g; But to be safely thus . – Our fear s in Banquo Stic k deep; and in his royalty of nature Reigns that whic h would be feard: tis muc h he dares; And, to that dauntless temper of his mind, He hath a wisdom that doth guide his valour To act in safety. There is none but he Whose being I do fear :

and, under him, My Genius is rebuked; as , it is said, Mark Antonys was by Caesar. 9 When Macbeth decides to kill Banquo, and his young son Fleance , he crosses a l i n e . T h i s a c t is n o t mo t iv a t e d by pol i tical ambiti on, but r ather by fear and an i r r a t i o n a l d e s ire t o s e c u re h is f u t ur e by commi tti ng mur der : If t be so, For Banquos issue have I filed my mind; For them the gracious Duncan have I murderd; Put rancour s in the vessel of my peace Only for them; and mine eternal jewel Given to the common enemy of man, To make them kings , the seed of Banquo kings! Rather than so, come fate into the list. Th i s n e e d t o pre ve n t t h e W it c h e s’ pr ophecy mar ks the begi nni ng of hi s obsession w i th c h i l dr e n . T h e ster ility th

at Witch es represen t, conveyed so powerf u lly by th e th e s y m bo l i sm associated with th em comes to h au n t Macbeth . H e is tor men te d by the thought that; the ‘ s eed of Banquo ’ will be Kings, that he ‘ h a s fi l e d [ h i s ] m i n d’, that he has | ‘ P u t ra n c o u r s i n t h e v e s s e l o f [ h i s ] p e a c e’ an d th at h e h as given h i s ‘e t e r n a l j ew el’ to th e ‘common enemy of man .’ In terestin gly, h e decides to h ide h i s plans from this wife . A woman whom he once descr ibed as his ‘ d e a re s t p a r t n e r i n greatness ’ i s n ow e x p e c t e d t o b e ‘in n o cen t o f th e kn ow led ge u n til [sh e] a p p l a u d s the deed ’. As Macbeth contemplates the killing of his fr iend, we are reminded of j u st h ow st r o n g t h e me t a phy s ic a l l i nk between him and the w itches is: Then be thou jocund: ere the bat hath flown H is c lo isterd fligh t, ere to b la c k H eca tes su m m o n s

Th e sh a rd -b o rn e b eetle w ith h is d row sy h u m s H a th ru n g n igh ts ya w n in g p ea l, th ere sh a ll b e d o n e A d eed o f d rea d fu l n o te . 10 T h e rhyth m an d caden ce of th is speech , togeth er with its distu rbin g imager y re c a l l s t h e wit c h e s s pe lls a n d c h a nts: L A DY M AC B E T H Wh a ts to b e d o n e? MACBE T H Be innocent of the knowledge , dearest c huc k, Till th o u a p p la u d th e d eed . Co m e , sea lin g n igh t, Sca rf u p th e ten d er eye o f p itifu l d a y; An d w ith thy b lo o d y a n d invisib le h a n d Ca n cel a n d tea r to p ieces th a t grea t b o n d Wh ic h keep s m e p a le! Ligh t th ic ken s; a n d th e crow Ma kes w in g to th e ro o ky w o o d : G ood t hing s of day be gin to dro o p and drowse; Wh ile n igh ts b la c k a gen ts to th eir p reys d o ro u se . Th o u m a r vellst a t my w o rd s: b u t h o ld th

ee still; Th in gs b a d b egu n m a ke stro n g th em selves by ill. So, p r it hee , go wi th me . T h e ki l l i n g of Ban qu o mar ks a dr amatic ch an ge in Macbeth ’s state of min d. T h e fe e l i n g s o f i n s e c u r i t y a n d p a r a n o i a t h a t c a u s e h i m t o fe e l ‘cabined, cr ibbed and confined ’, di ssipate momen tar ily at th e begin n in g of in Act III, scen e iv, wh en h e h e ar s th at Ban qu o is dead. H owever, th e n ews th at Flean ce h as escaped sh o c ks h i m a n d fe e l i n g s o f fe a r a n d p a r a n o i a q u i c k ly r e t u r n . T h e p hy s i c a l a p p e a r a n c e o f Banquo’s ghost may obviously be super natur al in or igin, but it can also be viewed as a h al l u c i n ation bor n ou t of gu ilt an d fear. Wh atever th e case , it is deeply ir o n i c that a banquet that was designed celebr ate the Macbeths’ r ise to power should e n d i n c h a o s a n d t u r mo il. 11 F ol l owin g t h e ba

n qu e t , Ma cbeth has changed. He becomes obsessed w i th th e f u tu r e an d an n ou n ces th at h e in ten ds to retu r n to th e weird sister s in o r de r to char t a cour se clear of the insecur ities that now dog him. His encounter with the weird sister s demonstr ates clear ly just how much the man has changed. D u r i n g h i s dar k pr ayer to th e n igh t, h e asked for th e forces th at kept h im pal e to be tor n to pieces. His request has been gr anted and he now cares for nothing: I c o n j u re y o u , by t h a t w h i c h y o u p ro fe s s , H ow e e r y o u c o m e t o k n ow i t , a n sw e r m e : Though you untie the winds and let them fight Ag ains t t he c hur c hes; tho ugh the yesty waves Confound and swallow navigation up; Though bladed corn be lodged and trees blown down; Though castles topple on their warder s heads; Though palaces and py ra m i d s d o s l o p e Th eir h ea d s to th eir fo u n d a tio n s; th o u gh th e trea su re Of n a tu re s

germ en s tu m b le a ll togeth er, Even till destruction sic ken; answer me To w h a t I a sk yo u . T h i s i s th e an tith esis of wh at a good kin g sh ou ld be . H e is willin g to destroy h i s c o u n tr y an d u n leash social, religiou s an d econ omic ch aos in order to of f se t h i s own insecur ities. Of cour se , Macbeth is eventually deceived by the Witches but h e i s n e ve r bl i n d e d by t h e m . T h e assu r an ces h e cr aves, an d wh ich th e Witc h e s de l i ve r, ar e paten tly r idicu lou s. Yet, h e ch ooses to su spen d h is ju dgmen t ju st as h e previously chose to suspend his conscience . F ol l owin g t h is e n c o u n t e r wi th the w i tches, we w i tness the fi nal stages i n Mac be th ’s down f all. T h e bu tch er in g of Macdu f f ’s f amily is an in san e act of e vi l bo r n o u t of a desire to do h ar m for h ar m’s sake . H e commits many o th e r n a m e l e s s a n d u n t h i n k a bl e c r i m e s ; we l e a r n t h a

t “ea c h n ew d a y n ew w id ow s h ow l 12 a n d n ew o r p h a n s s t r i ke h e a v e n o n t h e fa c e.” In on e par ticu lar ly movin g passage , R o s s d e s c r i b e s t h e s c a l e o f t h e s u f fe r i n g t h a t M a c b e t h h a s b r o u g h t t o S c o t l a n d : Alas , p oor countr y! Alm os t afraid to k now itself. It canno t Be calld our mother, but our grave; where nothing, But who knows nothing, is once seen to smile; Where sighs and groans and shr ieks that rend the air Are m ade , not mark d; whe re vi o l e nt so rrow seems A m odern ecs t as y ; the dead mans k ne l l I s t h e re s c a r c e a s k d fo r w h o ; a n d go o d m e n s l i v e s Expire before the flower s in their caps , Dying or ere they sic ken. H owe ve r, as h e con tinu es to mu rder h is way to peace of min d we watch h i s gr adual and tr agic dehumanisation. In the process, he becomes incapable of fe e l i n g s e n s itively abou t anyth in g. Impor tan tly, Macbeth

is in telligen t en ou gh to u n d e r s t a n d t h a t a l i fe w i t h o u t fe e l i n g i s s i m p ly n o t wo r t h l i v i n g : I h a v e l i v e d l o n g e n o u g h . M y wa y o f l i fe I s fa l l n i n t o t h e s e re , t h e ye l l ow l e a f , And that w hic h s ho ul d acco mpany o ld age , As honour, love , obedience , tro o ps o f fr iends , I mu s t n o t l o o k t o h a v e , b u t i n t h e i r s t e a d Cur ses , not loud but deep, mouth-honour, breath Whic h the poor hear t would fain deny and dare not. (5 3 23-29 ) Per h a ps t h e gre ate s t e vide nc e o f th is is s e e n w h e n S e yton b r in gs h i m th e n e w s o f h i s w i fe ’s d e a t h . M a c b e t h , w h o o n c e v i e we d t h i s wo m a n a s h i s ‘d e a re s t p a r t n e r i n greatness ,’ n ow feels th at h er death war r an ts n o f u r th er commen t th an , ‘ s h e s ho u l d h a v e died hereafter ’. D espite th e lack of feelin g in h is words, h e is h owe ve r 13

br o u gh t c l o ser to u n der stan din g th e u tter f u tility of wh at h e h as don e . T h i s i s e x p r e sse d i n o n e o f t h e g re a t e s t speeches in al l of English liter atur e: To -m o rrow, a n d to -m o rrow, a n d to -m o rrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day To th e la st sylla b le o f reco rd ed tim e , And all our yes terdays have l i ghted fo o ls The way to dusty death. Out, out, br ief candle! L ifes but a walking shadow, a po o r pl ayer That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no mo re: it i s a tal e To ld by a n id io t, fu ll o f so u n d a n d fu r y, Sig nifying nothing . (Act 4 3) I n th i s dar k, n ih ilistic an d str an gely beau tif u l speech Macbeth su ms u p th e e m pti n e s s u n der lyin g h u man existen ce . At th e same time , h e captu res th e aw f u l w a st e o f h u m a n po t e n t ia l in h is own life . I an J ohnston believes that: ‘Th is fa mo u s spe e ch a ckno wl e d g e s fu l

l y t h e e mpt y mo cke ry h is l i f e h a s be co me . Once again, the remarkable quality of this pa ssa g e is M a cbet h s refu sa l t o eva d e t h e rea l it y o f t h e wo rl d h e h a s cre a t e d fo r h imse l f. His l ife h a s be co me a n insa ne fa rce , no t be ca u se h e no l o ng e r h a s a ny po we r o r ph y sica l se cu rit y ( h e h a s bo t h a nd , a s h e re ma rks e a rl ie r, co u l d e a sil y wit h st a nd t h e sie g e ) , bu t be ca u se h e h a s ce a se d t o ca re a bo u t a ny t h ing , e ve n a b o u t his wi f e . H e h a s l e a rne d t o o l a t e t h e t ru t h o f wh a t h e u nd e rst o o d wo u l d h a ppe n if h e g a ve int o h is d e sire s a nd kil l e d Du nca n. It s no t surprising t h at immediat el y aft er t h is speech , once h e h ears about 14 t h e mo v i ng wo o d , h e d e ci d e s t o e nd i t a l l i n a f i na l ba t t l e , n o t be ca u se h e h a s a ny d e si re t o wi n bu t be ca u se wa nt s t o

t a ke ch a rg e o f t h e f i na l e v e nt , h i s o wn d e a t h . Th e l i f e h e h a s cre a t e d f o r h i mse l f l e a v e s h i m wi t h no t h i ng e l se t o d o ’. T h i s s p e e c h i s c e n t r a l t o s u s t a i n i n g o u r s y m p a t hy fo r M a c b e t h . R e m e m b e r t h a t a n u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f t h e n a t u r e o f t h e t r a g i c h e r o h a s b e e n c e n t r a l t o m a ny L e av i n g Ce r ti fi c ate qu estion s in th e past. In th e dyin g momen ts of th e play, we s e e gl i m ps e s o f th e great war r ior th at deser ved ou r admir ation ear ly in act on e . H e f a c e s M a c d u f f n ow f u l ly aw a r e t h a t t h e W i t c h e s a r e ‘juggling fiends’ wh o h ave ‘p a l t e r [ e d ] w i t h h i m i n a d o u b l e s e n s e’. Yet, despite th is kn owledge h e ch oose s to f ac e Mac du f f in open combat. It i s th e clear-eyed awaren ess of th e f u tility o f h i s l i fe c o u pl e d with h is gr im

acceptan ce of h is f ate th at goes a great way to rest o r i n g M a c be t h in o u r e ye s . 15 2. REVIS I O N: LA DY M AC BE T H ’ S C H A RA C T E R W i t h ver y few ex c ep t i o ns, no char acter in any of Shakespear e s p l ay s u n de r go e s s u ch a r adical devolu tion as th at wh ich tr an sfor ms L ady Macbeth f r o m a n ear ly su perh u man ch ar acter in th e fir st Act of “Macbeth ” i n t o a s l e e p - w a l k i n g , n e r vo u s p a r o d y o f t h e c o n fi d e n t wo m a n s h e o n c e w a s , by t h e s t a r t o f A c t V. Wh e n we fi r st see L ady Macbeth on stage , sh e is a comman din g ch ar acter. S h e c o nve y s h e r in ten tion to realise h er dar k ambition s in lan gu age th at i s as u n fo r g e t t a bl e a s i t i s f r i g h t e n i n g : The raven himself is hoar se Tha t croaks th e fatal e ntrance o f Duncan Under my battlements . Come , you spir its That tend on

mor tal thoughts , unsex me here , And fill m e from the crown to the to e to p-ful l O f dires t cruelty! make thic k my blo o d; Stop up the access and passage to remor se , Tha t no com p u ncti o us vi si ti ngs o f nature Shake my fell purpose , nor keep peace between The effect and it! Come to my womans breasts , And take my milk for gall, you murdr ing minister s , Wherever in your sightless substances You wait on natures misc hief! Come , thic k night, And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, That my keen knife see not the wound it makes , Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark, To cr y "Hold, hold!" But, after her ineffective effor ts to control Macbeths reaction to the Ghost of Ban qu o i n Act III, scen e iv., L ady Macbeth vir tu ally

disappear s f rom th e play We 16 hear of her again at the star t of Act V when a doctor and one of her ladies in w ai ti n g di s c u ss h er in somn ia, bu t th is h ardly prepares u s for th e gh ostly fi gu r e w h o n e x t appear s. As L ady Macbeth en ter s sleepwalkin g, u tter in g words th at ar e l ade n w i th gu ilt an d a path etic lon gin g for th e comfor t of h er absen t h u sban d we ar e r e m i n ded of th e ju st h ow cor rosive th e ef fects of evil are . E ven be fo r e Mac be th i s told by S eyton th at L ady Macbeth is dead (Act V, scen e iv) , we re c o g n i se t h a t s h e is n o lo n g e r h er self. She has become mer ely a shadow, a l i vi n g ghost, haunted by the memor ies of the night that changed her life forever. We fi r st se e La d y Ma cbe t h in Act I, scene v, alone and reading a letter f r o m h e r h u s ban d th at speaks abou t h is meetin g with th e weird sister s an d th e i r pr o ph e c y th at h e will become S cotlan d s

kin g. L ady Macbeth issu es n o respo n s e to Mac be th s accou n t of even ts. S h e focu ses in stead on th e prospects fo r Macbeths acting to fulfil the prediction and concludes that he may be “ to o fu l l o f the milk of human kindness ” to car r y ou t th e requ ired deed of killin g D u n can . H e r de te r m i n ati on to remove any obstacle th at preven ts h im f rom realisin g h i s ambition and potential is captured in her unfor gettable summons to him: "H i e t h e e h i t h e r, | T h a t I m i g h t p o u r my s p i r i t s i n t h i n e e a r, | A n d c hastise with the valour of my tongue | All that impedes three from the golden round, | Whic h fate and metaphysical aid doth seem | To have thee crownd witha l" (I, v., l l 25-29) E ve n a t t h i s e a r ly s t a g e i n h e r e n g a g e m e n t w i t h e v i l , h e r d e s i r e s s e e m c o n g r u e n t w i th th e u n stated aims of th e we ird sister

s, bu t L ady Macbeth s invocation i s f ar m o r e powe rf u l an d distu rbin g in its lan gu age th an th e in ar ticu late (bu t cu n n i n g) s t a t e m e n t s o f t h e wit c h e s . H owe ver, Shakespear e pr ovides us w i th a numbe r of s u btl e c l u e s to an u n der lyin g vu ln er ability in h er ch ar acter. L ear n in g th at Ki n g D u n c a n i s c o m i n g t o t h e i r c a s t l e a n d t h e r e by p r ov i d i n g a n o p p o r t u n i t y t o k i l l h i m , s h e fi n ds i t ne c e s s a r y t o c a ll u po n “spir its” to “u n s e x” her ; " A n d fill m e , from t he crow n to the to e , to p-ful l | Of direst cruelty! M ake thi c k my b l o o d; | Stop up t h e access and passage to remor se , | That n o c o mpun ct i o us vi sit i ng s of nature | Shake my fell purpose nor keep p e ac e b e t we e n | The e ffe ct an d i t " (I, v, ll.46-51) 17 While the speech resembles Macbeths " star s hi de yo ur fi

re s" speech in th e pr i o r s c en e , i t i s m o s t me mo r a ble fo r the insi ghts i t pr ovi des us i nto her char acter. I n par ticular, we notice that Lady Macbeth fails to consider that " co m p u n cti o u s v i si t n g s of n ature" migh t retu r n to h au n t h er af ter th e cr ime h as been committed, an d th at f u r th er more h er f r igh ten in g su blimation of wh o sh e is will alter h e r n atu r al bo n d with Macbeth . Fin ally, we sh ou ld of cou r se ask ou r selves why i t i s s h e n ee ds t o s u ppre s s h e r fe min ine si de i n or der to car r y out thi s cr ime . A ft e r L a dy Ma c b et h h a s ce r emonially dr ained all feminine kindness fr om h er s p i r i t , M a c be t h e n t e r s , a n d s h e t ells hi m that Duncan must be "p rov i d e d fo r," th e i n nu e n do bein g th at h e mu st be mu rdered. H e pu ts h er of f , sayin g th at th ey s h al l s pe ak abo u t th e matter later, bu t sign ifican tly

L ady Macbeth does n ot u se th e word m u r d e r, r e fe r r i n g t o i t i n s t e a d a s "this enterpr ise ." S in ce sh e h as alre ady s po ke n o pen ly abou t th e plot kill D u n can with h er h u sban d, some m o r al i n h i b i t i on mu s t be pre ve n t in g La d y Macbeth fr om fr om actually sayi ng the wor d murder. O f c o ur se , t hi ng s d o n o t go as planned. Not only does Macbe th fai l t o c ar r y o u t h er in str u ction s con cer n in g th e placemen t of th e mu rder dagger s , th e bl am e do e s n ot f all u pon D u n can s gu ards bu t u pon Malcolm an d D on albain , th e kings two sons, who have fled the scene . At the midpoint of the play, in Act III, s c e n e i i , L ady Macbeth wor r ies alou d, asks a ser van t wh eth er Ban qu o is go n e f r o m th e c astle , an d th en sen ds h im with a message for Kin g Macbeth . For th e fir s t ti m e i n th e play L ady Macbeth h in ts at th e exten t of wh at th e mu rder h as c o

st t h e m , say in g in a s o lilo qu y : "Noug hts had, al l s spe nt Where our desire is go without content; Tis safer to be that whic h we destroy 18 Than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy " (III, ii., ll4-7) When Mac be th e n ter s, sh e ch astises h im for leavin g h er alon e an d th en advises h im to " sl e e k ov e r " h is "rug ged looks ," and be " b r i g h t a n d j ov i a l" at banquet. (III, ii ll 2 7 - 2 8 ) . H e fir s t a dv is e s h e r t o do the same and then says that she should r em ai n i gn o r an t o f h is plan s to dispose of Ban qu o an d Flean ce . In th e ban qu et s c e n e i tsel f , L a dy Ma c be t h is u n a ble t o r ein i n her husbands guilty hor r or at se ei n g Ban qu o s gh ost, an d alth ou gh sh e is u n der in credible pressu re h er h an dlin g of th e guests does leave much to be desired. L a d y M a c b e t h i s a b s e n

t fo r m o s t o f t h e l a t t e r p a r t p l ay a n d h e r r e a p p e a r a n c e a t th e o pe n i n g of Act V is foresh adowed by th e wor r ied commen ts of h er do c to r an d o n e o f h er gen tlewomen . As sh e en ter s silen tly, th e two refer to h e r behaviour as if she no longer existed. They note her compulsive habit of washing h e r h an ds , an d, con sisten t with th is diagn osis, th e fir st words th at sh e speaks ar e " a spot ." We soon realise that in her own mind, Lady Macbeths hands are unclean and that she simply cannot command an imagined " d a m n d s p o t" t o d i s a p p e a r. Co m pl e te ly obliviou s to th ose arou n d h er, sh e tr an sfer s th is symptom of gu i l t to Macbeth, saying " Wa sh yo u r h a n d s , p u t o n yo u r n igh tgow n , lo o k n o t so p a le . I te l l y o u ye t a g a in, Banquos bur ied; he canno t co me o ut o n s grave " ( V, i ., l l 6 2 - 6 4 ) Mac be th , o f cou r se , is n ot

presen t, for h e h as gon e to th e battlefield, bu t in h e r fi n al s pe e c h , L ady Macbeth s desire for con ju gal par tn er sh ip comes for th , as s h e s ays t o h er ima g in e d h u s ba n d, "To b ed , to b ed , th eres kn o c kin g a t th e ga te . Co m e , come , come , come , give me your hand. Whats done cannot be undone To bed, to b e d , t o b e d" (V, i., ll66-68) In Act V, scen e iii, Macbeth comman ds th e docto r to c u r e h i s w i fe , bu t t h e do c t o r wis ely r epl i es, "Therein the patient must minister to h i m s e l f" (V, iii, l.45), and shor tly thereafter Macbeth is told of his wifes death, presumably as a result of suicide . L o o k ing b a c k , a ft er t h e murder of the King, Macbeth withdr aws fr om h i s m ar i tal r e l ation sh ip to L ady Macbeth an d n o lon ger relies u pon h is wife s capac i ty to inter pret events for him. He keeps his plans to have Banquo and Fleance killed f r o m h e r, s ay i n g t

o h i s o n e - t i m e p a r t n e r, "Be innocent of the knowledge , dearest c huc k | Till thou applaud the deed " ( I I I , i i , l l . 5 0 - 5 1 ) B y t h e b a n q u e t s c e n e o f A c t I I I , 19 L ady Mac be th is n o lon ger par t of h er h u sban d s wor ld, h e n o lon ger n eeds h e r as a spur to ambition. Depr ived of her function in directing Macbeths actions, L a d y M a c b e t h i s l e f t a l o n e a n d i s o l a t e d . L o n g b e fo r e M a c b e t h c o n c l u d e s t h a t “l i fe i s a t a l e t old by an idiot ”, L ady Macbeth , n o lon ger a wife n or even a n atu r al wo m an , h as en tered in to a twiligh t realm in wh ich th ere is n o active role for h e r to perfor m nor any means through which guilt can be extinguished. 20 3. REVIS I O N: LA DY M AC BE T H ’ S GU ILT L a d y M a c b e t h i s o n e o f S h a ke s p e a r e s m o a t f a s c i n a t i n g c r e a t i o n s . H e r n a m e h as be c o m e syn

onymou s with evil yet, on closer examin ation , on e is dr awn to th e c o n c l u si o n t h a t t h e re is mo re o f t he woman and w i fe than of the w i tch about h er. T h e r e a d e r fi r s t m e e t s L a d y M a c b e t h a s s h e r e a d s t h e n e w s o f t h e w i t c h e s ’ s al u tati o n s an d proph ecies. With a gr im deter min ation sh e resolves to make th e promises of the black sister s come tr ue . It is interesting to note , however, that s h e i s m o t i v at e d t o ove rc o me h e r husband’s hesitant natur e: Gla m is thou ar t, a n d C a w d o r ; a n d s h a l t b e What thou ar t promis’d: yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full of the milk of human kindness To ca tc h th e n ea rest wa y: th o u w o u ld st b e grea t; Ar t n ot w ith out a m b i ti o n ; b u t w i th o u t The illness should attend it. (Act I, sc v) R e al i s i n g th at sh e is to be th e pr ime mover of th e plot to mu rder D u n can , L ady Macbeth intones a

disturbing pr ayer : Come , you spir its That tend on mor tal thoughts , unsex me here; An d fill m e , from th e crow n to th e to p , to p - f u l l Of direst cruelty! make thic k my blood, Stop up th e acc ess a n d p a ss a ge to re m o r s e , That no compunctious visitings of nature – Sh a ke my fell p u rp o s e , n o r ke e p p e a ce b e tw e e n The effect and it! (A c t I, S c . v ) T h i s pr aye r u ses specific images wh ich su ggest th at L ady Macbeth is n ot a co l dly c al c u l ati n g predator. S h e wish es to be u n sexed, to be given f reedom f rom any s e m bl an c e of femin in e gen tility; sh e ren ou n ces compu n ction an d remor se , r ath e r delicate ter ms which suggest a thoughtful, conscientious nature . In other words, L a d y M a c b e t h i s n o t g o i n g t o a l l ow h e r s e l f t o b e d i s s u a d e d by t h o s e t a u n t s o f c o n sci en ce w h ic h t ro u ble h e r h u sband dur i ng the ear ly stages of their plotti n g. I r o n

i c al ly, h owever, af ter th e mu rder, it is th e seemin gly steely-n atu red wife w h o begins to capitulate to the fir st onslaughts of an uneasy conscience: 21 These deeds must not be thought After th ese ways; s o , i t w i l l m a ke u s m a d . (Act II, Sc i) F r om t h e h au n t in g s imila r it y be t ween the sleepi ng Duncan and her ow n fath er, L ady Mac be th moves in a steady progression to th ose f atef u l momen ts of in san i ty w h i c h l e ad to h er death . Alon g th e way, as is eviden t in th e above qu otation , s h e fi r s t fe a r s m a d n e s s , a n d t h e n e x p e r i e n c e s t h e e m p t i n e s s o f t h e i r t r i u m p h a n d a palpable guilt: Nau ght’s h a d , alls s p e n t, Where our desire is got without content: T is safer to b e th a t w h i c h w e d e stroy, Than, by destruction, dwell in doubtful joy . (Act III, S c , ii) In t h e ba n qu e t s c e n e , wh e re Ma cbeth i s haunted by the ghost of the mur d er ed Banquo,

Shakespeare fur ther advances Lady Macbeths collapse . Consistent with e ar l i e r be h aviou r, sh e skilf u lly saves h er h u sban d s h on ou r by dismissin g th e c o m pany be fore th e str icken Macbeth is car r ied f u r th er in to wh at sh e perce i ve s as a hallucination. She has always been on his side , strongly coaching and coaxing h i m . Bu t af ter th e depar tu re of th e gu ests, it is eviden t th at sh e h as ch an ged H e r ti r ade o f th e fir st act wh ere sh e per su aded h er h u sban d to con sider D u n c an s murder finds no par allel hereand it cer tainly calls for a cautionar y rebuke . In st ea d o f sc o r n f u l a n g e r, La dy M acbeth speaks i n br ief sentences to her husb an d words which suggest resignation r ather than castigation. It is a deeply thought provoking and touching moment in the tr agedy. T he u n fo r t u na t e wo ma n m akes her next appear ance in the last act of t h e pl ay. D r i ve n by a con scien ce th at wou ld

tr y to u su r p its own gen tle n atu re , L ady Mac be th w an der s th rou gh th e cas tle in h er sleep, relivin g th e h or ror of D u n c an s mu r de r. H e r fin al lin es in th e scen e su ggest both th at h or ror an d th e piti abl e s p e c t r e o f a wo ma n wh o wa n t e d too much for the man she loved: Wa sh yo u r h a n d s , p u t o n yo u r n igh tgow n ; lo o k n o t so p a leI tell yo u yet a ga in , Banquos bur ied; he cannot come out ons grave . To bed, to bed; theres knoc king at the gate: come , come , come , come , give me your hand: what’s done cannot be undone: to bed, to bed, to bed. (Act V, Sc i) T h e s h ar pn ess of th e stron ger woman con tr asted with th e broodin g ter ror of th e vi c ti m i s e d c on scien ce makes th ese momen ts some of th e most memor able in th e 22 pl ay. T h e r eader is remin ded of th e ambitiou s woman wh o scof fed at h e r h u s b a n d s b r ave r y i n o r d e r t o p r o d h i m i n t o a c t i o n ; i t

i s L a d y M a c b e t h w h o h a d to take c o n trol of th e situ ation at th e peak of its dan ger, it is th e wife wh o h ad to l ea d h e r h u sba n d wit h t h re a t s a n d encour agement thr ough the mur der ous r i tu al . A n d, at th e same time , S h akespeare is presen tin g a mar vellou sly tou ch in g pic tu r e o f a wo m a n wh o h a s be e n de str oyed by her dar ing di sr uption of her ow n s e n si t i ve n a tu re . Sh e is t h e o n e who must be l ed aw ay now ; she is the str i cken , weaker member. Dur i ng t h e c o ur se of t he tr agedy, both protagonists change comple t e ly. Mac be th gr ows f rom a reason able , loyal n obleman to a tyr an n ically mu rde r o u s de s po t. H e aban don s mor ality af ter weigh in g u p all th e con sequ en ces L ady Mac be th , o n th e oth er h an d, plu n ges directly in to th e f r ay. S h e boldly pr ays n o t to l et h er ow n g o o d in s t in c t s blu n t , even for one moment, the fier ce deter mi na

ti on s h e mu s t main tain in order to ach ieve h er desired en ds. O n ly gr adu ally do e s h u m a n n a t u r e a s s e r t i t s e l f i n h e r c h a r a c t e r. A n d w h e n i t d o e s , t h e bu r d e n o f g u i l t proves too much for her mind. She becomes the mor al recluse while her husband c o n t i nu e s h i s s t r u g g le fo r c o n qu e st and power. V ie we d i n t h i s li g ht , t he char acter of Lady Macbeth becomes m o r e u n d e r s t a n d a bl e e n d c e r t a i n ly mu c h m o r e c o nv i n c i n g . H e r c r u e l t y s e e m s b o r n o f the desper ation of the moment r ather than a basic element within her nature . In ti m e s o f c r i sis, someon e mu st always be stron g; sh e is th at on e . U n for tu n ately, h e r s t r en g t h a ch ie ve s a t r a g ic dime n s ion. O ne o t her po i nt wh i c h is ver y impor tant to bear in mind is the relations h i p be twe e n h u sban d an d wife . It is, af ter all, th e cor n er ston

e of th e tr agedy As th e e ve n ts o f th e play u n fold, Macbeth an d h is wife are swept apar t by th e c o n s e qu e n c es of th eir action . S h e becomes gu ilt-r idden an d in active wh ile h e attempts to murder his way to some peace of mind. Ear lier in the play, however, it w as n o t l i ke th is. T h ey loved each oth er an d respected th eir mar r iage vows T h e tr age dy o f Macbeth is greatly en h an ced by th e realisation th at, for all pr ac ti c al pu r po s e s , l ove brou gh t dish on ou r an d death to both . T h eir lives as lovin g par tn e r s i n t h e e a r ly pa r t o f t h e play re mi nds us of the essential humani ty, and ther e for e , fallibility of Macbeth and of cour se Lady Macbeth. 23 4. THE THE M E O F G U ILT IN M AC BE T H T h r o u g h t h e e x p e r i e n c e s o f M a c b e t h a n d L a d y M a c b e t h , S h a ke s p e a r e demonstr ates that self-destr uctive guilt cannot be assuaged by recour se to action n o r by e ve

n th e most deter min ed ef for t to silen ce th e pan gs of con scien ce . In th e c o u r s e o f th e tr agedy, Macbeth repeatedly misin ter prets th e gu ilt th at h e su f fe r s as being simply a specimen of fear. Consequently, his char acter istic way of dealing w i t h h i s g u i l t is t o f a c e it dire c t ly by commi tti ng still mor e mi sdeeds, and thi s, of c o u r s e , o n ly cau ses f u r th er pain . L ady Macbeth , on th e oth er h an d, is f u lly aw ar e of th e bas i c dif feren ce between fear an d gu ilt, an d sh e attempts to preclu de th e on s e t o f th e latter by fir st denyin g h er own sen se of con scien ce an d th e n by fo c u s i n g h e r atte n ti o n u po n th e m an age m e n t o f Mac be th s gu i l t. T h e s e ac ts o f i n t er n a l r e pre s s io n do n o t wo r k , and, once her husband has depar ted to the fi el d o f c o m ba t a n d s h e is le f t a lo n e , Lady Macbeth assumes the ver y manifestati ons of guilt that have been

associated with Macbeth. Yet in “ Macbeth ”, we ar e fur nish ed w i t h se ver a l e x a mple s o f h ow r emor se can be addr essed, most notably i n Mac du f f s r espon se to th e slau gh ter of h is wife an d ch ildren . T h erefore , w h i l e S h ake s pe ar e sh ow u s th at feelin gs of gu ilt can u n leash self -destr u ctive dr ives , h e al s o te ac h e s u s th at it is th e way in wh ich we cope with gu ilt wh ic h i s deter minative of its ultimate effects. A w a r r i o r by voc a t io n, M a cbeth is accustomed to overcoming self-do u b t s by c o n f r o n ti n g h is fear s with sword in h an d. Wh en th ou gh ts of slayin g D u n can to obtai n th e crown fir st en ter h is min d, Macbeth s con cer n is th at th ey n o t be detected. Hence , he proclaims, " Sta r s , h id e yo u r fires | Let n o t ligh t see my b l a c k a n d d e e p d e s i re s," (I, v, 11.58-59), an d, wh en on th e cu sp of cr ime , h e again c al l s on n a t u r e t o

ma s k h is mo t ive s , e ntr eating the ear th, "H ea r n o t my step s w h ic h wa y they walk " ( II, i, 11.65-66) As a man of action , Macbeth is convin ced th at if o n ly h e c an h i de h is cr ime an d f u r th er th e proph ecy given to h im by th e witch es , h i s fe e l i n gs o f gu ilt will n atu r ally dissipate . T h is belief u n der lies h is reaction to th e mu r de r e r s n ews th at Flean ce h as escaped th e f ate wh ich Macbeth plan n ed fo r h i m . W h e n h e r e a l i s e s t h a t t h e p l a n h a s f a i l e d , M a c b e t h l a m e n t s : "Th en co m e s my 24 fit ag ain . I had e l s e be e n p e r fe c t ; Wh o le a s th e ma r b le " (III, iv, 1125-26) F o r Macbeth, the reason that the ghost of Banquo appear s at the feast, then, is that the loose end of Fleances remaining alive has left him " cabined, cr ibbed, confined, b o u n d i n t o s a u c y d o u b t s a n d fe a r s" ( I I I , i v, 1 1 . 3 0 - 3 1 ) F

i n a l ly, i n h i s e n c o u n t e r w i t h Malcolm, Macbeth uses the cr utch of the prediction that no man bor n of woman c a n h a r m h i m t o bu c k le h is c o u r age , because as l ong as that is tr ue , "The mind I swa y by a n d t h e h e a r t I b e a r | S h a l l n ev e r s a g w i t h d o u b t n o r s h a ke w i t h fe a r" (V, ii, 1 1 . 9 - 1 0 ) I t is n o t c owa rdic e , but the oper ati on of gui l t that dr ives Mac b eth toward his tr agic end. After all, he has displayed almost superhuman cour age on the field of battle . But Macbeth remains blind to this, and comes to believe that the mental tor ture he is exper iencing is rooted in some exter nal threat. It is t hi s misint er p re t a t i o n of guilt as fear which explains why Mac b e t h takes control following the murder of the king. The scheme to dispatch with D u n c an i s spawn ed by L ady Macbeth , an d th at sh e is on ly able to en list h e r h u s b a n d s p a r t i c i p a t

i o n i n t h e mu r d e r by i m p ly i n g t h a t h e i s a c ow a r d . M a c b e t h c o u n t e r s t h is c h a r g e by k illin g D uncan once he has scr ewed up his cour age , an d , thereafter, he takes the leading par t in orchestr ating still more cr imes, including the use of hirelings to assassinate Banquo and, later, the family of Macduff. Indeed, h avi n g pr oven h is mettle to h imself by slayin g D u n can , Macbeth deliber ately ke e ps h i s i n t e n t i o n t o c o m p l e t e t h e c r i m e by o r d e r i n g t h e d e a t h s o f B a n q u o a n d F l e a n c e f r om h is wife , t e llin g h e r, "Be in n o cen t o f th e kn ow led ge , d ea rest c h u c k | Ti l l thou applaud the deed " (III, ii, 11.50-51) It is sign ifican t th at immediately af te r h i s vision of Banquos ghost, Macbeths mind is dr awn to the exter nal problem of Macduffs suspicions. Hear ing that Macduff has left for England, Macbeth propounds that, " Fro m th is m o m en

t | Th e ver y fir stlin gs o f my h ea r t sh a ll b e | Th e fir stlin g s of my hand" (IV, i, 165-6 7). As th e play u n folds, Macbeth remain s u n de r the impression that what bother s him is not the psychological impact of his past c r i m e s , bu t h is f ailu re to con du ct still more car n age , th at is, h is in ability to gr apple with fear and do what must be done to vanquish the power it has on him. In co n t r a st t o h er h us ba nd, Lady Macbeth knows well in advance o f D u n c an s mu rder th at h er par ticipation in th e cr ime will expose h er to th e r avage s o f gu ilt. S h e con ju res su per n atu r al forces to ch an ge h er by silen cin g h e r humanity: 25 Come you spir its That tend on mor tal thoughts , unsex me here , And fill me , from the crown to the toe , top-full Of direst cruelty! Make thic k my blood; Stop up the access and passage to remor se ,

That no compunctious visitings of nature Shake my fell purpose nor keep peace between The effect and it (I, v, 11.44-51) While Lady Macbeth implores the spir its to relieve her of those pangs of guilt w h i c h m i g h t pre ve n t h e r f ro m par tici pating in the mur der, she does not exten d the " sp e l l " beyon d th e commission of th e cr ime . L ady Macbeth believes th at th e pr o s pe c ti ve remor se wh ich sh e f aces is an obstacle to th e plot wh ich sh e h as h a t c h e d t o g a i n t h e t h r o n e , bu t s h e d o e s n o t c o n s i d e r t h e p o s s i b i l i t y t h a t g u i l t m i gh t de s tr oy h er af ter D u n can h as been mu rdered. We can see th is wh en s h e h e r s e l f c o n templates stabbin g D u n can in h is sleep, bu t is u n able to do so bec au s e h e r e s e m bl e s h e r f a t h e r. W i t h D unc a ns d ea t h , the potentially negative effects of guilt are denie d by L a

d y M a c b e t h , fo r, a f t e r a l l , i n h e r c o n c e p t i o n , g u i l t i s o n ly a p r o bl e m i n s o f a r a s i t s t a n d s a s a ba r r ie r t o re a lis in g her desir es. Having deni ed the after- effects of guilt, Lady Macbeths subconscious method for coping with it is to concentr ate on the symptoms of guilt which ar ise in her husband. In the wake of his cr ime , Macbeth hear s that inter nal voice which commands him to " sl e e p no mo re" ( I I , i i , 1 1 .5 0 - 5 1 ) R estive to th e en d, Macbeth s in somn ia is n oted by h is wife , an d s h e attempt to explain the more vivid and hor r ifying exper iences that he under goes, s u ch a s see i ng B a n qu o s s pe c t r a l effigy at the feast, by r efer r i ng to natur al cau ses, telling her husband that his vision stems from the fact that he lacks " th e sea so n o f a l l n a t u re s , s l e e p" (III, iv, 1.73) In th e scen e wh ich occu r s immediately af te r D u n c a n

s d e a t h , L a d y M a c b e t h o r d e r s h e r h u s b a n d t o g e t s o m e w a t e r "a n d wa s h this filthy witness from your hand " (II, ii, 11.61-62) He rejects her suggestion, c r y i n g ou t , " What hands are here . Hal they pluc k out mine eyes! | Will all great N e p t u n e s ocean was h t his blood | Cl e an fro m my hand ?" (II, ii, 11.77-79) She , in tur n, insists that the tell-tale signs of his cr ime cannot be seen by other s, that " a l i t t l e wa t e r c lear s us of t his deed " (II, ii, 1.85) For L ady Macbeth , th en , th e m e an s 26 th r o u gh w h ich sh e respon ds to h er gu ilt is to con cen tr ate on h er h u sban d s i r r a t i o n a l b e h av io u r. T he i n na t e l i mi t a t i o ns o f L ady Macbeths way of managing her own gui l t by bo l s te r i n g Macbeth become plain in th e play s fin al act. As th e gen tleman in fo r m s th e do c to r wh o h as been called to cu re h er in somn ia, L

ady Macbeth on ly be gi n s to s l e e pw al k an d to compu lsively wash h er h an ds wh en Macbeth is n o lo n ge r pr e s e n t. I n deed, as th e doctor an d th e gen tleman obser ve h er action s, L ady Mac be th s e ems cau gh t in th e rou tin e of assu r in g Macbeth th at h e h as n o c au s e fo r fe ar, as s h e s pe aks th e l i n e s : "Wa sh yo u r h a n d s , p u t o n yo u r n igh t gow n | L o o k n o t s o p a l e . I tell yo u yet a ga in | Ba n q u o s b u r ied H e ca n n o t co m e o u t o n s grave " ( V, i , 11. 56-57) A t t h is poi nt, Lady Macbeth has so suppr essed her own fe e l i n g s o f g u i l t t h a t s h e c a n o n ly a d d r e s s t h e m i n d i r e c t ly, r e s o r t i n g t o a n i m agi n e d e f for t to calm h er h u sban d. T h e problem, of cou r se , is th at Macbe th i s n o t t h e r e t o d i ve r t h e r a t t e n t i o n f r o m h e r ow n s e n s e o f g u i l t , a n d s h e mu s t therefore confront feelings she has

suppressed for most of the play. A l t ho ug h b o t h Ma c b eth and Lady Macbeth suffer ter r ibly from the tor m e n t of gu i l t, th r ou gh ou t th e play we are presen ted with ch ar acter s wh o exper i e n c e guilt but do manage to deal with it effectively. The fir st of these is the Thane of Caw do r. O n th e execu tion block, Macbeth s predecessor takes active measu re s to alleviate his soul of the guilt of rebellion. Duncan is infor med, " Th a t ver y fra n k l y h e c o n fe s s e d h i s t re a s o n s | I m p l o re d y o u r h i g h n e s s p a rd o n , a n d s e t fo r t h a d e e p re p e n t a n c e" (I, iv, 11.5-7) T h e in su r gen t T h an e , th en , ackn owledges h is cr ime , be gs the for giveness of his king, and expresses his regret. But the most impor tant e x am pl e o f h ow gu ilt can be overcome is th at of Macdu f f . Appr ised th at h is f am i ly h a s b e e n k i l l e d by M a c b e t h s h e n c h m e n , M a c d u f f i s

u r g e d by M a l c o l m t o "d is p u te i t l i ke a m a n" ( I V, i i i , 1 1 .2 5 7 ) H e agr e e s o n th e n e e d to e x ac t ve n ge an c e u po n Macbeth, but tells the pr ince , " I s h a l l d o s o | B u t I mu s t a l s o fe e l i t a s a m a n" ( I V, i i i , 1 1 .2 5 8 - 2 59) Macdu f f th en remon str ates with h imself , ackn owledgin g th at h e h a s b e e n "si nful" in th e sen se th at h is in n ocen t wife an d ch ildren were slain fo r h i s o ppo s i ti on to Macbeth . Yet on ce th is gu ilt is open ly ackn owledged, Macdu f f i s able to move toward the final confrontation with Macbeth in a deliber ate and h i gh ly fo c u s ed man n er, ref u sin g to str ike down th e relu ctan t soldier s in Macbe th s fo r c e an d s e e ki n g h i s r e ve n ge o n Mac be th al o n e . 27 In M a cbe t h , Sh a ke s pe a re re min ds us that gui l t i s the inevitable consequenc e of e vi l , an d w ar n s u s of th e awf u l con sequ

en ces of an u n easy con scien ce . At th e s a m e t i m e , i n M a c du f f a n d in o t h er figur es i n the pl ay, Shakespear e show s us th at gu i l t c an be overcome wh en it is recogn ised as su ch . Plain ly, n eith er Macbeth n o r L a d y M a c b e t h r i s e s t o t h i s t a s k . M a c b e t h a t t e m p t s t o s u b s t i t u t e fe a r fo r g u i l t a n d to deal with it through action, while his wife acknowledges the debilitating effect of gu i l t s h e con str icts it in to a deter ren t, u sin g th e man agemen t of h er h u sban d s guilt as a means for diver ting her attention away from her own sense of shame . Both of these cour ses prove disastrous, and, in many respects the depth of tr age dy w h i ch Macbeth an d L ady Macbeth u n der go stems n ot on ly f rom th e i r c r i m e s al o n e , bu t f rom th eir in ability to accept th e gu ilt th at is th e in evitabl e c o n sequ en ce o f t h o s e c r ime s . 28 5. THE R O LE O F THE W IT C H E S

IN MA C B E T H S h a ke s pea re’s ‘ Ma c b et h ’ is a complex and fascinating play which e xplo r es , am o n g o th er th in gs, th e in ter action between good an d evil, an d th e dispar i ty between appear ance and reality. The witches play a centr al role in developing these themes. Fur ther more , they represent Shakespeare’s vision of evil and add c o n si de r a bly t o t h e dr a ma o f t h e play. F i r s t a n d fo re mo st , S ha ke speare uses the witches to present us with h i s vision of evil. The three are ugly and androgynous, as descr ibed by Banquo: “ y o u s h o u l d b e w o m en , a n d yet yo u r b ea rd s fo rb id m e to in terp ret th a t yo u a re so .” T h e i r ‘skinny lips’ and ‘choppy finger s’ are unfeminine and displeasing. The location of th e w i tc h e s fir st appear an ce is also wor th n otin g. T h e f act th at th ese creatu r e s are introduced to us on a ‘ b l a s t e d h e a t h’ is su ggestive of bar ren

an d in fer tile e vi l that they represent. Shakespeare is effectively telling us that evil is aber r ant and at odds with nature . The witches are linked throughout the play to a rever sion in th e n atu r al order. Wh erever n atu re h as been violated, evil an d by exten sion th e w i tc h e s , ar e always close at h an d. S h akespeare u ses th e witch es to h igh ligh t th e f a c t t h a t a ny b r e a c h i n t h e n a t u r a l o r d e r i nv i t e s w i c ke d n e s s , m o r a l c o r r u p t i o n a n d c h ao s . T h e witch es h ave th e ability to con trol th e weath er, an d wh en th ey do, i t i s i n e vi tably to create dar kn ess, ch aos an d destr u ction . T h e tempest brewed by th e w i t ch es t o t h re a t e n t h e c a pt a in of the T i ger, and the cloaki ng Scotlan d i n pe r pe tu al dar kn ess followin g th e mu rder of D u n can are ju st two examples of th e l i n k S h a ke sp e a re c re a t e s be t we e n evil and i nter fer ence w ith natur e .

F u r th er more , th e witch es demon str ate S h akespeare’s idea th at evil is n o t c o n s tr ai n e d by physical bar r ier s. T h ey do n ot seem to be con str ain ed by ei th e r time or place . When the witches are plotting their impending meeting with Macbeth in the fir st scene , they ask “ When will we three meet again ”. T he pl ac e , i t s e em s i s i r r e le v a n t . It is t h e t im ing of the meeti ng that inter ests the w i tc h es 29 What’s more , these weird sister s have the ability to congregate anywhere , and appear to vanish into thin air whenever they please . Though they seem ‘ corporeal ’, they ‘m e l t’ in to th e air wh en th ey h ave fin ish ed proph esisin g abou t Ban qu o’s an d Macbeth’s futures. We get the impression that the witches oper ate on a different plain of being than we humans do. At the end of the fir st scene , they are called aw ay by G r eymalkin an d Paddock, th eir f amiliar s. T h e au dien ce can n

ot h ear th i s s u p e r n a t u r a l s u mmo n s , bu t t h e w i tches, r epr esenti ng evil, ar e i n tune w ith an e n t i r e n et wo r k o f t h o u g h t s a n d i ntangible for ces beyond mor tal r ecogniti on . S h ake s pe ar e u ses th e witch es to represen t th e eth ereal an d metaphysical n atu r e o f ev i l i n ‘M acbeth’. A pa r t from phy sic a l ly repr esenting Shakespeare’s vision of evil, the wit c h es also help to demonstr ate the inter action between forces of good and evil, e s p e c i a l ly w i t h in pe o ple . B o t h B a nquo and Macbeth ar e pr omised gr eat things an d r oyal f u tu r e s by th e witch es in Act 1. We see , h owever, th at th e proph ecies h ave different effects on the two char acter s. Banquo is at fir st attr acted by “ w h a t s ee m s so fa ir” in the witc h e s ’ pro p h e cy, w h ile Macb e th is s tar tle d by an d even s e e m s to fear th eir words. As th e play develops, we come to realise th at th e r e

as o n fo r th is is th at Macbeth h arbou r s a willin gn ess to ign ore h is con sci e n c e an d fo l l ow th e evil path h in ted at in th e proph ecy, Ban qu o, th ou gh tempte d by the dar ker side of his spir it, appear s to have a more developed sense of mor ality, an d c an n o t imagin e actin g on th e temptation . S h akespeare sh ows u s, th rou gh th e r e ac ti o n s o f dif feren t ch ar acter s to th e witch es, th at we ou r selves ch o o s e w h e th e r to do r igh t or wron g. G ood an d evil are in all of u s, an d we each de c i de w h i c h co u r se t o t a ke . S imi l a r ly, t he w i t c hes h ave an impor tant par t to play in the developmen t o f th e o th e r key th eme of “Macbeth ”, th at of th e in con sisten cy between appear an c e an d r e al i ty. T h eir du plicitou s speech is on e of th e ch ar acter istic tr aits of th e w i t c h es. T h ey “lie like truth” to Macbeth in th eir proph ecies Alth ou gh , wh at th e y s ay i s , i n

f ac t, tr u e – Macbeth is n ot van qu ish ed u n til G reat Bir n am wood goe s to h i gh D u n s i n an e h ill, an d h e is n ot h ar med by on e bor n n atu r ally of woman – th e wo r di n g h as been caref u lly con str u cted to obscu re reality. T h rou gh lin es su c h as 30 “fair is foul, and foul is fair ”, th e witch es reveal mu ch to th e au dien ce abou t e vi l ’s ro l e i n di st or t in g t r u t h . A s well a s t heir role i n helping to fur ther our under standing of the key themes in ‘Macbeth’, the weird sister s also ser ve a dr amatic pur pose in the play. I n th e o pe n in g scen e , for in stan ce , we are plu n ged directly in to th e h ear t of th e ac ti o n . T h e stage direction s in dicate th at th ese scen e takes place amidst ‘th u n de r and lightning’, the language is ur gent, and the rhythm dr amatic . The “ h u r l y - b u r l y” atmosphere created by the witches’ conver sation gr abs the audience’s attention

i m m e di ate ly. T h eir appear an ces ten d to be sh or t-lived an d r ich with gor y im age s o f d i sm e m be re d c re a t u re s . Th is a d ds an element of sur r eal i sm to ‘Macbeth’ ma ki n g the scenes with the witches exciting and interesting. T he wit c hes p l ay a v ar iet y of roles in ‘Macbeth’ from the thematic to t h e dr am ati c . T h ey give th e n otion of evil a physical f ace , an d allow u s to see m o r e c le a r ly i t s m e a n in g wit h in t h e c o ntext of the pl ay. T hey also fur ther the idea of “false face ” h i d i n g “ w h a t t h e fa l s e h e a r t d o t h k n ow”, as wel l as al l ow i n g S h a ke s p e a r e t o e n g a g e t h e a u d i e n c e i n e x c i t i n g , s u r r e a l s c e n e s a n d d i a l o g u e . Wi th o u t th e witch es, ‘Macbeth ’ wou ld h ave been a ver y dif feren t play, as i t i s c l ea r t h ey h ave a c e n t r a l ro le in making the dr ama w hat i t i s. 31