Subsequent to this point, Macbeth has decided that he cannot bring himself to kill Duncan. This creates a lot of dramatic tension and suspense, as one would be more interested to know whether Macbeth murders Duncan or not.
After Macbeth’s soliloquy, Lady Macbeth enters. She asks him why he has left the king’s presence, and her short questions suggest an angry mood. The audience now senses that Lady Macbeth will not give up the plan to murder Duncan which creates further tension. Macbeth makes it clear that he no longer wishes to proceed with the murder of Duncan. However, Lady Macbeth does not accept this and argues with Macbeth. This shows that Macbeth does not have a lot of control over his wife.
Lady Macbeth insults Macbeth’s masculinity, calling him “a coward in thine own esteem”, which is a harsh insult against Macbeth, as if you were a soldier, your courage meant everything. She even says: “When you durst do it, then you were a man” implying that he is no longer a man. Lady Macbeth also suggests that they will break up if he does not commit the murder by saying: “From this time, /Such I account thy love” and uses emotional blackmail to get her own way. Macbeth reacts quite calmly to Lady Macbeth’s insults, and does not reply in an angry way. He asks her to calm down saying; “Prithee, peace” and shows her respect by not arguing back with her. The audience gets a strong intuition that Lady Macbeth is in control, not Macbeth. From this we can conclude that Macbeth is either scared of his wife, or so deeply in love with her that he cannot argue. And then suddenly Macbeth has a change of tone:
If we should fail?
(Act 1, Scene 7, 58b)
This line gives the audience the impression that Macbeth has agreed to kill Duncan and is fearful of the consequences again. This tells us a lot about Macbeth’s character. He is easily persuadable by loved ones, and is not very consistent. The scene ends with a rhyming couplet that symbolises the end of a scene. It also shows that Macbeth is in a more decisive sate of mind, and now determined to keep his desires hidden:
Away, and mock the time with fairest show,
False face must hide what the false heart doth know.
(Act 1, Scene 7, 81-82)
Another key scene in the play is Act 4, Scene 1. This is the scene where Macbeth goes to meet the witches for a second time. Right from the beginning, a sinister atmosphere is set. Shakespeare uses the words “An isolated place. Thunder. Enter the three Witches with a cauldron” in the stage directions, which immediately sets an evil mood in the scene. The word “thunder” gives us the impression that there is danger and anger in this scene, and is an example of pathetic fallacy. Furthermore, Shakespeare uses other stage directions, such as “music and a song, ‘Black spirits, etc.’” throughout the scene to give the audience the feeling that there is a heavy presence of evil in this place.
At this point in the play, I think that Shakespeare is trying to put forward that Macbeth is a sinister and evil person. Hence, Shakespeare has included the various stage directions that give us the idea that this place is evil, and as Macbeth is associated with this evil place, it presents him as evil. This scene also shows that Macbeth is quite desperate, as he goes looking for the witches.
I also believe that in this scene, Shakespeare tries to present Macbeth as an ill mannered character, with little respect to anyone but himself. Macbeth addresses the witches in his opening line in this scene, as “you secret, black, and midnight hags!”. This is a very rude insult and presents Macbeth as an arrogant person who doesn’t realise the danger of dealing with the supernatural and the goddess of witchcraft, Hecate. The audience also gets the impression that Macbeth thinks that he is in control, but in fact the witches are.
During Macbeth’s visit to the witches, Macbeth sees three Apparitions. After the first Apparition, Macbeth tries to ask it a question, but the First Witch interrupt him and forbid him from asking the Apparitions questions with the words: “He will not be commanded”. This shows that the witches are very much in control.
The Second Apparition states that “no one of woman born /Shall harm Macbeth”. After this Apparition, Macbeth becomes a bit big headed. He thinks that no one can possibly ever harm him, as every one in the world is born to a woman.
The Third Apparition first shows Macbeth a picture of a young boy with the crown on his head holding a branch, which at first startles Macbeth. But after this the Apparition tells Macbeth:
Macbeth shall never vanquish'd be until
Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill
Shall come against him.
(Act 4, Scene 1, 91-94)
This leaves Macbeth even more confident, as he thinks that no-one “can impress the forest, bid the tree/ Unfix his earthbound root”. This builds up dramatic tension, as the reader would also wonder how Macbeth would ever be harmed, as they will also believe that a wood cannot be uprooted. The Apparitions are a clever use of stagecraft by Shakespeare as the audience will not fail to notice aspects of the Apparitions that Macbeth does not pick up on. The audience will wonder why is there “a Child crowned with a tree in his hand” in the Third Apparition and what relevance the tree has to the play. All this creates more dramatic tension.
We can also tell that Macbeth is still troubled about whether Banquo’s descendants will ever be kings as he asks: “Tell me, if your art /Can tell so much, shall Banquo’s issue ever /Reign in this kingdom?”. But the witches refuse to answer and warn him to “Seek to know no more.” However Macbeth is persistent to know the answer, and threatens the witches with an “eternal curse” showing that he is becoming as evil as they are.
Shakespeare uses stagecraft effectively in dumb show, when the witches present Macbeth with eight future kings with the eighth holding a mirror showing other kings, followed by the ghost of Banquo. It was obvious to Macbeth that these were all descendants of Banquo and this makes Macbeth quite angry, and the play can be considered to be in a fierce mood. Macbeth is disgusted by the sight of all these kings and is furious with the witches, as he calls them “filthy hags”. The witches disappear and stagecraft is again used to create fear in the audience. Macbeth also curses the witches saying: “Stand aye accursed in the calendar” and this shows that Macbeth is now a character who gets angry very quickly and is used to using power oppressively. He can now be considered to be as evil as the witches are, as he is now making curses.
The scene ends with another soliloquy from Macbeth, in which he states that he will kill Macduff’s wife and children:
Seize upon Fife; give to the edge o' the sword
His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls
That trace him in his line.
(Act 4, Scene 1, 150-153a)
This shows that Macbeth does not consult anyone before he makes a decision now. This is a change in character, as at the beginning of the play, Macbeth talked to Lady Macbeth many times about whether to kill Duncan or not, however he is now making on the spot decisions. These lines also show that Macbeth feels a bit threatened by the vision of the eight kings.
In the beginning of the final Act, Macbeth proves to be quite determined and confident that he will not be defeated. He shows great belief in the witches’ words, and refuses to read any reports:
Bring me no more reports; let them fly all:
Till Birnam wood remove to Dunsinane,
I cannot taint with fear.
(Act 5, Scene 3, 1-3a)
When Lady Macbeth dies in Act 5, Scene 5, Macbeth shows little grief and makes it quite clear that he thinks life is:
-but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more.
(Act 5, Scene 5, 23-25a)
The speed of the play now slows down and one gets the impression that Macbeth is fed up as a character, and does not have a high opinion of life. It is as if the death of Lady Macbeth is not of terribly importance in his mind, but beating the forces from England is the only event of any significance. This can be supported by the line: “She should have died hereafter, /There would have been time for such a word” which could mean that she should have died later, because there would have been more time for mourning. This suggests that Macbeth has lost his love for Lady Macbeth.
In Act 5, Scene 8, Macbeth refuses to fight Macduff, saying: “my soul is too much charged /With blood of thine already”. This shows that Macbeth has remorse and guilt for killing Macduff’s wife and children. Macbeth at this point still shows confidence in the witches’ words that “no one of woman born /Shall harm Macbeth”. However, when Macduff tells Macbeth that he was prematurely delivered in a Caesarean section, Macbeth gives up hope. In Shakespearian times, it was thought that you were not born, if you weren’t born naturally. But when Macbeth is told to yield to Malcolm, he refuses and decides to fight Macduff:
I will not yield
To kiss the ground before young Malcolm’s feet
And baited with the rabble’s curse.
(Act 5, Scene 8, 27b-29)
Lay on, Macduff,
And damn’d be him that first cries, ‘Hold, enough!”
(Act 5, Scene 8, 33b-34)
This shows that Macbeth has quite a strong character, as even though he knows that he has not even one of the witches’ prophecies behind him, he still gives Macduff a fight instead of just giving in.
Shakespeare has presented Macbeth in different ways as a character, which changes throughout the play. At the beginning he is described as a brave and skilful soldier. After the murder of Duncan, he is presented as a tyrant who is desperate to know that he and his descendants will be kings. In the closing parts of the play, one gets the impression that Macbeth has had enough of life, but will save his name as a fighter to the very end. All in all, Shakespeare creates a very strong image of Macbeth, which he presents in a way that the audience can get deeply involved with.
Word Count: 2,354 words
