This appears to be the most resonant line to come. It uses two oxymorons: ‘fair is foul’ and ‘foul is fair’. Alliteration is also used here with groups of the same ‘f’ constant. This gives the line a more powerful resonance. As well as it being spoken by ‘All’ instead of just one person makes it stick in your mind even more. All these techniques used in a single bit of dialogue shows that it is a significant line in this scene. The language used is ambiguous:
“fair is foul, and foul is fair”
It seems to tell us that people may not be as they seem: ‘fair’ can be used to describe a person as pleasant and innocent, ‘foul’ can be used to describe something as nasty and repulsive. ‘foul’ is more used to describe an inanimate object , where as ‘fair’ could be used to describe a person or a situation. Having a nice, pleasant person described as foul can cause confusion, which is ideal for making the audience think on this and therefore makes it stay with them.
Act 1 scene three is where Macbeth meets the witches. Again the entrance of these three witches causes a thunderous crash evoking the emotions back from the last time they were seen. Here the First witch tells the other witches and the audience about a sailor’s wife she had met and how she refused to give her one of her chestnuts:
“A sailor’s wife had chestnuts in her lap.
And munch’d, and munch’d, and munch’d:--
‘Give me,’ quoth I:
‘Aroint thee, witch!’ the rump-fed cries.
Her husband’s to Aleppo gone, master o’ the Tiger:
But in a sieve I’ll thither sail,
And, like a rat without a tail,
I’ll do, I’ll do, and I’ll do.”
Somehow she managed to pick up that she was a sailor’s wife and her husband was away at sea. This could support that the witches are supernatural by just knowing these details about her. Or that the First witch could of just overheard or found out for herself. When the witch asks for a nut she’s not polite in her words and would see demanding, to which the sailor’s wife refuses and labels her a ‘witch’ which isn’t polite either. The way she refuses the witch could be because of the way the witch asked for the nut. Yet the witch seems to see this as her being greedy, her referring to the way the women was eating the nuts: ‘And munch’d, and munch’d, and munch’d’ gives an image of her constantly eating simultaneously one after another. This form of alliteration shows how the witch feels towards the sailor’s wife, and also: ‘the rump-fed ronyon cries’ shows that she isn’t happy with her refusal as she begins to plot her revenge and uses her husband as the target: ‘Her husband’s to Aleppo gone, master o’ the tiger’ the metaphor describing the sea as a tiger can give a clue to what her vengeance would be. A tiger- being a fierce un-tamed creature, being used in a metaphor to describe the sea shows plains for the sea to become un-tamed and dangerous for her husband.
“And, like a rat without a tail,
I’ll do, I’ll do, and I’ll do.”
More alliteration with: ‘I’ll do, I’ll do, and I’ll do’ makes it known that she’s going to make something bad happen. Repeating this can also look like mockery of the former alliteration used with ‘and munch’d, and munch’d, and munch’d’ like ‘this is the result of your greedy actions’. The other two witches then become involved in this plan:
“I’ll give thee a wind”
Here the second witch let it known she’ll participate in this vengeance to. To which the first witch replies:
“Thou’rt kind”
She graciously accepts this help. Here we see her using manors unlike how she acted with the sailor’s wife. Then the Third witch lets her know she’ll help two:
“And I another”
The first witch using manors with the others and consorting them with the details of what had happened shows there strong unity. There is no one dominate witch in this cult they all appear to be equal and help each other out. Her being rude to the sailor’s wife, a women not of their circle shows there isolation in community, the sailors wife isn’t friendly with her and labels her a witch. The community acting negatively upon her could be the reason for why she’d been put into this minority group of so called ‘witches’ and over the years she may of gotten a lot of bad criticism off of everyone which had then lead her to being a vengeful and hateful creature, this goes for all of the witches. They seem to only trust each other and that has then lead to their hatred of everyone else.
“I myself have all the other,
And the very ports they blow,
All the quarters they know
I’ the shipman’s card.
I will drain him dry as hay:
Sleep shall neither night nor day
Hang upon his pent-house lid;
He shall live a man forbid:
Weary se’nights nine times nine
Shall he dwindle, peak and pine:
Though his bark cannot be lost,
Yet it shall be tempest-tost.
Look what I have”
Here she’s speaking out her curse. Assonance is again used here: ‘blow’ and ‘know’, ‘hay’ and ‘day’, ‘nine’ and ‘pine’ and ‘lost’ and ‘tost’. Assonance seems to come up whenever the witches are performing a ritual so you instantly know there up to no good. Them going to such extremes over a single chestnut highlights their potential for evil and there vindictive, spiteful and mischievous nature.
“And the very ports they blow,
All the quarters they know
I’ the shipman’s card”
This tells us that they intend to create a storm to hit him at sea. They speak of the fierce winds: ‘the very ports they blow’ they then speak of it affecting his boat: ‘I’ the shipman’s card’. They then go on to say:
“I will drain him dry as hay:
Sleep shall neither night nor day”
Here it sounds as though she wants to kill him: ‘drain him dry as hay’ could mean she wants to drain the life out of him. Juxtapositions are then used in: ‘Sleep shall neither night nor day’ with the ‘night nor day’ being used as two opposites.
“Shall he dwindle, peak and pine:
Though his bark cannot be lost,
Yet it shall be tempest-tost.”
Here shows the damnation he shall fall victim to: ‘Yet it shall be tempest-tost’ this overall piece of dialogue seems to descend downwards and get worse as she goes along. This could resemble how the witches get carried away with things and make things worse with their involvement.
“The weird sisters, hand in hand,
Posters of the sea and land,
Thus do go about, about:
Thrice to thine and thrice to mine
And thrice again, to make up nine.
Peace! The charm’s wound up”
This again is said by ‘All’ so is more resonant being chanted by more than one person. This is said to seal the curse to show that it is done: ‘Peace! The charm’s wound up’, this gives great feeling of the supernatural. Macbeth then enters for his meeting with the witches:
“So foul and fair a day I have not seen”
The oxymoron used again here: ‘So foul and fair’ is a repetition of what was said as the end of Act 1. This initially acts as a link between Macbeth and the witches. Also it makes it look like the enchantment the witches recited at the begging of the play has worked. Macbeth means its been a horrible day but with some fortune to it, he doesn’t know about the witches curse so he doesn’t realise he’s reciting what was said earlier.
“How far is’t call’d to Forres? What are these
So wither’d and so wild in their attire,
That look not like inhabitants o’ the earth,
And yet are on’t? live you? Or are you aught
That man may question? You seem to understand me.
By each at once her chappy finger laying
Upon her skinny lips: you should be women,
And yet your beards forbid me to interpret
That you are so”
Banquo’s opening speech creates an image of the witches appearances: ‘So wither’d and so wild’ this makes them seem old, as they’re described as ‘wither’d’ and they also appear to be naked so he describes them as ‘wild’, as they look very peculiar and extraordinary. ‘Wild’ could also be used to describe them as ‘mad’ in their appearance.
“By each at once her chappy finger laying
Upon her skinny lips: you should be women,
And yet your beards forbid me to interpret
That you are so”
He appears to be mocking their appearance, saying they should be presentable women but there un-tamed rugged features makes them look like men. They then go on with beguiling and ambiguous predictions:
“All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of Glamis!”
The first witch greets Macbeth by announcing his already given title. This isn’t anything strange as that is his name and that is his title.
“All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, thane of Cawdor!”
The second witch then goes on to say he’s also the thane of Cawdor which is strange because there already is a thane of Cawdor and it can’t be Macbeth.
“All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter!”
The third witch then says. This is also very strange as their was a king at this time and the crown would go to the most powerful thane at that time and that wasn’t Macbeth. This prediction after the prediction that he will be thane of Cawdor turns these predictions into prophecies as they are titles which are supposedly to be overcome. Macbeth is taken back by this:
“Good sir, why do you start; and seem to fear
Things that sound so fair?”
He questions why Macbeth seems startled and that these predictions are good things. ‘fair’ is also used here to describe the appearance of the predictions, where as before it was to show fair things may not be as they seem, this could be used to hint that there is a negative side to these predictions.
“Which outwardly ye show? My noble partner
You greet with present grace and great prediction
Of noble having and of royal hope,
That he seem rapt withal: to me you speak not”
Banquo isn’t convinced with there predictions and asks them to predict something about him
“If you can look into the seeds of time,
And say which grain will grow and which will not,
Speak then to me, who neither beg nor fear
Your favours nor your hate”
This part uses a lot of metaphors about growth and new life: ‘which grain will grow’ and ‘seeds of time’, he questions whether they can see into the future and what is there for him, he see’s Macbeth as being weary and afraid of there predictions and he tells them: ‘Speak then to me, who neither beg nor fear’ as if saying he’s worthy to be told he wont be scared.
“Lesser than Macbeth, and greater”
The first witch tells him that he wont be as good and Macbeth but greater. The oxymoron’s ‘greater’ and ‘lesser are used here’. Hidden motives in this line could mean he wont be a greater rank than Macbeth but he would be in his position rightfully.
“Not so happy, net much happier”
This is also confusing if you don’t already know what’s to come as it doesn’t make sense. This could mean that Banquo wont be too happy at being in a lower position than Macbeth, but much happier than Macbeth as he wont be weighted down with terrible guilt and depression.
“Stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me more:
By Sinel’s death I know I am thane of Glamis;
But how of Cawdor? The thane of Cawdor lives,
A prosperous gentleman; and to be king
Stands not within the prospect of belief,
No more than this strange intelligence? Or why
Upon this blasted heath you stop our way
With such prophetic greeting? Speak, I charge you”
Macbeth then wishes to know more: ‘Stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me more:’ and is bewildered by what they have prophesised as he cant see that happening, he starts to get more and more questionative and quiet frustrated that there not giving him all the answers and more details. We can tell this by the more and more questions he asks till eventually he gets angry: ‘why upon this blasted heath you stop our way with such prophetic greetings? Speak I charge you.’ The witches then vanish and Macbeth is left to ponder on his unanswered question.
The witch’s actual force behind the murder is very strong. Macbeth wouldn’t have had the need to gain more power as he was loyal towards the king and wouldn’t of thought about murdering him before the witches put in their influence. Macbeth tells of his loyalty to the king in Act 1 scene five:
“The service and the loyalty I owe,
In doing it, pays itself. Your highness’ part
Is to receive our duties; and our duties
Are to your throne and state children and servants,
Which do but what they should, by doing everything
Safe toward your love and honour”
He tells of how his duties are to his king and his loyalties are solemnly to his throne, children and servants. They were the ones who told Macbeth he would be king and therefore made him think about how it would come about. When he’s announced thane of Cawdor he’s convinced that their predictions would come true and he brings himself up thinking that he will become the king to. When Duncan next announces the king with be his son after him Macbeth gets so angry that he leaves as he doesn’t feel comfortable acting happy for his son while he had it set in his mind that he’d make him king:
“The rest is labour, which is not used for you:
I’ll be myself the harbinger and make joyful
The hearing of my wife with your approach
So humbly take my leave”
His immediate exit after Duncan announces Malcolm to be king shows he’s not willing to celebrate his good fortune. Macbeth then seems to lead by his foolish ambition at this point and begins to think about overcoming his obstacles.
The witches also speak in riddles to bemuse them, to intentionally make you wonder what they actually mean:
“Lesser than Macbeth, and greater”
And
“Not so happy, net much happier”
Both use oxymoron’s which easily confuse you because they could mean different things but there’s no way to know for sure the best way to interpret them. They also don’t ask any of Macbeths questions when he asks them to:
“Speak, I charge you”
They then disappear intentionally. I think they had good intensions they would answer his questions instead of leaving it to result in murder from misconceptions of what they actually meant. They planned to meet with him, they cast a spell, spoke in riddles to confuse his perceptions of what they meant and wouldn’t answer any of his questions to go into more detail. They used Mc Beth’s two fatal flaws against him: His superstitious mind and his ambition. They seemed to know exactly what they were doing and intended on the murders being committed. I don’t think their driving force behind Duncan’s murder because Macbeth wasn’t going to do it despite their prophecies.
This makes you wonder if they do hold any real supernatural powers at all. As they could of heard from elsewhere about the thane of Cawdor being a traitor, Scene II is set before the witches predictions to Mc Beth and shows that Duncan and the others already know that The Thane was a traitor, this could mean that the witches would
Of had enough time to find out this information before their meeting with Mc Beth.
Though your still left to wonder why Mc Beth had repeated there enchantment in the beginning:
“Fair is foul, and foul is fair”
But I think Shakespeare deliberately had Mc Beth recite this line to show that the witches in his play actually do have supernatural powers. This line was letting you know that that someone isn’t as they seem, that being Lady Macbeth. They may of known Lady Macbeth would be the one who gives the final push for Macbeth to commit the murder so they planned everything out.
Mc Beth him self could also be the main diving force of him committing the murder, as to take responsibility for his own actions. In scene II we are told the brief story of Mc Beth before we actually meet him:
“For brave Mc Beth—well he deserves that name—
Disdaining fortune, with his brandish’d steel,
Which smoked with bloody execution,
Like valour’s minion carved out his passage
Till he faced the slave;
Which ne’er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him,
Till he unseam’d him from the nave to the chaps,
And fix’d his head upon our battlements.”
Here Sergeant is telling Duncan and Malcolm about Mac Beth on the battlefield and that he’s a brave and valiant man. ‘For brave Mac Beth—he well deserves that name--’ this shows how highly he thinks of Mac Beth for his bravery, he’s also making the others know about he’s deeds and telling them to think that Mac Beth is a brave man. ‘Disdaining fortune, with his brandish’d steel’, ‘disdaining fortune’ means disregarding luck- this shows that he was fighting fearless of what could happen to him, showing he was pretty careless yet brave. This is a for-shadow with his personality that his careless brave attitude then resulted in him killing Duncan without thinking of the consequences. ‘Which smoked with bloody execution’ , can mean the extent to of which he has used his sword on the battlefield is metaphorically described as smoked. This all shows evidence of Mac Beth’s brave but blood thirsty actions on the battlefield.’ Till he unseam’d him from the nave to the chaps, And fix’d his head upon our battlements’ these incites into the character on the battle field through other peoples perceptions are he’s said to of unseam’d a man on the battle field physically, then he himself becomes mentally unseam’d by lady Mac Beth’s orders.
“O valiant cousin! Worthy gentlemen!”
After Sergeant’s speech Duncan gives this line as to show that he also see’s Mac Beth as brave. Duncan’s use of the word ‘gentlemen’ is contradictory because the actions of MacBeth that has been described to him are incredible brutal and un-gentlemen like.
This contradictory language continues on when Sergeant goes on to use this negative imagery to describe MacBeth:
“Shipwrecking storms and direful thunders break
So from that spring whence comfort seem’d to come
Discomfort swells.”
Duncan’s interjection in the Sergeant’s speech splits the two contrasting representations of MacBeth, reflecting his character. It is the fact that he has this dark side to his personality that enables him to be later manipulated by Lady MacBeth.
When Ross later enters this scene he tells Duncan how the thane of Cawdor betrayed him, Duncan then has the thane of Cawdor executed for betraying him and says he’ll give the thane to MacBeth:
“No more that thane of Cawdor shall deceive
Our bosom interest: go pronounce his present death,
And with his former title greet MacBeth.”
This is ironic as Duncan is then betrayed again by the new thane of Cawdor.
Scene III is where MacBeth meets with the witches and they make there ambiguous predictions about his future. The entering line MacBeth uses as he enters the scene is a repetition of the final line said at the end of the opening scene after the witches had preformed their enchantment.
This constitutes a link between Macbeth and the witches, this augments the witches supernatural powers. In Shakespearean times this would have a formidable impact on the crowd as it supports the folklore of that time that surrounded the ideology of witches.
After the witches then go on to make their predictions Macbeth seems startled. As Banquo says:
“Good sir, why do you start; and seem to fear
Things that sound so fair?”
Alliteration is used here with ‘fear’ and ‘fair’ to make a stronger impact of Macbeths alarm more apparent. This is also an oxymoron which is representative of his later dilemma where he becomes fearful of the actions he must take to gain a positive ‘fair’ reward.
In the time that Banquo and the witches engage in dialog after these predictions have been made, Macbeth seems to of psychologically detached himself from the scene. This is demonstrated by his absence in the dialogue currently commencing. He then comes out to say:
“Stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me more:
By Sinel’s death I know I am thane of Glamis;
But how of Cawdor? The thane of Cawdor lives,
A prosperous gentleman; and to be king
Stands not within the prospect of belief,
No more than Cawdor. Say whence
You owe this strange intelligence? Or why
Upon this blasted heath you stop our way
With such prophetic greeting? Speak I charge you.”
Here MacBeth is overwhelmed by curiosities from the witches ambiguous predictions and wants to know more and more. This speech shows his impatience to want to know everything immediately, similar to how he is later on, being to impatient for the witches predictions to gradually befall upon him, instead he takes matters into his own hands and murders the king to soon after take his crown.
After the witches then vanish to leave Macbeth with his unanswered questions, Macbeth seems then to become quite happy by what he had just herd by bragging:
“And thane of Cawdor too: went it not so”
Ross and Angus then enter the scene and tell Macbeth that he’s now thane of Cawdor.
Macbeth, unlike Banquo is not shocked by the news:
“The thane of Cawdor still lives, why do you dress me
In borrow’d robes?”
Macbeth not seeming as shocked as he was when he first heard the predictions, shows that he already believed the witches and has now become assured that these prophecies will be fulfilled, this is also made apparent when he then says, sounding assured:
“Glamis, and thane of Cawdor!
The greatest is behind”
In this short passage of dialogue there are three soliloquy’s with more questions. These seem to drive him in a spiral of confidence about the outcome of these predictions.
“[Aside]Two truths are told,
As happy prologues to the swelling act”
The use of ‘swelling act of imperial theme’ is used here, like previously before in Sergeant’s speech ‘Discomfort swells’, they’re both talking about the swelling of the same situation but in two opposing ways. Sergeant seems to state the beginning of a bad swelling, Macbeth then continues this saying ‘swelling act’ making it seem like this discomfort is beginning to grow, Macbeths statement seems to mask the negative undertone of this situation until later when the negative then erupts, showing in order to come to the reward he must commit an awful deed where he feels discomfort and eventually guilt.
Macbeth at first seems very tamed and patient that eventually he will be king just like how he was of Cawdor:
“Come what may,
Time and the hours runs through the roughest day”
Scene IV opens with news that the thane of Cawdor has been executed. Duncan speaks of the previous thane of Cawdor of having all his trust:
“There’s no art
To find the mind’s construction in the face:
He was a gentleman on whom I built
An absolute trust”
This is dramatic irony, as Duncan trusted the previous thane wrongly and now makes the same mistake again. When Duncan lets it be known that that the person to be king after him is his eldest son and Macbeths plans are spoilt Macbeths character then takes a dramatic turn. Macbeth seems annoyed by this announcement as he was so assured that the predictions would follow through. He then immediately leaves the room:
“So humbly take my leave”
Macbeth then starts to ponder to himself what he must do, to either leave it be and wait for the situation to resolve itself or to overcome this obstacle:
“On which I must fall down, or else o’erleap”
Macbeths multiple personality is again showed here. His heroic, brave and loyal side resembled by his patience then his darker ambitious side by his impatience and him wanting to be king immediately.
“Stars, hide your fires;
Let not light see my black and deep desires:”
Here shows his hidden thoughts of wanting to commit murder to gain the throne. ‘black desires’ gives an indication of a bad or evil thoughts with the use of the colour black, associated with evil or negative imagery.
In the opening of scene VII there is a soliloquy spoken by Macbeth. In here Macbeth is thinking over murdering Duncan and eventually talks himself out of it.
“Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return
To plague the inventor; this even-handed justice
Commends the ingredients of our poison’d chalice
Tour own lips”
This shows that he’s thinking logically about it and trying to think what to do, this section is encase it back fired and he’s found out. He then goes on to say that he’s a good king and never done anything against him:
“Besides, this Duncan
Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been
So clear in his great office, that his virtues
will plead like angles, trumpet-tongued, against
The deep damnation of I’m taking off”
where we says:
“will plead like angles, trumpet-tongued, against
The deep damnation of his taking off”
Means that these two qualities will make it hard for him to kill him. This polarised wording contains a simile and two lots of alliteration to emphasise its conflict. ‘angles’ and ‘damnation’ are words associated to heaven and hell, this can symbolise Macbeths inner moral conflicts about murdering Duncan or not.
“I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent”
Meaning he has no genuine reason to kill him
“but only
Vaulting ambition”
Here he’s saying it’s just his ambition which wants him dead and not him as a person.
The audience first meets Lady MacBeth at home in the Macbeth’s castle. She is reading a letter that has been sent to her by MacBeth. It tells her of some witches prophecy to him - the prophecy that one day she and her husband would become King and queen of Scotland.
This idea seems to kindle a fire in Lady MacBeth. Immediately she seems to be forming a scheme, or have to have formed a scheme. She says, to herself, "I fear thy nature, is too full of the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way". This might indicate that she has immediately formulated the idea of a murder. This straight away creates a first impression on the audience - evil personified
The reading of the letter is initially, the hatching of her ideas. When she is told that Duncan himself, 'comes here tonight'; it is a catalyst to her ideas. Then the ambition flourishes. Her second soliloquy now shows the igniting of this wicked plan. She realises that Duncan is actually coming to her. Her first few lines are probably spoken in total amazement. 'He brings great news'; she would probably exclaim this quite joyfully. This works on two levels though. It is a great honour to have the king himself staying the night. It is also her big chance, in her mind, not to be missed! She continues, 'The raven himself is coarse, That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan'. The croaking raven is a bird often associated with bad omens. Its croak is more hoarse than usual, she imagines (as an illustration), because it signals the arrival of Duncan and his future death. I imagine that she would speak this sentence in a sense of amazement as Duncan is literally dropping into her lap. This obvious amazement now sinks in; she now attempts to almost use magic to change her nature into wholly unnatural channels. The audience since her first soliloquy has established that she has more ambition, and craves more domination than a woman (particularly at that time) is thought rightly to have. The notions that she has conjured up do not seem to be likely of a particularly feminine personality. She shows very little compassion or worry. Now, she (by the power of magic) wants to get rid of any womanly nature at all, 'Come you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here'. She would deliver these lines as if calling to a divine power. She calls to the 'spirits that tend on mortal thoughts' - these are the spirits that tend on any murderous thought or ambition. She asks them to, 'stop th'access and passage to remorse'. I can imagine she would almost spit out the phrase 'passage to remorse', she sees it as weak minded (something that she detests) to turn back on any of the plans she has. She wants to be separate as possible from 'the milk of human kindness'. She wants her breasts to be instead full of bitter poison. She probably desires to get rid of most human qualities, and, instead be on a par with these 'magic murdering ministers' - the spirits of evil and murder. She summons the thickness, or darkness of the night and the 'damnest smoke of hell', to make her deed as dark and concealed as possible. So hidden that 'nor heaven peep through the blanket of dark'. These two soliloquies' have first of all created a lasting impression on the audience. Yet more importantly it has made us think about her as a person. We have all reached the conclusion about how prepared Lady MacBeth is to get rid of any human/womanly qualities to become almost supernatural or at one with the 'Magic murdering ministers'. Yet in the back of everyone's mind, we all realise at the end of the day she really is only a mortal woman. Just like any other person, she will suffer under guilt and a bad conscience. She is not immune, as much as she would like to think, or desire to be.
In Shakespearean times women’s roles were much more submissive than in the 21st century, and so the audiences perception of the strength of Lady Macbeth within their relationship has been diluted as women have become equal. Usually in that time women didn’t hold any authority in a relationship, women usually never spoke back to there husband and done as they said. However, in Lady Macbeth’s relationship, the role is paradoxical, as Lady Macbeth (women figure) appears to have the upper hand. This is made evident after Macbeth decides not to commit the murder.
The impression here is of a determined women, who does not give a second thought to killing someone if it is going to help them up the social strata, this gives an image of a self-made power thirsty person, that is driven by ruthless ambition. Lady Macbeth would have none of this and puts pressure on Macbeth to proceed with his plans. Here Macbeth speaks forcefully, he seems to be confidently, telling Lady Macbeth that they will not perform the deed:
“We will proceed no further in this business:
He hath honour’d me of late; and I have brought
Golden opinions from all sorts of people,
Which would be worn now in their newest gloss,
Not cast aside so soon.”
Macbeth seems to of totally convinced himself that he’s not going to kill Duncan because he has no strong reason to, as he says about how well Duncan has treated him ‘He hath honour’d me of later’. To which Lady Macbeth replies with an insult:
“Wouldst thou have that
Which thou esteem’st the ornament of life?
And live a coward in thine own esteem,
Letting ‘I dare not’ wait upon ‘I would’”
Here she calls him a coward, although previously it has been made clear Macbeth is far from a coward by his actions on the battle field. Here is the first sign that Lady Macbeth is not afraid to speak her mind to her husband, where if other women spoke to their husband like that they’d instantly be talked down upon by the man and put back in their place. She then makes a malicious statement which shows her inhumanity:
“How tender ‘tis to love the baby that milks me:
I would, while it was smiling in my face,
Have pluck’d my nipple from his boneless gums,
And dash’d the brains out, had I so sworn as you
Have done this”.
Here she tells Macbeth that she would do anything for him, the fact that she went into so much detail about what she would do shows a dark and malevolent side to her attire. ‘I would, while it was smiling in my face’ here, malevolence is very strong, as a very positive happy smile, is soon crushed by an evil deed. For Macbeth to hear this from her results more in flattery, than disgust:
“If we should fail?”
He leads straight on with the discussion of the murder with no second thought, it seems as though Lady Macbeth has swiftly put him back on track with her plans. The drive seems to change from this point, instead of the murder being from Macbeth’s own will, it now changes to that of Lady Macbeth’s, which leads to the conclusion that lady Macbeth was the driving force behind Duncan’s’ murder.
Initially Lady MacBeth seems to have the stronger ambition of the two. She appears to be an individual who is totally devoid of moral conscience; she has the appearance of an unstoppable woman. She has a strong belief that will power/courage are the only two things that should dominate Macbeths’ mind, 'screw your courage to the sticking place!' - Someone who encapsulates evil. The audience comes to realise that MacBeth, who is very tempted by the notion of kingship, has no chance against this self-created monster. He is affect - damned. The witches' prophecy is something that Lady MacBeth is obsessed by and is determined to will into fruition.
To conclude this essay I have found reason to believe that lady Macbeth was the driving force behind Duncan’s murder. The fact that the witches, Macbeth and lady Macbeth all play a part in Duncan’s murder is a microcosm because they each represent powerful aspects of life. The witches are representative of Superstition by their supernatural powers and predictions, Macbeth of violence from his actions in the battle field and with committing the murder and Lady Macbeth as Politics from talking, putting ideas into Macbeth’s head. Politics holds a greater influence over people than that of superstition or violence as it is apparent in everyone’s lives. Politics dictates violence, leading to a link between Lady Macbeth driving Macbeth to commit an act of violence.
The witches started the whole conspiracy, and lead Macbeth into believing he would be king. I find that this worked as a huge catalyst for all the events to take place, as Macbeth wouldn’t of got angry when Duncan announced his son to be king next, and he wouldn’t of told Lady Macbeth of his plans so she wouldn’t of had reason to start plotting out her own plans. I think that Macbeth is truly the tragic hero, who had been loyal and faithful until this taint was cast upon him, I do not believe he was the driving force behind the murder because he ended up deciding not to act on his ambition. Lady Macbeth must be the driving force behind the murder because she’s the one who drove him to decide to actually do it. The witches just merely showed him the path.