However, what is most important about the scene, in my opinion, is the revelations concerning Macbeths emotional and psychological state, and that of Lady Macbeth. The effects of the death of Duncan upon their relationship are also better shown by Shakespeare in this scene.
Possibly the most important revelation that takes place in the scene concerns Macbeth. His state of mind was already extremely traumatized and fragile, but the appearance of Banquo’s ghost is simply too much for him to deal with. Even before the appearance of the ghost, he appears to be extremely uncomfortable and nervous amongst the thanes. This is likely to be because he is awaiting news from the murderers, and so his mind is occupied by this. However, there is one detail in particular which represents Macbeth’s paranoia and fear. An old man, named Seyton, has been employed to taste Macbeth’s food and drink before he himself consumes it. It is thus obvious that Macbeth’s mind is plagued by feelings of fear, doubt and paranoia, and that these are almost certain to have been caused by his previous feelings of guilt and shame. However, by this point in the play, Macbeth seems to have become immune to this guilt, at least in terms of Duncan’s murder. This is shown by his comment towards the ghost, “Thou canst not say I did it. Never shake thy gory locks at me.” Macbeth is even trying to persuade himself of his innocence, showing the doubt that is haunting him.
Another way in which Shakespeare’s language gives an impression of Macbeth’s emotional turmoil is the repetition of the word “blood.” After the killing of Duncan, Macbeth was devastated by his bloodstained hands, and was furious to be unable to wash the blood away, as, in his mind, it was staining him permanently, a sign of his crime and a personification of his guilt. Now, later in the play, Macbeth’s guilt has returned, and the imagery of blood has returned with it. When the Lords have left the hall Macbeth says to Lady Macbeth, “It will have blood, they say, blood will have blood.” This shows Macbeth’s concern over the threats towards his reign, and that he believes that “what goes around comes around.” He is clearly very worried by the thought of somebody doing to him what he did to Duncan. In fact, what could probably best be described as “the moral universe” is exaggerated in Macbeth’s mind, resulting in is inability to shake off his conscience. After all, Macbeth is not a naturally bloody-minded person, he has an ability to feel guilt and restrain his natural desires of greed and ambition. However, the fact that he is only able to do this to a certain extent, and the corruption of his mind by other factors, which I will discuss later, mean that his natural desires are able to overpower his conscience. This is shown by his words of;
“For mine own good
All causes shall give way: I am in blood
Stepped in so far, that, should I wade no more,
Returning were as tedious as go o’er.
Strange things I have in head, that will to hand,
Which must be acted, ere they must be scanned.”
In my opinion, this piece of text is possibly the most revealing about Macbeth’s emotional and mental state in the entire scene. It tells us many things, possibly most importantly the fact that Macbeth has now passed a point where he is able to listen to his conscience. He believes that he should be given the freedom to do what he wants, and he has even convinced himself that it would now be illogical and difficult to return to a morally right way of life. It is almost as if Macbeth enjoys the killing that he has chosen to do, and so has convinced himself that he must continue down the path of immorality and murder. He has also convinced himself that this is his fate or destiny to become king, probably because of what he was told by the witches. The latter part of the above quotation signifies his belief that he is like an actor himself, who must play a part in a play. However he also says that he does not know the lines to the play, which suggests to me that he is playing a passive role in the proceedings, and that matters are out of his control. This also emphasises the way in which Macbeth is attempting to justify himself and escape any qualms or doubt about his righteousness as well as his right to be king. One final way in which this is emphasised is with Macbeth’s words at the very end of the scene. He proclaims:
“My strange and self-abuse
Is the initiate fear, that wants hard use:
We are yet but young in deed.”
For me, this sums up Macbeths emotions at this point. He even goes so far as to say that the only reason that he feels so guilty about his actions is that he is not used to killing people, and so he needs to do it more often in order to become less affected by his emotions afterwards. However, this is quite out of character for Macbeth, an experienced and respected warrior. This tells us that his emotions are indeed partly because of the circumstances in which the murders took place, and the very fact that they were murders, and not killings on the battlefield.
In general, I believe that the contrasting use of language and actions throughout the scene present a very accurate and intense image of Macbeth’s state of mind at this point in the play. The fact that, when confronted by Banquo’s ghost, Macbeth is sent into realms of shame and horror, and perhaps even begins the slope to his eventually total mental and emotional disintegration, is contrasting to the fact that in his words, he is utterly convinced of his cause, and convinces those around him of it as well. This shows to me the confusion and schizophrenic nature of Macbeth’s mind at this time.
It is not only Macbeth who is affected by their actions, however. The character of Lady Macbeth is a deeply complex one to analyse and she herself is perhaps most deeply affected by the murderous nature of the two central characters. Lady Macbeth’s state of mind is less obviously revealed through Shakespeare’s use of language, but when one looks closer at her influence upon Macbeth and the way in which she acts, it is possible to decipher what she is feeling at this point in the play. One of the most significant ways in which Lady Macbeth’s state of mind is shown is when she confronts Macbeth himself about his reaction to the appearance of Banquo’s ghost. She accuses him of being a coward, and of losing his manhood. This implies, to me, that she is, outwardly at least, showing him how to deal with the strains of his guilt. However, she has not seen Banquo’s ghost for herself, and so does not have the visual effects of that to deal with. Also, from the very beginning of the play, Lady Macbeth has been much less visibly affected by events that have taken place. For example, when the two have bloodstained hands after the murder of Duncan, Macbeth is traumatized by the sight of the blood on his hands, and this leaves a lasting scar in his mind, contributing to the creation of his emotional turmoil and in particular his guilt. He is adamant that all the waters in the sea could not wash away the stains from his hands. However, Lady Macbeth dismisses his feelings, saying “A little water clears us of this deed.” She clearly believes that the stains are merely superficial, and that they can be washed away using only a little water.
However, later in Act III Scene iv, Macbeth asks Lady Macbeth what time it is. Her answer to his question of “What is the night?” is extremely vague, simply saying, “Almost at odds with morning, which is which.” It almost seems as though her mind is elsewhere, and that she is very distracted by other thoughts. This is probably the only true revelation of her emotions during the scene, but later in the play her true feelings are dramatically discovered, though not until the time of her death. However, when performed on stage, the use of vocal tones and visual effects and mannerisms could emphasise the emotional state of Lady Macbeth’s character.
One other important thing that is shown by this scene is the effect of the events upon the relationship between the two central protagonists. Earlier in the play, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth were a united front and extremely close. However, now, they argue and bicker amongst themselves, Lady Macbeth in particular accusing Macbeth of cowardice and a lack of manliness. This has quite an effect in angering Macbeth, and it is clear that there is quite a divide between them, with differing interests. The two characters become increasingly isolated after this point, and although this was previously true for Macbeth, it represents a dramatic acceleration of the tragic decline from which she suffers. In fact, in the Polanski film, when Macbeth offers his hand to go to bed, Lady Macbeth visibly ignores it.
In many ways, the “supernatural” world is seen to have a major role to play in the events of the play, and this is shown by events in this scene. Firstly, the fact that there is a ghost in the scene is supernatural enough. Because Banquo has returned from the grave, the natural order of things has been disturbed. However, there re also some slightly less obvious ways in which the role of the supernatural is shown in the scene. Perhaps most importantly, the idea of natural order is crucial to the play as a whole. At the beginning of the scene, the thanes are sat in order of importance, representing the vital idea of a political order. In the modern world, the ideas of natural order and political order are far less closely linked than in Jacobean times, when Shakespeare wrote Macbeth. One example of this is the belief in the divine right of kings, an idea that has some relation, in my opinion, to Macbeth’s belief that it is his destiny to become king, and so his actions have been justified. The fact that the seating positions are so rigid shows Macbeth’s desire to cement his position as their king and master, in order to reassure himself of his own power and stature. However, having begun in rigid order, the scene draws to a close in disorder and almost chaos. After the dramatic events involving Banquo’s ghost, Lady Macbeth orders the Lords to leave. However, unusually, she dismisses them by ordering them to lave as quickly as possible, not in their normal processional manner. This shows the reduction of order into disorder, much in the same way as Macbeth’s and Lady Macbeth’s minds are reduced from order to chaos as time passes.
Another way in which the supernatural is important to the play is the belief that the killing of a king, or regicide, is itself unnatural. In fact, it appears that the events in the play, such as the dark days, the killing of birds of prey by small birds, and Duncan’s horses devouring each other, are all directly caused by the murder of Duncan. Macbeth also claims that the trees whisper his name, gravestones move, and birds identify him as a murder. All of these elements emphasise the constriction of Macbeth’s world.
So, the fact that so much is made of the role of the supernatural may well lead the audience to sympathise with Macbeth, as his responsibilities for the crimes he has committed are overshadows by the appearance of him as an almost “passive” character, caught up in a vicious and malicious world. Also, the fact that Macbeth himself claims that he is an actor in a play, almost victimizes him, by saying that he is merely playing a role that has been set for him, by the witches, and over which he has no power.
On the other hand, it is far more difficult to feel sympathy for Lady Macbeth, mainly because, throughout the play, she is shown to be a vindictive and manipulative woman, who’s only desire is for power. This nullifies the ability of the audience to feel pity for her.
In Polanski’s version of the film, many methods are used to intensify elements of the play in order to create maximum impact. One particular example of this is while Macbeth is being confronted by Banquo’s ghost. In this shot, Macbeth falls to the floor, putting him below the rest of the thanes. Also, the man standing immediately behind him is holding a bird of prey. We can learn two things from this, namely that Macbeth has now been lowered beneath Banquo in realisation of his guilt, but most importantly that Macbeth, the hunter, has now become the hunted. This shows the reversal in fortunes and demise of Macbeth, and reinforces the idea that “what goes around comes around”, and the “Sword of Damocles” hanging above Macbeth.
One other very effective method which Polanski uses is with the presence of the entertainment in the hall. The bear-baiting which is taking place signifies the pleasure now being taken from pain, just as felt by Macbeth. Also, when the animals have been killed they are dragged along the floor, covering the straw which lies there in blood. This represents the corruption of Macbeth’s court, just as his mind is corrupted by both people and his own ambition. One other related method to this is the use of the character Rosse. In the play itself, Rosse is a neutral character, but Polanski portrays him as a double-crosser, who murders Banquo, and then helps with the murders of his fellow killers. This shows the corruption of those close to Macbeth, and the way in which evil spreads in every direction.
Finally, and in my opinion most importantly, Polanski emphasises the faltering relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. In the early parts of the film, they are always shown together, united, and crucially in the same shot. However, from this scene onwards, the couple are shown in separate camera shots, emphasising the growing rift between them, and the fact that they are now arguing against each other.
