In this essay I intend to examine the way in which Macbeth is presented in the opening three scenes of the play.
English Coursework Essay Macbeth In this essay I intend to examine the way in which Macbeth is presented in the opening three scenes of the play. At the beginning of the play Macbeth is seen as a brave warrior who is loyal to the King but is tainted by the witch’s prophecies and by his Lady Macbeth’s ambition. In the beginning of the play Macbeth is a strong soldier who fights for the King without mercy but his curious nature leads him to the witches who give him a prophecy. In Scene 1 Act 1 the witches are waiting for Macbeth, this seems to suggest that they have something in mind; they are creatures of supernatural origin. “Fair is foul, and foul is fair” “Hover through the fog and filthy air.”This quote is taken from the first scene of act 1, when the witches meet and discuss where to meet. This is a paradox as well as a prophecy, where one thing seems like another, or about how things will change through the story. The words like ‘foul’ and ‘filthy’ are used within this quote to connect the witches to unpleasant images. In Act 1 he is described as a brave war hero. But by Act2 he has become a murderer. These changes are influenced by his ambition and conscience, the prophecies of the Witches and pressure to act on the prophecies from
Lady Macbeth. In Scene two we are aware of Macbeth’s bravery because of the way in which the Captain speaks about him.”….with his brandish’d steel, which smok’d with bloody execution” Macbeth’s bravery in battle shows us that he is being loyal to his king, Macbeth earned the respect of many people, including Duncan, by fulfilling his duty to fight for king and country. King Duncan asks the Captain if Macbeth and Banquo are dismayed by the Norwegians army’s fresh assault. The Captain uses irony by saying, “As sparrows eagles, or the hare the lion” to show the determination for Macbeth ...
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Lady Macbeth. In Scene two we are aware of Macbeth’s bravery because of the way in which the Captain speaks about him.”….with his brandish’d steel, which smok’d with bloody execution” Macbeth’s bravery in battle shows us that he is being loyal to his king, Macbeth earned the respect of many people, including Duncan, by fulfilling his duty to fight for king and country. King Duncan asks the Captain if Macbeth and Banquo are dismayed by the Norwegians army’s fresh assault. The Captain uses irony by saying, “As sparrows eagles, or the hare the lion” to show the determination for Macbeth and Banquo. The Captain also uses a simile, “as cannons overcharged with doubled cracks,” this is to reinforce the eagerness with which they go into battle. Scene two is a very important piece of the play. This is when King Duncan is involved in a war and this scene gives details of how the battles are progressing. In this scene everything looks good but there’s more trouble to come. This scene is the one where the fate of Macbeth life is written. The witches have most of the faults because Macbeth was a normal and weak-minded guy who never thought of murder, but the greed and too much power changed his life. Macbeth is so highly regarded by Duncan with his effort in battle that Duncan decides to promote Macbeth to the Thane of Cawdor. “No more that Thane of Cawdor shall deceive our bosom interest. Go pronounce his present death”. This means that it has been really close to the king but no more. “…Pronounce his present death” this means that he’s going to gain money and he’s going to die soon. In Scene three it says “Stay you imperfect speakers, tell me more” this means that he does not want to hear more. He only wants to know that what he has heard is true. He says that he knows that he is Thane of Glamis because his father died, leaving him the title. As Macbeth is demanding that the witches tell him how they know what they know, they vanish. For a moment,he and Banquo are alone again. Thane of Cawdor remarks that their bodies melted into the wind. Then they repeat the witches’ prophecies to each other, until they are interrupted by the arrival of Ross and Angus. Ross and Angus deliver the news that’s not news to us: The traitorous Thane of Cawdor is to be executed, and Macbeth is to be given his title. Before Ross and Angus tell their news, they deliver the King’s high praise, beginning with Ross’, “The King hath happily receiv’d, Macbeth, The news thee into his sight, Not pay thee”. He means that the King’s praise and thanks are not payment for all of Macbeth’s heroic deeds. However, the King does have an immediate reward for the hero: Macbeth is now Thane of Cawdor. When Ross hails Macbeth with his new title of Thane of Cawdor, Banquo wonders, “What, can the devil speak true?” This means that his feeling is not right about this and is a work of the devil. When he’s sure that he really is Thane of Cawdor! The greatest is behind”. “Behind” means “next”, and of course “the greatest” is the kingship; Macbeth is already looking forward to being king. Macbeth then asks Banquo, out of the hearing of Ross and Angus, if Banquo now believes that his children shall be k ings, since the witches were right about Macbeth being Than of Cawdor. Banquo doesn’t really answer Macbeth’s question; instead, he says: “That trusted home, Might yet enkindle you unto the crown, Besides the Thane of Cawdor. But ‘tis strange: And oftentimes, to win us to our harm, The instruments of darkness tell us truths, Win us with honest trifles, to betray’s In deepest consequence.This is a warning that the witches could be tricking Macbeth into evil, and it shows that Banquo has a strong suspicion that Macbeth’s ambition could make him go bad.Banquo then steps aside to have a few words with Ross and Angus. Meanwhile, we hear Macbeth thinking. At first he’s elated. He says, “Two truth’s are told, As happen prologues to the swelling act Of the imperial theme”.But then he has second thoughts. If the witches’ prophecies are good, he asks himself, “Why do I yield to that suggestions Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair And make my seated heart knock at my ribs, Against the use of nature?”Even though his body is telling him that he shouldn’t be thinking about murdering King Duncan, he can’t help himself. This is what he means when he says that his “function / Is smoother’d in sunrise”. Macbeth is thinking so hard about what he might do that he can’t do anything but stand there and think. Then Macbeth pulls himself together. He remarks to himself that if the witches’ prophecies are right, he won’t have to do a thing to become king. As he says, “If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me, Without my stir”.This means that the thought of murdering his king has Macbeth all shaken up, but he believes he’ll get over it. Banquo informs Macbeth that they’re just waiting until he is ready to go. Macbeth makes the lying excuse that he was thinking about something so unimportant that he has already forgotten what it was. He says, “MY dull brain was wrought / With things forgotten”. As they all start on their journey to see the King, Macbeth has a last aside to Banquo, in which he says he wants to have an honest discussion of what has happened. Banquo agrees, and they are off.