Macbeth Act V

Act V opens with Lady Macbeth’s most famous scene. In this it is clear her descent to madness has completed and her sense of guilt is now over powering. Wandering around listlessly saying “out damned spot” and speaking of deeds that have passed with guilt, “Who would have known the old man would have so much blood in him”. The irony of this scene is not missed as it was Lady Macbeth who proclaimed earlier “A little water will clean us of the deed” however her soul can never been cleaned no matter how much she washes her hands. This desolate mad woman is a far cry from the Lady who called “Unsex me here” to the dark spirits. There is a linguistic change that show the change in Lady Macbeth, previously speaking in verse, the character no longer speaks in iambic pentameter, perhaps showing her inability to put on the “False face” she told Macbeth of. Blood is used throughout the play in many forms as a victory, life and guilt. Here Lady Macbeth is unable to rid herself of the blood guilt she feels. The character states that “Hell is murky”, the Macbeths’ have created their own hell and this links back to the numerous references to hell throughout the play. From the porter, Ross and Macduff’s conversation and the turning of nature, Lady Macbeth already knows hell and is aware there is no escape for her or Macbeth.  In Scene II it is said “Some say he’s mad. Others, that lesser hate him” this description of Macbeth is a stark contrast from the glorifying of the brave valiant Macbeth at the beginning. The opening scenes show the Macbeths’ at complete contrast with who they were when we first met them.  Scene III there is an evident role reversal between the Macbeths. Lady Macbeth previously the strong driving force is replaced by Macbeth. The guilt does not seem to be getting to Macbeth as much, whereas Lady Macbeth who sparked the whole debacle is crippled by it.  Scene IV merely shows the hatred and determination the others have. The mad prophecies of the witches are beginning to fall completely into play as the Soldiers take branches from Birnam wood. Possibly showing that this was all part of a mad game of the witches, for their own twisted pleasure.  “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.” Is what Macbeth says in scene V when he hears of the death of Lady Macbeth.  Despite the intense love and dramatic nature of the relationship between the two, many people perceive this to be a very low level response and would argue that Macbeth no longer cares about anything. However I think this is one of the deepest expressions of grief in literature. With the death of his wife, in this beautiful speech, Macbeth demonstrates the true pain he is feeling. To him now, life no longer means a thing and when he has his armour put on, it is obvious Macbeth is marching to his death, but not without a fight.

Macbeth Act VI

“By the pricking of my thumbs, / Something wicked this way comes” signifies the entrance of Macbeth in this scene. The witches give him more predictions via the use of horrible apparitions. This is a chilling scene and wickedness resonates throughout.  Despite the awful gimmicks of the witches and their constant rhyming spell like speech, they posses a great deal of power over events. The witches are agents of the fates I believe, helping along the inevitable, but twisting the events into an awful bloodbath for their own and Hecate’s amusement. This chilling vision of evil at the beginning of the Act really sets up for the horror of the remainder of the play.

The horrendous murder of Macduff’s wife and children follows. This horrendous scene displays sums up the evil of the play and shows the disintegration of Macbeth’s integrity and now wickedness. Up until it was only men facing the harsh blow of murder, but this would have been the norm in this time. However now the blood of the innocent has been spilt. The pure wickedness of Macbeth really resounds in this scene.

We also see the grief of Macduff, which humanises the play and gives a more moral reason for the killing of Macbeth. Until this point in the play, murders had been played out horrifically, but the torture on those left behind had not been seen. This enforces more hate of the character of Macbeth.

Macbeth Act III

Act III begins with Banquo raising his doubts of Macbeth and pondering the possibility of the second prophecy coming true “You will bear a long line of Kings”. This shows Macbeth’s time is short and the doubts Banquo raises show the cracks in the previous friendship of the kings and the mistrust Banquo has for Macbeth.  Macbeth once Banquo has gone thinks of his possibilities of being a “fruitless crown” and deems it necessary to kill Banquo as his old friend is the only man in Scotland he fears. The change of Macbeth is evident in this scene, with his ease in regard to murder.

Him and Lady Macbeth seemed to have switched roles. Lady Macbeth in Act 1 Scene 7 tells Macbeth that his should “look like the innocent flower, / But be the serpent under’t” and Macbeth similarly tells the murderers that they “make their faces visors to their hearts, disguising what they are” the constant theme of trickery and false faces runs through Macbeth. It is clear Macbeth has created a nation of complete mistrust.  Despite the brave face Macbeth is putting on he reveals his “full of scorpions in my mind” and it is clear that the brave, honourable Macbeth and the strong deadly Lady Macbeth are gone. Left with two desperate, scared people doing everything to stop their kingdom crumbling. Lady Macbeth has obviously had a change of heart, desperately attempting to talk her husband out of the murders, a far cry from the woman who led a man to slaughter. Lady Macbeth and Macbeth have come to the realisation that they are no where near done with the murders, Macbeth saying at the end of the act that they are only waist deep in. The more Macbeth murders the more frantic and dangerous he becomes. Scotland’s turmoil can only be saved by the death of Macbeth.

The Macbeth’s at this point are terrified and realising they are fighting a losing battle.  Macbeth’s vision of the ghost at the table in scene four shows the further disintegration and guilt in his mind. The reactions of those at the table make it obvious Macbeth is not a trusted King. The use of the ghost in this scene also resonates with the supernatural.  Act III ends with talk of a war to be waged on Macbeth, led by Malcolm and Macduff with Scotland wishing for their win. Macbeth’s reign of unease and terror is drawing to a close.

Macbeth Act II- Reading Log

Act two opens with Banquo telling of his “cursed thoughts” and inability to sleep and tells Macbeth of his dreams of the “Weird sisters”. This opening with Banquo and his son Fleance sets up the act for the dark deeds that are to occur. It displays Macbeth’s ability to lie and displays the change in Macbeth in his ability to lie to the man who was previously his best friend.  Having Fleance in this opening links in with the prophecies as Macbeth who is about to become king, is facing the future king without knowing the devastation his actions will cause.

The seeing of the dagger “Is this a dagger I see before me” is evidence of the evil manifestations of the mind of Macbeth. It can be interpreted as supernatural but I see it as Macbeth’s longing to be King. This “Dagger” of the mind strengthens Macbeth’s resolve to kill Duncan. The dagger escapade is filled with evil and horror and is the first sign of the losing of Macbeth’s mind and morals.

 Lady Macbeth in scene two of this act reveals that “Had he not resembled my father as he slept” (2.2.12–13) she would have killed him. Macbeth emerges from the room covered in blood and carrying the daggers. The effect of not seeing the murder is far more chilling as the audience as it gives the audience a chance to imagine. This first brief emergence of the blood of the murder sets up for the theme that resonates throughout the play and this is the first encounter the audience has with it. The image of the Macbeths’ covered in blood is an important one. The importance of blood is stressed throughout the play, carrying with it the connotations of murder, death, life but also the only way to be king is either to have blood or draw blood and the Macbeths’ were forced to choose the latter. Macbeth in this scene also tells of his inability to say “Amen”. Showing he is so steeped in evil and devilry after the deed there is no salvation for him. The evil spirits have taken over Macbeth and there is no way back. This is reinforced when Macbeth asks “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood / Clean from my hand?” although Lady Macbeth says “A little water will clear us of the deed” it is clear they have gone too far and although they will wash the physical traces away they cannot wash the blood from their souls.

The porter in scene 3 is the first person we see not involved in the murder after it occurred.
 Not merely a drunkard this porter symbolises the guard of the gates of hell, hell being the place Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have created.  “If a man were the porter of a hell gate, he should have the old turning key”  and “I’ll devil porter it no further”. 

Scene four of Act two and the last scene ends with the dubious Ross and Macduff speaking of how they are not attending the coronation of Macduff. Macbeth may have got his wish as King but it is clear not everyone is happy about it.

The rebelling of nature and parralels being drawn with Macbeth's killing of Banquo is discussed in this scene, the horses eating eachother and the small bird killing the eagle. Life in Scotland has been turned on it's head. Nature is rebelling and the natural order has changed. With the killing of Duncan, Scotland has reached a dark, dark age. 

Reading LOg

Scene I:

• Typical gothic weather of “Thunder and lightning” this weather is common within Shakespeare and immediately alerts the audience to nature of play.

• The presence of the witches and subject matter they discuss themselves. “When the battles lost and won”
• Despite the title of play the fact that we do not meet the eponymous character and instead hear accounts and references to him, builds him up to be someone special and automatically gives Macbeth that aura of mystery
• Use of stichomythia speeds up dialogue creating sense of urgency

Scene II:

·         Many references to blood- captain’s description

·         This scene again creates sense of mystery around Macbeth and puts him on a pedestal as a man of bravery- “Brave Macbeth”

·         Also alludes to prophecy of witches “What he hath lost noble Macbeth hath won” foreshadowing the next scene.

Scene III:

• Witches prophecy parallels with the foreshadowing earlier.
• Also setting with the thunder and rain and Macbeth and Banquo fresh from battle

Scene IV:

• Dramatic irony with trusting Macbeth despite Macbeth’s plans to kill him already ‘He was a gentleman on whom I built an absolute trust.’
• ‘Our duties are to your throne…’ ties in with “Be the snake underneath”- constant imagery of two sides to a person within play and displaying the evil within

Scene V:

·         Lady Macbeth’s dominance and calling on evil spirits “Unsex me here”

·         Her plans to kill Duncan already forming and her looking down upon “The milk of human English”

Scene VI:

• This scene sets up Scene VII – Lady Macbeth presents that she is two faced, or just a very clever woman. ‘We rest your hermits.’

Gothic Elements of Macbeth in Act One

The gothic elements of Macbeth are obvious from the opening scene and setting of the witches, instantly putting the play into a dark light and making it clear to the audience of the supernatural and gothic elements which run throughout the play. The presence of the witches automatically does this but their speech adds to it. The witches speaking only in rhyme “Fair is foul and foul is fair,” alluding to spells and trickery therefore overcastting the play with unease. The subject matter of the witches’ speech also keeps in the tradition of gothic, with images of war throughout: “When the battle’s lost and won,” making it apparent from the offset the evil nature of the play.

The first meeting of Lady Macbeth also keeps up with elements of the gothic, with her calling upon the evil spirits to “unsex me here.” This call would shock audiences as Lady Macbeth is obviously not a typical woman. This act quickly denotes the evil within her, due to her attempting to rid herself of goodness and fill herself with evil. Lady Macbeth’s language also adds to this with her proclaiming Macbeth is “Too full of the milk of human kindness,” as if it were a bad thing.

The fact the play opens with a question “When shall we three meet again?” and prophecies add to the gothic, as this denotes the fact the events seem to be out of the control of the characters casting a sense of dramatic irony over the act.

The elements of the gothic are also strewn throughout with the settings of castles and long empty moors and the harsh weather.