User:El2fiky
In this research we will discuss soliloquies in Macbeth but before we begin we first need to know what's meant by the term soliloquy.
Soliloquy: The speech by a character in a literary composition, usually a play, delivered while the speaker is either alone addressing the audience directly or the other actors is silent. It is most commonly used to reveal the innermost concerns or thoughts of the speaker, thus pointing up the drama of internal conflict, as in Richard III's opening speech, "Now is the winter of our discontent." The form was quite popular in Elizabethan drama, notably in the plays of Shakespeare. The soliloquy may also act simply as a vehicle for information about absent characters or events occurring at some other time or place. In the modern theater the soliloquy has tended to disappear completely, although experimentations in its use were attempted by such playwrights as Eugene O'Neill, who sought through the soliloquy to achieve a greater psychological realism.
We notice a great importance of soliloquies as they allow the audience to hear the inner thoughts of a character, drawing us inside his mind and creating a bond between him and his listeners. Soliloquies are of particular importance in Macbeth, as they demonstrate his progressive deterioration throughout the play. If we look at each of Macbeth's soliloquies in order, and compare them, with his emotional state in each. And how does his character changes over the course of the play and if Shakespeare could have revealed so much of Macbeth's character without using the soliloquies. And now to the soliloquies:
Macbeth act 1 scene 3
(Two truths are told,
As happy prologues to the swelling act Of the imperial theme.--I thank you, gentlemen.
Aside 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? Present fears Are less than horrible imaginings: My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, Shakes so my single state of man that function Is smother'd in surmise, and nothing is But what is not.
Macbeth speaks his first soliloquy. He asks himself two questions. What If the witches said was evil, why two good things they said turned out to be true — he was Thane of Glamis and is now Thane of Cawdor. If what the witches said was good, why does his body react so violently to their predictions? Notice that it is Macbeth who mentions ‘murder’, whereas the witches said nothing about murdering anyone. It is Macbeth who connects the ideas of kingship and murder. But at the moment Macbeth thinks the idea of murder is ‘fantastical’, meaning that it exists only in his imagination. Macbeth decides to leave it to chance whether he will become king or not. This reveals the start of Macbeth's vaulting ambition. Macbeth's ambition to kill Duncan and Malcolm and finally become King rises with every new scene. It shows that there is conflict between Macbeth's ambition and his conscience. Hence, this is very important scene to the rest of the play because the first of the two prophecies become true and thus this unfolds the plot, you are told of Macbeth's reaction to this coming true and finally, the ambitious Macbeth begins.
3. “If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me
Without my stir.”
In this critical aside from Act 1, Scene 3, Macbeth reveals that he understands that a prophecy should come to pass without any conscious action from the receiver of the prophecy. He understands that if the witches have spoken the truth, then he will become king whether or not he takes action to accelerate the process. Perhaps Duncan would have died of natural causes if Macbeth had not murdered him. Either way, it is of great importance that the playgoer understands that his decision to commit regicide was not an ignorant one.
Act 1 Scene 4 Forres. The palace.
( The Prince of Cumberland! that is a step
On which I must fall down, or else o'erleap, For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires: The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be, Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see.)
King Duncan says that his eldest son, Malcolm, is to succeed him as king. It was the custom in Scotland for each king to be elected by the Thanes. Duncan’s action is therefore unusual and, to Macbeth in particular, provocative. This announcement therefore comes as a shock to Macbeth, who has only recently decided to leave to chance whether or not he becomes king himself. Macbeth fumes at the news that Duncan has reaffirmed his son Malcolm's right to inherit the throne. Although Macbeth was previously only considering accelerating his fate through violent action, his jealousy of Malcolm helps prod him into action. This quotation, the final lines spoken by Macbeth at the very end of Act 1, set the stage for the rising action in which the murder is consummated. Notice the playwright’s use of rhymed couplets. Shakespeare liked to end important scenes with couplets to accentuate the moment, and Macbeth’s six rhymed lines here are much stronger and more poetic than the five lines spoken immediately after by Duncan which actually draw the scene to a close. The theme of darkness is clearly expressed here as well: Macbeth calls upon the stars to cease shining so that the horrible deed he plans to commit will go unseen.
Soliloquy. Act 1, Scene 5
'They met me in the day of success: and I have
learned by the perfectest report, they have more in them than mortal knowledge. When I burned in desire to question them further, they made themselves air, into which they vanished. Whiles I stood rapt in the wonder of it, came missives from the king, who all-hailed me 'Thane of Cawdor;' by which title, before, these weird sisters saluted me, and referred me to the coming on of time, with 'Hail, king that shalt be!' This have I thought good to deliver thee, my dearest partner of greatness, that thou mightst not lose the dues of rejoicing, by being ignorant of what greatness is promised thee. Lay it to thy heart, and farewell.' Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be What thou art promised: yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full o' the milk of human kindness To catch the nearest way: thou wouldst be great; Art not without ambition, but without The illness should attend it: what thou wouldst highly, That wouldst thou holily; wouldst not play false, And yet wouldst wrongly win: thou'ldst have, great Glamis, That which cries 'Thus thou must do, if thou have it; And that which rather thou dost fear to do Than wishest should be undone.' Hie thee hither, That I may pour my spirits in thine ear; And chastise with the valour of my tongue All that impedes thee from the golden round, Which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem To have thee crown'd withal.
The scene begins with a letter to Lady Macbeth from Macbeth informing her of his encounter with the weird sisters, his new position of power and his ideas for the future. In the letter, Macbeth talks about the witches, saying that they have 'more than mortal knowledge', meaning that he believes that they have been prophesizing about him, and not making up the idea of him becoming King. He refers to his wife as his, 'dearest partner of greatness', which will become even truer as we go on through the play when Macbeth becomes King. Macbeth believes that he has been 'promis'd' the role of King by the witches, so, he will get it, as will Lady Macbeth, doing whatever it takes to get there. The letter from Macbeth is a summary of what has happened so far in the play, talking mainly about the prophecies and Macbeth's plans to become King as soon as possible. In the next section Lady Macbeth is talking about what the letter has told her and what her plans are for now. Lady Macbeth is thinking about how to get rid of King Duncan so that Macbeth can become King straight away but she fears that his nature is not ruthless enough, is 'too full o' th' milk of humane kindness', to murder Duncan which would make sure that the prophesy was followed through, Lady Macbeth decides that if Macbeth is going to kill Duncan then he will need some help, 'The illness should attend it', she will provide this illness and do what needs to be done. There is also a reference to 'nature', which had a very important role in this play, as everything that goes on is completely against nature and against nature's natural course. For example, the killing of Duncan is not meant to happen but Macbeth's eagerness to become King is taking over his ability as he is used to. 'Holily' this is a reference to heaven, which is holy and good, but the darkness and malice of Lady Macbeth and Macbeth overrule this. 'great Glamis, that which cries', she is saying here that she knows that Macbeth wants to be King but she also knows that he doesn't have the stomach to kill Duncan alone. 'Pour my spirits in thine ear', she does this over the next scenes, convincing Macbeth to go through with this wicked deed. To do this Macbeth will have to trick Duncan into going to his castle and make Duncan trust him even more than he already does, so that he can get closer to Duncan.
Lady Macbeth calls upon evil spirits to give her the strength to impel her husband to murder Duncan. As this kind of cruel action is not womanly, she asks the spirits to “unsex” her; i.e. to take away her soft, feminine qualities so that she may act brutally. Birds are harbingers of evil deeds in many places in the play, and here the black raven signals the coming murder of Duncan as he enters Macbeth’s keep
From this scene we can see that Lady Macbeth has a very strong relationship with her husband, in which they can share things and work together as a tight force. This scene is quite dramatic for the audience watching as they are witnessing the beginning of a plot to kill the King of Scotland, watching the beginning of evil taking over the good. By doing this, the audience will feel part of the terrible plot as it unfolds making them feel closer to the characters on stage. This is also the beginning of Lady Macbeth's downfall into her committing suicide. From now on, the killing of Duncan will lie very heavily upon her, consequently, leading to her going mad and committing suicide. This happens because of her large part in Duncan's murder. Later in the play she begins to hallucinate, seeing blood on her hands that won't go away.
Macbeth's Soliloquy: (1.7.1-29).
If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well It were done quickly: if the assassination Could trammel up the consequence, and catch With his surcease success; that but this blow Might be the be-all and the end-all here, But here, upon this bank and shoal of time, We'ld jump the life to come. But in these cases We still have judgment here; that we but teach Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return To plague the inventor: this even-handed justice Commends the ingredients of our poison'd chalice To our own lips. He's here in double trust; First, as I am his kinsman and his subject, Strong both against the deed; then, as his host, Who should against his murderer shut the door, Not bear the knife myself. Besides, this Duncan Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been So clear in his great office, that his virtues Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against The deep damnation of his taking-off; And pity, like a naked new-born babe, Striding the blast, or heaven's cherubim, horsed Upon the sightless couriers of the air, Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye, That tears shall drown the wind. I have no spur To prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself And falls on the other.
Macbeth's first soliloquy reaffirms that the three witches, by informing him that he will be "king hereafter" (1.3.50), have merely kindled his own innermost desire to obtain the throne. Their prediction may encourage Macbeth to act upon his secret thoughts, as does the prodding of Lady Macbeth, but it does not dictate Macbeth's course of action. Macbeth makes a conscious choice to forsake morality and pursue his "Vaulting ambition" (28). This soliloquy exposes Macbeth's conflicting feelings about the murder. His first thoughts revolve around the consequences of committing the crime. In lines 1-12 his primary concern and reason for hesitation is the possibility that someone will exact that "even-handed Justice" upon him. Once Macbeth usurps the throne there will be others who will plot to steal it from him. Some critics seem to end their analysis at this point and conclude that Macbeth "wishes intensely the death of Duncan" and that only his fear of potential ramifications is a deterrent. However, the second half of the soliloquy supports the fact that Macbeth is deeply troubled by the horror of killing Duncan, who is a benevolent ruler, honest man, and good friend. It is guilt and not fear of the consequences that is Macbeth's greatest obstacle . Also Macbeth’s soliloquy introduces us to a side of Macbeth that has not yet been portrayed earlier in the play. Here, instead of being the courageous and valiant soldier, Macbeth reveals himself to be a man who is being slowly tempted by ambition and power, though not determined enough to take the risks in order to achieve his goal, thus resulting in the repetition of “ifs” throughout the beginning of Macbeth’s soliloquy. Macbeth is also very much aware of the lack of reason for the murder of Duncan. The soliloquy effectively adds to our understanding of the internal conflict that plagues Macbeth as he struggles to determine whether or not he should kill Duncan, who is a virtuous man as well as his kinsman and king. He believes that it is against the nature of man to kill someone who is of such a status and relation to him and that it is immoral to do so, “he’s here in double trust: first, as I am his kinsman and his subject, strong both against the deed” and that it would be a breech of Duncan’s trust in him if he decides to go through with the murder. We see Macbeth’s reluctance to murder Duncan himself as he is a guest in his own home. “…as his host, who should against his murderer shut the door, not bear the knife myself.” Macbeth knows that his weakness is the desire he has to seize the crown. He knows that although he does not wish to murder Duncan but for the fulfillment of his own ambition, “I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition…” it is something that must happen in order for Macbeth to achieve what he wants. The audience sees the conflict within Macbeth and the horrible imaginings he has for his own downfall and his fate. He knows that he is drinking from a “poisoned chalice” which symbolizes Macbeth’s yearning for moral desecration. Another aspect of Macbeth that the audience witness is the reluctance to mention the murder of Duncan. Instead, he uses euphemisms such as “ it, assassination, this blow, the deed, bear the knife, his taking off, horrid deed, my intent” This gives the audience the impression that Macbeth is scared to name his fate and his intentions of murdering Duncan in fear of “jinxing” himself. Macbeth’s tone throughout his soliloquy is one of confusion, frustration and is filled with hellish images which are associated with what may become of Macbeth’s soul. “Bloody instructions, which being taught; return to plague th’inventor, deep damnation, poisoned chalice” Macbeth recognizes the guilt which may come with the murder of Duncan and we find ourselves feeling pity for him as he struggles with morals and his own ambition. Personification and metaphors are also effective in Macbeth’s soliloquy. Through personification, various aspects of humanity such as virtues, justice, and pity have been exaggerated so that the audience may treat these aspects as humans, and feel the vulnerability of human goodness- pity is portrayed as a newborn babe, and virtues are portrayed pleading like angels. Through Macbeth’s soliloquy, the audience sees that this man, who was supposedly a virtuous, valiant person, has become a weak character, giving in to the temptations brought on by ambition, greed and power, even if it means having to abandon his morals. The audience recognizes that Macbeth is human and he is plagued with a troubled conscience but we are disappointed to see Macbeth slowly drifting towards corruption and his own downfall. Macbeth's Soliloquy: (2.1.33-61). Is this a dagger which I see before me,
The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible To feeling as to sight? or art thou but A dagger of the mind, a false creation, Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain? I see thee yet, in form as palpable As this which now I draw. Thou marshall'st me the way that I was going; And such an instrument I was to use. Mine eyes are made the fools o' the other senses, Or else worth all the rest; I see thee still, And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood, Which was not so before. There's no such thing: It is the bloody business which informs Thus to mine eyes. Now o'er the one halfworld Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse The curtain'd sleep; witchcraft celebrates Pale Hecate's offerings, and wither'd murder, Alarum'd by his sentinel, the wolf, Whose howl's his watch, thus with his stealthy pace. With Tarquin's ravishing strides, towards his design Moves like a ghost. Thou sure and firm-set earth, Hear not my steps, which way they walk, for fear Thy very stones prate of my whereabout, And take the present horror from the time, Which now suits with it. Whiles I threat, he lives: Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives
For Macbeth, this soliloquy, in A.C. Bradley's words: "is where the powerful workings of his imagination rises to a new level of visible intensity as his conscience manifests itself as an air-drawn dagger." This is the first glimpse of a vigorous imagination from which stems the guilt-inspired hallucinations that will torment him. Bradley concludes that "his imagination is a substitute for conscience", but this isn't all. This soliloquy expresses Macbeth's most profound fears and hopes, and the dagger symbolizes the fulfillment of his black desires.
It conveys his internal struggle to divest himself of fear and scruples to become wholly committed to murder. His attempt to grab the dagger indicates his desperation to accomplish the deed before any regrets. Yet the past tense in "the way I was going" suggests that realization of his desires has blunted blind courage.
Macbeth's difficulty in overcoming his conscience demonstrates that murder goes against his person, and he has to fight his own nature to carry it out. This soliloquy halts the action for us to absorb this crucial element in his characterization.
His struggle also alerts us to his suffering and heroism. The "heat-oppressed brain" and his confusion as his eyes and touch contradict each other emphasizes his tortured, conflicting mind. Macbeth seeks the reassurance of reality, drawing his own dagger in fear and frustration of confusion. He ultimately rejects the illusion, attributing it to the 'bloody business'. S.T. Coleridge suggests that Macbeth "mistranslates the recoiling of conscience into selfish reasoning due to his cowardice." From then on, there's a grim acceptance of the deed and Macbeth bids the earth to "hear not his steps". According to Samuel Johnson, "that Macbeth wishes to escape the eye of providence is the utmost extravagance of determined wickedness", yet Bradley interprets Macbeth's aligning himself with evil as "frightfully courageous". From such varied analysis emerge a humanly complex man driven by his internal turmoil to the point where survival requires that courage straddle fear.
On the play's level, this scene guarantees Duncan's death. The dagger is a symbol of Macbeth's resolution, turning its handle toward his hand, spurring him to 'clutch' it. The personification of 'withered Murder" gives the deed a concrete tangibility. And Macbeth's final words "whiles I threat, he lives" show his cold determination. In confirming Duncan's death, it marks a turning point in the play, as Macbeth fulfils the witches' prophecy. Another turning point is in Macbeth. He lets the dagger marshal him toward the deed, pursuing the illusory rewards offered by evil. In David Elloway's words: "He's entered a world of deceptive dreams and moves through it with the mindlessness of a sleepwalker." Macbeth expresses his fear of the 'sure and firm-set earth', which is a symbol of reality. This shows his tendency to take meaning at face-value, justifying his blind confidence in the witches later.
The soliloquy's dark imagery enforces the magnitude of Macbeth's crime, and foreshadows its consequences. Blood appears both on the blade and handle of the dagger, insinuating that he cannot emerge cleanly from the deed. Associates of night and evil are evoked to set the scene for murder. The apparent death of nature during night connotes the unnaturalness of the deed. Coleridge believes that "the dimensions of murder are expressed in the portrayal of its movement." Murder moves in three ways: stealthily, as that of a trained assassin. Then, with Tarquin's ravish, equating it with rape. And, like that of a ghost's, a mindless wraith "alarmed" to fulfill his sole purpose. By portraying the diverse facets of murder, Shakespeare demonstrates its profound unnaturalness, and the magnitude of its consequences.
Also, this crucial scene reinforces the themes and motifs of the play, extending upon their importance. Primarily, it illuminates the conflict between appearance and reality. Despite the apparent solidity of the dagger, Macbeth cannot grasp it. This dramatizes the deceptive nature of appearance. The latent meanings of many lines epitomized the idea that the full truth is hidden by face value. The phrase: "dagger of the mind" doesn't merely mean an imaginary weapon, but also the bane of the mind - a rancor in his peace. Only both meanings together can convey Macbeth's turmoil and the depth of his thoughts. The image of blood in 'gouts', the darkness of night, and the non-restriction of action to merely human agencies are potent elements of this soliloquy. These are what create the ominous ambience of the play. According to Bradley, "Macbeth gives the impression of a black night broken by flashes of light and color." Here, the glimmering dagger and the potent color of blood create this effect. Such vivid and violent imagery are what characterizes Macbeth.
Shakespeare's pre-eminence as a dramatist is due to his capacity to create vivid images that embody powerful human emotions. This soliloquy brims with such imagery and symbolism, and is imperative in promoting Macbeth, the simplest of Shakespearean tragedies, to be the most broad and massive in effect.
Act 3, Scene 1
Thou hast it now: king, Cawdor, Glamis, all,
As the weird women promised, and, I fear
Thou play'dst most foully for't: yet it was said
It should not stand in thy posterity,
But that myself should be the root and father
Of many kings. If there come truth from them--
As upon thee, Macbeth, their speeches shine--
Why, by the verities on thee made good,
May they not be my oracles as well,
And set me up in hope? But hush! no more.
Banquo's soliloquy at the beginning of the third act explains some of his present feeling towards Macbeth. He believes that Macbeth killed to become the King of Scotland. He explains that
he is the one who will start a chain of kings, not Macbeth. Strangely enough,
Banquo makes this discovery two scenes from his death, not giving him enough
time to tell others the discovery.
In the first three lines of the soliloquy, Banquo explains that Macbeth
has become king just like the "weird women", or witches had prophesied. However,
he also says that "thou play'dst most foully for't." this basically means that
he committed murder to attain it. He is Macbeth's best friend. He knows that
Macbeth has the desire to be the king and would do anything to get the crown.
Banquo knows Macbeth has it in him to commit murder.
In the next three lines, Banquo explains that he should really be the
king because the witches also proclaimed that Banquo would be the "root and
father of many kings." In the line, "May they not be my oracles as well and set
me up in hope?" Banquo is saying that he wants the prophesies to come true for
him also and make him the king and the beginning of a long line of kings.
The main idea of his soliloquy is that Banquo knows that Macbeth killed Duncan. Strangely enough, this soliloquy is placed two scenes before he died, not giving him enough time to tell anyone else about his discovery. Banquo has realized that Macbeth murdered Duncan but will die in two scenes anyway. In Banquo's soliloquy in the beginning of the third act of Macbeth, Banquo suspects that Macbeth is behind Duncan's murder. He knows this because he has been best friends with Macbeth for a long time and knows that Macbeth has the ability to commit murder to get what he wants. Also, he believes that he should be next in line for the crown of Scotland because the "Weird Women", or witches proclaimed it to be true. he expresses that he wants to be the king .Oddly enough , Banquo is unable to share his theory on Duncan`s murder with any one else because he will be killed in two scenes , not giving him enough time
Macbeth's Soliloquy: (3.1.47-71).
To be thus is nothing; But to be safely thus.--Our fears in Banquo Stick deep; and in his royalty of nature Reigns that which would be fear'd: 'tis much 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 Antony's was by Caesar. He chid the sisters When first they put the name of king upon me, And bade them speak to him: then prophet-like They hail'd him father to a line of kings: Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown, And put a barren sceptre in my gripe, Thence to be wrench'd with an unlineal hand, No son of mine succeeding. If 't be so, For Banquo's issue have I filed my mind; For them the gracious Duncan have I murder'd; Put rancours 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. And champion me to the utterance!
Macbeth has killed Duncan and has become king of the Scots, yet he believes his crown is in jeopardy. The menace is Banquo. Like Macbeth, Banquo knows that there were two key parts to the unearthly revelation: first that Macbeth will become king, and second, that Banquo will beget future kings. Macbeth fears Banquo is planning a coup to hasten the day of triumph for his heirs. Macbeth's mistrust of Banquo causes him to dwell on the Witches' prediction that he will have no successors of his own. Thinking that he has murdered Duncan to secure the throne for Banquo's offspring, Macbeth's unease grows to ferocious enmity as he vows to crush Fate's kingly plans for Banquo's children. A comparison between the above soliloquy and Macbeth's previous soliloquies in 1.7 and 2.1 reveals a key change in his character. Macbeth is again contemplating murder, but what impels his deliberation this time is not guilt and shame but panic and rage. The murder of Duncan has made the murder of Banquo a necessity and, more importantly to Macbeth's character development, a facile task. Gone is any trace of the humanity under the vaulting ambition -- gone are the moments of reflection and regret that prompted “this Duncan/Hath borne his faculties so meek” (1.7.17) and that incited the shameful plea “Thou sure and firm-set earth, Hear not my steps” (2.1.56). Macbeth forfeited his soul with the murder of Duncan. What is left now is the husk of a man who shows not a hint of compunction as he plans the murder of his noble friend. There is no remorse after the deed either. He was unable to say 'Amen' after Duncan’s murder; now he effortlessly says “Thanks” to the hired assassins who slay Banquo, adding maliciously, “There the grown serpent lies” (3.4.38). What makes Macbeth a tragic character and saves him from becoming a one-dimensional monster is that he is perpetually conscious of his evil choices. He is poignantly aware of the rapid deterioration of his humanity, as we will see in his final and pivotal soliloquy in Act 5. In the third scene, his moral conscience is now corrupted and evil has consumed him entirely. Instead of letting fate decide his future, he challenges it instead. "Rather than so, come fate into the list/and champion me to the utterance." He feels insecure to the throne, so he has to get rid of any potential threats, like Banquo. The witches has subsided his moral armor, allowing evil to grow inside him, so much so as all good inside him disappearing. Macbeth would not of been consumed by evil if he did not have such a large ambition. Even though the influence of the witches are there, it is only so because of his ambition. After hearing the witches promises of power, he immediately goes into deep thinking, " The greatest is behind.". His ambition has caused him to have treacherous thoughts, and although he is a hero, he is fatally undermined by his ambition. Act 4, Scene 1
Time, thou anticipatest my dread exploits: The flighty purpose never is o'ertook Unless the deed go with it; from this moment The very firstlings of my heart shall be The firstlings of my hand. And even now, To crown my thoughts with acts, be it thought and done: The castle of Macduff I will surprise; Seize upon Fife; give to the edge o' the sword His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls That trace him in his line. No boasting like a fool; This deed I'll do before this purpose cool. But no more sights!--Where are these gentlemen? Come, bring me where they are.
Here we witness a significant change in Macbeth's character, he changes from a man to a beast trying to preserve his status by savage actions and brutal deeds . After he wanted to kill Macduff but he hesitated and did not get the chance as he fled to England now when ever he wants to commit a brutal action he will not think about but will go with it and achieve it ,( the very firstlings of my heart shall be the firstlings of my hand) , and so he does , when he decides to attack the castle of Macduff and kills his wife children and every and each soul he founds there , he became dark, cruel and savage and this action could be defined as the last straw that broke the camel's back As this action antagonized the public opinion against him .
Act 5 - 1
“Out, damned spot, out, I say! One. Two. Why then, ‘tis time to do’t. Hell is murky. Fie, my lord, fie, a soldier and afeard? What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to account? Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?”
Sleep is the transitional state between wakefulness and death and gives our body and mind a chance to maintain, repair and protect itself. Lady Macbeth's true personality is revealed during the sleepwalking scene. Her character follows the pattern of decline, despair and death. In this scene the stage is set with a black background to create an eerie atmosphere for the viewers. Everyone is dressed in black, which creates the impression of evil and darkness being present in this scene. With the exception, of course, of the nun (gentlewoman) who has white on the headpiece of her Abbott hinting that she has goodness in her. This completely contrasts with Lady Macbeth who is dressed completely in black suggesting that evil has completely overcome her. As the Doctor and Gentlewoman look on, Lady Macbeth walks in her sleep in Act 5, Scene 1.The insomnia brought on by the murder of Duncan will not allow Lady Macbeth to sleep peacefully, and her words as she talks in her sleep are damning evidence of her guilty conscience. She imagines spots of blood on her hands that will not be washed away. Even though she seemed bold and unafraid to clean up the mess left by Macbeth’s botched murder of Duncan, we now see in the final act how these terrifying images have unhinged her mind. The “old man” of whom she speaks is Duncan, and she is still seeing in her mind’s eye the mass of blood surrounding him when she entered his chambers to “fix” the evidence after the murder. The Doctor will say after this quotation that Lady Macbeth’s illness can not be cured by his medicine, but rather that she must see a priest in order to be healed.
Psychology provides us with some interesting insights. When people are in near-death situations or witness the death of someone close to them, they can suffer afterwards from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This has a range of symptoms including: egocentric behavior; sleep disturbance such as peculiar dreams and nightmares; emotional detachment; anxiety; irritability; social withdrawal. We see all of these in Lady Macbeth. She is prepared to advance her own interest to the point of having others murdered (egocentric behavior). She sleepwalks, re-enacting the crimes she has colluded in (sleep disorder), and becomes distraught at the blood she cannot clean from her hands (anxiety). She is also cold at the start of the play (emotional detachment), then disappears from the action before she dies (social withdrawal).
[Act V, scene 3] Seyton!—I am sick at heart, When I behold—Seyton, I say!—this push Will cheer me ever, or disseat me now. I have lived long enough. My way of life Is fall'n into the sere, the yellow leaf, And that which should accompany old age, As honor, love, obedience, troops of friends, I must not look to have, but, in their stead, Curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honor, breath Which the poor heart would fain deny and dare not. Seyton!
In the preceding scene Macbeth's reaction to Malcolm's return is characterized as either madness or "valiant fury." The coming battle certainly has energized Macbeth. Throughout the scene he is shouting orders and hurling verbal defiance. With the servants and the doctor he is sharp and sarcastic. But when he's by himself he reveals the depth of his despair. Paradoxically the more spiritually empty he feels, the more he grasps at the promise of his invulnerability.
Despite this brave front of "valiant fury," Macbeth in reality is profoundly sad. He may put on a brave show for others, but we see him as having neither hope nor joy.
Macbeth is in the autumn of his years, both chronologically and spiritually. He has lost the promise of growth and regeneration. He correctly assesses how the people he commands feel about him, like the young soldier he just savaged. All the things he thought being king would bring him, the honor and respect, have been denied to him forever. If he is so filled with despair, why should he even try to resist Malcolm's attack?
He also reflects on his future as king. As he prepares for this push will cheer me ever, or disseat me now. Battle, he states that the ensuing confrontation will either secure his empire or strip it apart. Macbeth is content with the length and quality of his life
And is prepared to accept death. Of course, this conforms to a Criterion of tragedy: the tragic hero needs a tragic and honorable Death. By accepting his fate, Macbeth is acquiring the reader’s pity And sympathy He then asks for his amour, though he does not need it. I'll fight till from my bones my flesh is hacked. This is representative of Macbeth’s want for justice. Macbeth is Give me my armor Act 5, Scene 3 is more or less a reflective scene. This Significant soliloquy by Macbeth is setting the stage for his downfall. In conclusion, within this scene, Macbeth realizes his faults, and Becomes prepared for his tragic but honorable death. . .
Macbeth's Soliloquy: (5.5.17-28).
She should have died hereafter There would have been a time for such a word. To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day To the last syllable of recorded time, And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! 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.
In this final soliloquy we uncover the ultimate tragedy of Macbeth. "It is the tragedy of the twilight and the setting-in of thick darkness upon a human soul". Macbeth's heinous acts throughout the play have resulted in his last, horrible conclusion about life: it is utterly meaningless. Our days on this earth serve no purpose other than to thrust us toward "dusty death." Life is a seemingly endless and depressing succession of bleak days creeping along at a "petty pace." Our time on this earth is so unsubstantial that it can only be compared to a shadow; so unreal that it can only be compared to a stage on which frets a pitiful actor. When the play is over his character disappears into nothingness, and has left nothing significant behind
[Macbeth] has said (in Scene III of this act) that the battle will cheer him ever after or disseat him now. Up to this time he had expected to win the battle; he was ready to laugh the siege to scorn when interrupted by the cry of women. And may not his visionary thought have pictured the victory as restoring him to the man he once was? He pauses on the word "hereafter" (there are two missing feet in the meter), and realizes that the time will never come now. Sadly he reflects that if it could have been, if he could have gone back, then there would have been time to consider that word, death, and to mourn properly. But now, now that there is to be no victory, and no going back, now that she is gone the tomorrows creep on with their insignificant slow pace to the last syllable of recorded time.