After this, Macbeth gets into conversation with Lady Macbeth. “We shall proceed no further in this business.” [Act 1 Scene 7 line 31 Macbeth]. This quote is to Lady Macbeth, saying that he cannot go through with it. She quickly replies by asking him if he was drunk when he said he was going to murder Duncan, and then mocks Macbeth for his fears. “When you durst do it, then you were a man; And to be more than what you were, you would Be so much more the man” [Act 1 Scene 7 lines 49-51 Lady Macbeth]. This shows Lady Macbeth criticising Macbeth and not being manly enough.
Macbeth soon changes his attitude to all of this and asks the question: “If we should fail ?” [Act 1 Scene 7 line 49 Macbeth]. This shows that Macbeth is starting to get to grips with the situation and that he is even considering doing it. He was not willing to do it before but his mind changed so quickly and even to start asking about possible outcomes of all this. He is starting to acknowledge it and this is a turning point in the play. Macbeth is starting to act like the “butcher”.
Act 2
The act starts off with Macbeth and Banquo talking. They talk of the witches’ prophecies and Macbeth clearly lies when the Banquo speaks. “All’s well. I dreamt last night of the three Weird Sisters. To you they have showed some truth”[Act 2 Scene 1 lines 19-21 Banquo]. Macbeth responds quickly with “ I think not of them”[Act 2 Scene 1 line 22 Macbeth]. This is a big lie. The truth is Macbeth has been thinking non stop about the prophecies and even mustering up a plot to kill the King in search of the throne.
The scene ends with Macbeth hallucinating. He sees a dagger in front of him. “Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand ? Come let me clutch thee – I have thee not and yet I see thee still !” [Act 2 Scene 1 lines 33-35 Macbeth]. One which he can see but not feel, guiding him towards Duncan’s room.
Lady Macbeth appears and tells Macbeth that she has drugged Duncan’s guards. Macbeth proceeds to kill Duncan, comes back and tells Lady Macbeth of his guilt of the crime. Lady Macbeth has to take back the daggers used to commit the crime and plant them on the king’s guards ! All remains as it is and Macbeth and Lady Macbeth leave the crime scene and return to their quarters.
In act 3, the porter opens the door for the King’s lords Macduff and Lenox and Macbeth greets them as if he as just awoken. Macduff soon fins out that the king is dead and reappears to tell the news. The alarm is sounded, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth start their “show” and run over to the king’s quarters as if they are concerned.
Meanwhile the king’s sons Malcolm and Donaldbain are about to leave the country. They fear they may be accused for their father’s death.
After they leave, Macduff announces that they might be responsible for the murder and proclaim Macbeth as the new king of Scotland.
This scene has shown the “butcher” like Macbeth take out Duncan on the night with a dagger. It just shows how much Macbeth has changed from the start, he had everything going for him. He had the Thane of Cawdor and Thane of Glamis titles, yet his greed made him want more. From being a “brave Macbeth” he has descended into “butcher Macbeth”.
Act 3
Act 3 starts off with Banquo placing the jigsaw all together. He has suddenly realised that Macbeth’s suspicious actions over the last couple of days were him fulfilling and helping the prophecies to happen by killing Duncan.
Everyone leaves, and Macbeth starts to plot against Banquo. His throne and innocence are in danger if Banquo knows about his evil deed. Macbeth plans for two hired murderers to kill Banquo and young Fleance while they are out on a horse ride.
In scene 2, Macbeth is talking to Lady mMacbeth. Macbeth tells her of the threat that Banquo holds against them and explains that he may need him killed in order for the guilt and threat of Banquo to go away. Macbeth describes Banquo’s threat as “We have scorched the snake, not killed it” [Act 3 Scene 2 line 13 Macbeth]. This describes the threat that Banquo has against them. They have killed Duncan but that is not enough, to be really safe they will need to get rid of Banquo.
In scene 3, the murderers attack Banquo and Fleance. Banquo is killed but Fleance manages to escape. This carries on to Scene 4 where one of the murderers goes to the castle where the banquet is being held and notifies Macbeth that Banquo has been killed.
This further disturbs Macbeth and when he comes back to the table he has images of a ghost of Banquo. He starts talking about Banquo and seeing his ghost. The rest leave the banquet because Lady Macbeth ushers them away and says it is not a permanent thing and it will go away.
Act 4
Nothing of significance to Macbeth happens until in Act 4 Scene 1. Hecate and the witches cast spells on Macbeth in the cauldron “double, double, toil and trouble”. When Macbeth enters to learn more of the witches they tell him of the people and things he must fear. They warn him against Macduff and tell him that no man born of woman can harm him and finally they tell him that he will rule Scotland until the forst of Birnham wood come to Dunsinane.
In Scene 2 at Macbeths castle Macbeth’s murderers kill Macduff’s son and scare his wife away.
In Scene 3, Malcolm tests Macduff’s loyalty. He sees whether Macduff will fight against Macbeth and he does.
Malcolm and Macduff prepare to fight against Macbeth and take him from the throne.
Act 5
Act 5 starts off with Lady Macbeth in a sleepwalking state. Speaking quietly and mumbling under her breath of the crimes she and Macbeth had done. “All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand” [Act 5 Scene 1 lines 48-49 Lady Macbeth] This shows that she thinks that all the perfumes of Arabia would not sweeten her blood stained hands. She talks of the crimes against King Duncan, Lady Macduff and Banquo.
In Scene 2, some rebels against Macbeth join up with Malcolm and Macduff’s army to help them overthrow the King.
In Scene 3, Macbeth tells the Doctor that he is not afraid of the nearby invasion force because of the witches predictions that no man born of woman can harm Macbeth.
In the last few scenes, Malcolm and Macduff prepare their army and tell them to camouflage themselves with trees and branches of Birnham wood.
Macbeth is told the news of his wife’s death and is also told about Birnham wood marching towards Dunsinane. Macbeth is still not worried as he thinks no man of woman born can harm him.
Malcolm, Macduff and Siward n Scene 6 prepare to attack the walls of Dunsinane castle, but in Scene 7, Macbeth arrives and kills Siward. Macduff appears and they fight.
In the last scene of the play whilst they are fighting Macduff tells Macbeth that he is not born of woman and that he was taken out of his mother’s womb by other means. This does not frighten Macbeth and Macbeth tells him to “Lay on, Macduff.”
Macduff kills Macbeth…….
Throughout the play Macbeth has shown signs of changing from this “brave Macbeth” to “this dead butcher”. At the start Macbeth was a good soldier and leader but he soon changed because of greed. Also at the start he is labelled as “What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won.” [Act 1 Secene 3 line 70 king Duncan].Macbeth is labeled as “noble”.
Macbeth wanted the throne. The witches’ prophecies somewhat spurred him on to do it, they acknowledged his hopes and dreams of one day becoming king so he took it upon himself to kill Duncan.
Also later in the play he resorts to killing his friend Banquo because of the threat he held against Macbeth. Near the end Macbeth’s murderers kill a child (son) of Macduff’s and his wife. Thus showing the lengths that Macbeth went to, to get what he wanted without consideration for others. He was a butcher just hacking away at anything possible.
Halfway through the play Macbeth is called “This Tyrant” [Act 4 Scene 3 line 12 Malcolm]. He has changed into a tyrant from being “brave” Macbeth and later on in the act “black Macbeth”. [Act 4 Scene 3 line 52 Malcolm] Another example of Macbeths changing is when Macbeth says “My name’s Macbeth”. [Act 6 line 16 Macbeth] and young Seyward replies with “The devil himself could not pronounce a title More hateful to mine ear”. [Act 6 lines 17-18, Young Seyward].This shows how Macbeth is hated and that Macbeth is a scary person with evil intentions.
At the start, Macbeth was “a noble Macbeth” now he is “a tyrant Macbeth”. Macbeth’s intentions to become king had changed him from this brave person to a dead butcher. The way Macbeth went about things is why he got the title “dead butcher”. His slyness and carelessness for people was his downfall.
