When Macbeth comes onto the stage, his first words echo the words of the witches, ‘So foul and fair’. I think this shows that the witches and Macbeth have some kind of connection- maybe Macbeth has a connection with evil. Banquo, who is with Macbeth, then notices the three witches, and Macbeth demands them to speak if they can. The three witches speak only to say-
‘All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!’
‘All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!’
‘All hail Macbeth, thalt shalt be king hereafter!’
Macbeth and Banquo both react in different ways to these statements. Macbeth seems very moved by these words, and Banquo notices this immediately, ‘Good sir, why do you start, and seem to fear things that do sound so fair?’ Macbeth is very curious, and tries to question the witches but they disappear.
Later Macbeth rolls the thoughts over in his head; it looks like Macbeth has considered the thought of being king before. ‘My thought, whose murder is yet but fantastical’, he seems to think the only way the king could die is to be murdered. So for him to think just one thought (murder) shows his mind to be set in an evil way. He seems to be a bit venerable, and worried ‘Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair, and make my seated heart knock at my ribs’- this coming from somebody who fights and kills people for a living is quite intriguing and shows that Macbeth is scaring himself by actually considering murdering Duncan- it’s quite a big temptation. This is a sort of fight between Macbeths good and evil side. In the end he shakes the feeling aside and his good side takes over ‘shakes so my single state, that function is smothered in surmise’. He feels he is too shaken to act upon this thought in his head.
As soon as this thought is shaken from his head, it comes straight back in again. Before, Macbeth decided he would let the future take care of it’s self without him having to do anything, ‘If chance will have me King, why chance my crown me without my stir’. But soon, Macbeths ‘chance’ thought is dashed when Duncan names Malcolm as his successor, not him. This makes Macbeth decide to take matters into is own hands- he realises he’s going to have to do something to get his own way. He decides that Malcolm is an obstacle in his way to becoming the king ‘the prince of Cumberland- that is a step, on which I must fall down, or else o’erleap, for in my way it lies’. I think what drives Macbeth to feel this way, is that after the witches made the prophecy that Macbeth would be king, he thought that the king would name him his successor, after all- he has done so much for Duncan when defending his country. So now he feels out done by, and that he is not being given the reward he feels he deserves so much.
When Macbeth writes to Lady Macbeth, he tells her how he must act to get the crown. ‘Thus thou must do, if thou have it’, but he fears that he is too kind a person to commit such a terrible feat. There is a small battle between what Macbeth knows it right, and with what he want so much. I think Shakespeare partly wrote this letter from Macbeth for latecomers in the audience, or to some that have not quite caught on yet. This is quite a clever tactic, and yet still has a huge part in the play. After reading this letter, Lady Macbeth takes it upon herself to see through the murder of Duncan. She feels Macbeth is too noble to go ahead with it- his instincts are too strong. She does not reveal the plan to him, but tells him to leave it too her, then leaves him.
The next scene is an interesting scene for the audience. Dramatic irony takes over; the audience knows something that King Duncan does not. Lady Macbeth is so kind and generous to him, and all the while the audience know that soon she and Macbeth will murder him. Shakespeare makes the audience feel sorry for Duncan, as he is so full of compliments for Lady Macbeth ‘fair and noble hostess’ and yet she is soon to kill him.
I feel it was a huge mistake on Lady Macbeths behalf to of left Macbeth alone, as this gave him time to think about what a huge crime they are about to commit, anyone in their right mind would have doubts. When Macbeth is left alone, his good instincts are telling him it’s wrong. He realises that he is Duncan’s ‘kinsman and his subject’. He says he has strong reasons not to go ahead with it, he explains how great a king Duncan is ‘ hath borne is faculties so meek, hath been so clear in his great office’, and the only thing spurring him on his ambition ‘ I have no spur…but only ambition’. He spills off a list of reasons not to go ahead with it, and he shows his strongest and most great resistance in this scene, it makes the audience think, finally we know he isn’t going too, the fight between yes or no is finished.
But no, our faith in Macbeth is dashed. He is pushed over, and only by Lady Macbeth telling him what a coward he is. All thoughts of Macbeth being good, strong and kind immediately go as we see him waver to her hurtful comments. She makes him sound stupid ‘Was the hope drunk…’ and tells him how she would never break a promise like this and if she did she would, from her child ‘plucked my nipple from his boneless gums, and dashed the brains out’. She contrasts her womanliness against his manliness, and as soon as she sees Macbeth waver she wows him with her plan, too finally reel him in. This shows how weak Macbeth really is, and how easily he is persuaded.
I think Macbeth is a good person, but he is easily distracted from what he feels. At first ambition urged him on, the feeling of being king, but then his good side took over – he told himself whatever will be, will be. But then jealously changed his mind when Malcolm was names successor not him. This pushed him to want to go ahead with it. His good instincts took over once more after that though, he told himself he could never do that, but Lady Macbeth tells him not to worry, and she will take care of everything. But for the final time almost in what seems Macbeth’s strongest hour of resistance against the killing, he was swayed by harsh comments damaging his image and ego. To me, Macbeth is a shallow person, easily persuaded and selfish, he may be strong in body, but in mind he is a push over.
Charlotte Schofield 10z/3
Word count 1530
