(Act I: Scene III)
This line mirrors the words of the witches in Scene One. Shakespeare uses this repetition in order to show a connection between the characters. This connects Macbeth with the witches and therefore, by association, with evil. This contrasts with the impression given of Macbeth, the valiant warrior, in Scene Two.
Also, in this scene Macbeth meets the witches where he hears the prophecies they have made for him and begins to contemplate the King’s murder. Obviously Macbeth’s willingness to kill shows a “butcher”-like side to him, but his thoughts reveal he cannot ignore his conscience…
“…why do I yield to that suggestion
Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair,
And make my seated heart knock at my ribs…”
(Act I: Scene III)
Macbeth speaks of the “horrid image” of him murdering Duncan. The fact he refers to this image as “horrid” and explains that it made his heart beat quickly shows that he is obviously worried by this image and knows that it is wrong. At this point the viewer can see Macbeth still maintains some humanity.
Yet as the play progresses Macbeth appears to lose this quality and become increasingly “butcher”-like. As we can see in the quote...
“Stars, hide your fires,
Let not light see my black and deep desires;”
(Act I: Scene IV)
This quotation clearly shows that Macbeth is thinking about murder. This show’s a dark side to Macbeth’s character as he is willing to kill just to become King. The phrase “black and deep desires” is another reference to evil. The fact though that he does not want these desires to be seen suggests he is ashamed of his murderous thoughts.
From the moment the viewer is introduced to the character of Lady Macbeth she seems entirely “fiend”-like. Lady Macbeth shows no unwillingness to commit the murder - her only fear is whether her husband will be able to commit the offence…
“Yet do I fear thy nature;
It is too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness…”
(Act I: Scene V)
The introduction of the character of Lady Macbeth gives the viewer some perspective into how evil Macbeth really is. It is obvious from Lady Macbeth’s speech that she is going to have to convince her husband into executing the plan for murder, which shows Macbeth’s reluctance. Macbeth’s wife’s view of her husband certainly is not that he is a “butcher”. This quote also shows the close relationship between Macbeth and his wife, if the characters were merely a “butcher” and a “fiend” they would not be capable of love.
The character of Lady Macbeth is shown to be less consistently “fiend”-like when she pleads to the spirits...
“unsex me here,
And fill me, from the crown to the toe, top-full
Of direst cruelty. Make thick my blood,
Stop up th’ access and passage to remorse...”
(Act I: Scene V)
In this quotation the character voices her desires to be stripped of her womanly qualities and made wicked. Lady Macbeth’s actions here show that although she is determined to kill Duncan, she does not think she has the strength to do so herself. When Lady Macbeth calls on the spirits she requests for them to make her evil, which suggests that she is naturally not sufficiently evil to kill.
Macbeth’s hesitation before assassinating the King shows he still has some humanity…
“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.”
(Act I: Scene VII)
Here, Macbeth states that as he is Duncan’s subject and his host he should be the one defending the King, not harming him. This shows that the character hopes to maintain some loyalty. Had it not been for Lady Macbeth bullying her husband into the murder I doubt Macbeth would have gone through with it. This makes the viewer see the character is not evil but simply easily-led by his wife. At this point Lady Macbeth seems very “fiend-like”.
Macbeth’s doubts about killing the King grow worse and he begins to hallucinate, showing he is not a cold-hearted killer…
“Is this a dagger which I see before me,
The handle toward my hand?”
(Act II: Scene I)
Macbeth sees a dagger, floating in the air and covered in blood, the dagger is pointing towards the King’s chamber. The bloody dagger, I think, is symbolic of the bloody course Macbeth is about to embark on. This illusion seen by Macbeth reveals his inner turmoil. It is obvious that he is not comfortable with the deed he is about to commit and his doubts are driving him insane.
After the King’s murder Macbeth feels great remorse, revealing he is not a “butcher”…
“Glamis hath murdered sleep, and therefore Cawdor
Shall sleep no more, Macbeth shall sleep no more”
(Act II: Scene II)
Here, Shakespeare shows Macbeth is beginning to break down mentally as the character refers to himself in third person. His colossal guilt also comes to light; Macbeth attempts to disassociate himself from the situation by calling himself “Glamis”, and “Thane of Cawdor”. This shows he cannot deal with the fact that it was he himself who had killed his king. The reference to sleep suggests he will no longer have peace of mind – another indication of his guilt.
A dramatic contrast can be seen between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth here. She appears very “fiend-like” stating …
“A little water will clear us of this deed;”
(Act II: Scene II)
The use of the word “little” accentuates how insignificant she thinks her actions are. She here implies the King’s murder has had no affect on her emotionally. The character seems to show no remorse or guilt.
The reaction of Macbeth after the murder of Duncan is certainly not befitting the epitaph…
“Ere we will eat our meal in fear, and sleep
In the affliction of these terrible dreams
That shake us nightly.”
(Act III: Scene II)
Shakespeare uses strong language here to convey just how guilt-ridden Macbeth is, as you can see in the words “affliction” and “shake”. This shows the extent of Macbeth’s unhappiness, and his inability to enjoy what he has accomplished. In this quotation he reveals he has terrible nightmares, which indicate he still feels guilt and remorse. The fact the character cannot simply forget about his sins shows he still does have good qualities.
The murder of Banquo exposes a decline in Macbeth’s character. To commit the murder Macbeth hires men to carry out the task for him. To me this shows a real deterioration in his character. Firstly, it makes the viewer begin to doubt how affected he truly was after Duncan’s murder, if he is willing to commit murder again. Secondly the hiring of men in an attempt to detach himself from the situation shows his cowardice. At the beginning of the play one of Macbeth’s greater qualities was his bravery, which here can be seen to have disappeared. At this point in the play Macbeth’s actions do seem fairly “butcher”-like.
Macbeth is plagued with guilt after the murder of his old friend and he begins to see visions of Banquo’s ghost sitting at the Banquet he is hosting, showing he is not just a “butcher”…
“Hence horrible shadow!
Unreal mockery, hence!”
(Act III: Scene IV)
Macbeth’s deteriorating mental state is evident here, the vision of the ghost seems to affect him deeply as he shouts and screams at the apparition. His hallucination shows also his deep rooted guilt, which reveals the character is not a heartless killer and that he is unable to detach himself from the murders.
During Act Three Macbeth’s character deteriorates further, in this quotation it can be seen the character is becoming very “butcher”-like.
“My strange and self-abuse
Is the initiate fear that wants hard use;
We are yet but young in deed.”
(Act III: Scene V)
Here, Macbeth explains to his wife his plan to continue on his murderous streak - showing a further descent into evil. He seems to have decided that instead of his visions being a sign that he should abandon his murderous plans, that they are merely a sign that he is not yet hardened enough. This is a definite low-point for Macbeth in the play, he seems to no longer repent his actions and I think, at this point is deserving of the epitaph.
Act Four’s opening scene shows the viewer a character who could only be described as ruthless…
“But yet I’ll make assurance double sure,
And take a bond of fate. Thou shalt not live,”
(Act IV: Scene I)
Here the repetition of “sure” suggests Macbeth’s desire for control. Macbeth’s actions here show a great insecurity or a desire to kill. All the other murder’s planned by Macbeth have been, at least in his view, necessary, Macduff’s however is not. This shows a decline in Macbeth’s character as he no longer can see the magnitude of murder; this makes him seem very “butcher”-like.
Macbeth’s strength of character reaches its lowest point when he hires murderers to kill Macduff’s family. Shakespeare shows the viewer a cosy family scene prior to the slayings. We see Lady Macduff speaking to her son, attempting to teach him right and wrong. This scene is used by the playwright to achieve two goals – to show a contrast between the unfeeling, detached character of Lady Macbeth and the loving, maternal character of Lady Macduff and also to evoke a feeling of sympathy for the latter as we know she and he son are about to be killed. At this point in the play the viewer feels completely unsympathetic towards Macbeth as he has unnecessarily killed a woman and child, he is certainly deserving of the epitaph at this point.
In the final scenes of the play Lady Macbeth’s character seems to have transformed and improved greatly…
“…all
the perfume’s of Arabia will not sweeten this little
hand. Oh, oh, oh!”
(Act V : Scene I)
Lady Macbeth has not been involved in the play for some time, and when we are reintroduced to her she is obviously plagued by guilt. We see her sleep-walking, and in obvious distress- she now seems very vulnerable, a direct contrast with her strong character earlier in the play. In the quote Shakespeare again uses hyperbolic imagery in order to illustrate how intense Lady Macbeth’s feelings of guilt are. This makes the reader begin to sympathise with Lady Macbeth, who had obviously been masking her true feelings.
The effect Lady Macbeth’s death has on Macbeth can be perceived in two ways…
“She should have died hereafter;”
(Act V: Scene V)
This quotation makes the viewer question why Macbeth reacts in such a muted way. One could say this reaction shows an immense decline in character – as he no longer cares for his wife. On the other hand the subsequent speech he makes takes on a very pessimistic tone, in which he voices his opinion that life is purposeless. This reaction to his wife’s death shows Macbeth to be a very loving husband, showing he still does have human qualities and is not just a “butcher”.
During the climax of the play Macbeth’s character is shown to improve…
“And that which should accompany old age,
As honour, love, obedience, troops of friends,
I must not look to have;”
(Act V: Scene III)
We can see in this quote how deeply unhappy Macbeth really is, he has become conscious that having power, in itself, does not bring happiness. Here, I begin to feel sympathy for Macbeth as he is alone and is feared by everyone. Obviously, by this point the character honestly repents for his actions in the past, which makes him appear very unlike a “butcher”.
In the ultimate act of the play Macbeth’s previous character begins to shine through as he prepares to fight his final battle…
“At least we’ll die with harness on our back.”
(Act V: Scene V)
Macbeth decides he will face his enemies head on. Throughout the play we have seen the character’s bravery gradually disintegrate but here it reappears. We can see here that he is not really a “butcher” but a brave warrior. Macbeth fights boldly but will not harm Macduff, after he killed his family. This shows that the character does have enough decency to realise his previous actions were immoral.
In conclusion, I think that neither Macbeth nor Lady Macbeth deserve the epitaph of “...a dead butcher and his fiend-like queen...” Both characters are too complex to be labelled with these terms. Each character has behaved in an immoral and evil manner at certain points of the play but equally both characters have shown themselves to be wracked with guilt due to their actions.
By Caitlin McLean.
