Soliloquy: "Is this a dagger?"
The character Macbeth, from the play of the same name, is portrayed as a typical honourable, courageous servant to his King, Duncan, in the opening scenes of Macbeth. However, we soon learn that things are not as they seem, as malevolent forces, in the form of three "weird sisters", and Macbeth's own wife are at work. Macbeth is told by the Weird Sisters that he is destined to become king of Scotland, and that he will first become Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth, a man appreciative of his current situation as a respected trusted servant to his king, is startled by these revelations, and has many questions for the Sisters, none of which receive an answer. In spite of the confusion that this causes within him, the first part of the prophecy does indeed come true, as Macbeth is awarded with the title: Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth introduces the "appearances are deceptive" theme by asking the question:
Why do you dress me in borrowed robes? in relation to his appointment. Later, Lady Macbeth is made aware of the situation, and her self-admittedly evil manner is clear for all to witness, as she uses her obvious control over her husband's emotions to her advantage, namely becoming the wife of a king. She implants the idea of seizing the throne into Macbeth's mind, and although his brain disagrees, he knows that deep within his soul, he needs to be king. However, the self-doubt that plagues Macbeth throughout the play prevents him from committing the crime without deep consideration, as it would appear unlikely that the murder Might be-all and the end-all, as he wouldn't be able to live normally with that on his conscience. His final conversation with Lady Macbeth concludes, and it would appear that his mind is made up: he is going to kill Duncan.
In Act 2.1, we are given an insight into the mental state of Macbeth. His soliloquy is a turning point in the production, as Macbeth metamorphoses from the character of a "role model" into that of a decidedly wicked human being. Macbeth, now determined to commit the regicide, experiences a hallucination, of a floating dagger, to which he asks: Or art thou but a dagger of the mind, a false creation. It seems as though he is willing the vision to guide him to his treacherous deed: Thou marshall'st me the way that I was going...and such an ...
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In Act 2.1, we are given an insight into the mental state of Macbeth. His soliloquy is a turning point in the production, as Macbeth metamorphoses from the character of a "role model" into that of a decidedly wicked human being. Macbeth, now determined to commit the regicide, experiences a hallucination, of a floating dagger, to which he asks: Or art thou but a dagger of the mind, a false creation. It seems as though he is willing the vision to guide him to his treacherous deed: Thou marshall'st me the way that I was going...and such an instrument I was to use! At this stage, it is perhaps still unclear about whether or not this is a super natural occurrence, perhaps inspired by the Weird Sisters, or merely a twisted mind attempting to justify a similarly twisted deed, but later we realise that this is more than likely a manifestation of the guilt that Macbeth is feeling. We learn that Macbeth compares himself to Tarquin, the man who had raped Lucrece: With Tarquin's ravishing strides, towards his design...Moves like a ghost. The mental turmoil is well represented by the fact that he can call the deed "withered murder", yet still desire to commit it. A reference is also made to the blood, which is one of the play's motifs, being on the "dagger". This blood is ironic, as it leads to mental torment of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth later on in the story. Macbeth comments that witchcraft is thick in the air, as nighttime is the prime time for evil, but states that he will focus on the task on hand. The indecisiveness which could be attributed to the fact that Macbeth: is too full o' th' milk of human kindness (Lady Macbeth, Act 1 Scene 5) disappears, suddenly, when a previously requested bell is tolled, and in a moment of disturbing clarity, Macbeth states: Hear it not Duncan, for it is a knell...That summons thee to heaven or to hell. The tolling of the bell is significant, because it represents the summoning of his wife, his gluttonous desire for power, and the completion of the Weird Sister's prophecy, each giving him the confidence necessary to commit murder.
The language used by Shakespeare in Macbeth's soliloquy has a purpose of not only developing the story and the character of Macbeth, but also to link in with the motifs and themes of the play. The hallucinations, which may have been created by the Weird Sisters, serve to torment both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, not only here, but also later on in the play (Banquo's ghost, un-washable blood). This gives us the impression that the Weird Sister's are far more powerful than mere fortune tellers, rather entities with the ability to do anything that they so desire, with their desires being evil: Witchcraft celebrates Pale Hecate's Off' rings, and withered murder. The motif of "blood" is played heavily upon here, as Macbeth sees "gouts" of blood on the dagger. The dagger is also a vital part of the piece, as it is given personification by Macbeth, as he struggles to come to terms with the situation: Come, let me clutch thee which is similar to the way in which someone may address a partner, and in this instance, perhaps Macbeth sees the knife as a partner, or guardian. More credibility is given to this idea by the line: Thou marshall'st me the way that I was going. This, together with the references to Witchcraft and his comparison with Tarquin, leads me to believe that either Macbeth was merely a good man corrupted by the forces of evil, or at the very least Shakespeare wanted us to believe that, and the imagery and language used certainly appears to back up that statement.
If I were to present this scene on stage, I would perhaps follow the "less is more" philosophy. By that, I mean that I would avoid garish effects, such as "floating"(suspended) daggers. As the scene begins, the area would be darkened, but for the sight of a full moon from a back window. Macbeth would enter the scene, accompanied by a spotlight, which follows him, and slowly pace around his surroundings with a facial expression conveying both anxiety and deep thought. His pacing would become even more frenetic, before a dagger appears on the wall, via light projection. The actor would be shocked initially, before cautiously entering his soliloquy. In these earlier lines, the actor must speak in a humble, slightly worried tone, addressing the dagger almost as a superior, whom he must answer to (as referred to earlier). When drawing his own, real dagger, the actor must emphasise the fact that both seem "palpable", by gazing at them both in the same inquisitive manner. For the statement: And such an instrument I was to use, the actor must behave as though he has been enlightened, and the tone of his voice will rise accordingly. From the line: Now o'er the one half world onward, Macbeth will speak in a devious, perhaps even evil tone, and his facial expression will change from one of fear to that of a conniving murderer. Later, on the mention of witches, a silhouette of a witch will cross the full moon, providing a powerful image for Macbeth to observe. Then, as the word: Alarumed is uttered, the cry of a wolf will howl, but instead of startling Macbeth, he will merely gaze into the skies, contented. Upon the mention of Tarquin, loud, stereo footsteps will be heard in the background, with Macbeth nodding along to the rhythm of each step. As the bell is rung, the spotlight will disappear, the lights will return, and a curtain will close over every window. Macbeth will confidently speak his lines, walking purposefully to the exit as he does so.
There were a number of social influences that Shakespeare had during his writing of the play. Then king James 1st witchcraft, and so I would imagine that one of Shakespeare's concerns was to appease his king. The subject of regicide is also touched upon, in Macbeth's murdering of Duncan.
The final three lines of the soliloquy are obviously in an almost direct contrast to anything that had occurred before in the play. It seems that this is a turning point in the production, as from this point forward; Macbeth becomes embroiled in a life of deceit, murder, and treachery. This is a very dramatic point, as it is the 1st instance in which Macbeth appears to have control, and also the 1st instance in which he displays his evil in "normal circumstances": i.e. In the earlier part of the soliloquy, he was experiencing hallucinations, perhaps witchcraft, whereas here, there are no special effects, no darkened rooms, and no mysterious dialogue. Macbeth simply acknowledges what the bell means: that the focus of the play is about to change, and the pace is to be quickened with immediate effect.
John Beesley, 10 Bingham