GCSE Macbeth Assignment Essay

Shakespeare wrote â€Å"Macbeth† around 1606. This was a very violent time for the newly recognised British Isles. Just three years earlier, after nearly half a century in power, Queen Elizabeth I had died. She was succeeded by James I (or James VI of Scotland). James was of Scottish heritage and his style of rule was very different to that of Elizabeth who had been strong and imposing character. It would seem that James was a weaker monarch and in 1605, just two years after being crowned, there was a plot to destroy the houses of parliament, a symbol of his power. This is famously known as the Gunpowder Plot and is still commemorated every year on the 5th of November. Most agree that Shakespeare wrote â€Å"Macbeth† (or â€Å"The Scottish Play†) to comment on the underlying mood of the time. He sets his play in Scotland to try and win favour with King James and furthermore, makes the subject matter that of assassination and regicide ending in overall failure, to try and warn other possible plotters against the king. King James was renowned for his fascination and hatred of witches and during his reign tens of thousands of â€Å"witches† were killed. Shakespeare thus makes all the carnage and murder in the play the result of the witches’ prophecies. Our first impression of Macbeth is a very good one. In only the second scene, before we even meet Macbeth, we hear him referred to as â€Å"brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name.† Again, before Macbeth is even introduced to us, King Duncan remarks (with regard to Macbeth and Banquo) â€Å"they smack of honour both.† Although we are also told that Macbeth’s sword was â€Å"smoked with bloody execution† this is most definitely seen as a positive attribute and not as grounds for worry for the other characters. It could however, be a hint from Shakespeare that things are not completely as they seem. Initially, we see Macbeth as valiant and honourable and the man who, almost single-handedly, has saved the battle for his country. At this point, there is no finite indication of the madness that is to follow. In my opinion, right from the scene where we first meet Macbeth, Shakespeare makes it perfectly clear that he is not completely emotionally or psychologically stable. Whilst returning from the battle, Macbeth and his good friend Banquo encounter the three withes that commenced the play. They tell him, â€Å"All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of Glamis! All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter.† Macbeth is clearly startled by this, but he tries to reason with himself that what has been said cannot possibly be true. After a short jovial interlude with Banquo – Angus and Ross arrive and congratulate the two on their victory. Then they endow Macbeth with the title of â€Å"Thane of Cawdor,† and I believe that this is the turning point of the whole play. Macbeth seems almost entranced by this and speaks almost the whole of the rest of the scene to himself. He tries to reason what had just taken place but now, he seems changed. As the play develops, we get a closer insight into Macbeth’s mental instabilities and nowhere more so than before the murder of Duncan. Shakespeare has purposefully orchestrated a situation to show Macbeth’s true personality and inner feelings. Macbeth, however bloody and deranged he may seem after his encounter with the witches, is still a respectable man, and killing his king is a very large decision for him to take. Lady Macbeth has completely pressured him into this situation and this in itself shows us that Macbeth is not a strong person at all. We can see this clearly by the fact that Macbeth says â€Å"We will proceed no further in this business,† supposedly putting his foot down. However, by the end of Lady Macbeth’s response Macbeth is already asking the question â€Å"If we should fail?† This indicates that Lady Macbeth has no respect or fear for Macbeth who, only three scenes earlier was being described as bloody, valiant and honourable. He reminds his wife that â€Å"Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return to plague th’inventor,† pondering whether he would be killed if he were to be found out. Possibly in another act of cowardice he never directly tells Lady Macbeth about what he thinks will happen. But instead tells her, â€Å"This blow might be the be-all and the end-all here.† However, Lady Macbeth’s influence and determination is far greater than his and she forces Macbeth into the committing the deed. Macbeth tells his wife that it would be inhumane to kill King Duncan, â€Å"I dare do all that may become a man; Who dares do more is none.† We can also see that there is a definite element of fear in Macbeth, as when speaking, he refrains from using the word â€Å"murder.† Instead he uses euphemisms, â€Å"done† or â€Å"it†: â€Å"If it were done when’t is done.† He uses other words such as, â€Å"surcease† and â€Å"blow,† because Macbeth cannot even bear to say the word â€Å"murder.† Throughout the scene we see flashes of the â€Å"honourable† Macbeth described at the beginning of the play. For instance Macbeth displays a degree loyalty to Duncan when arguing with Lady Macbeth because he tells her, â€Å"as his host who should against his murderer shut the door, not bear the knife myself.† The words â€Å"who should† mean that although Macbeth accepts that he should have said no to his wife, her influenced has forced him otherwise. In fitting with the times, Shakespeare uses Biblical imagery in his writing. Macbeth says â€Å"That is virtues will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against the deep damnation of his taking-off.† Apart from showing us that Macbeth is fearful of the immediate consequences of his actions, this also reveals his paranoia over the effects it will have on his after-life. The belief that someone would either go to heaven or to hell was virtually taken for granted in the early 17th Century. By using religious imagery in his play, Shakespeare makes sure that his intended audience are able to relate to the play fully. Finally, a stronger side of Macbeth then comes out and he says â€Å"I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition.† Meaning that the only thing â€Å"spurring† him on is his ambition and nothing else, not even the pressure being exerted by his wife. He tells her that she is not affecting his actions, and in doing so, attempts to reassert him authority on the conversation. Shakespeare investigates many different aspects of Macbeths psyche in this short scene. On the one hand, contradictory to the picture of Macbeth that we have built up, Macbeth seems to be very weak. This is shown by the way Lady Macbeth has easily manipulated him and in some ways poisoned his mind. In this scene we also see shades of a more gentle Macbeth coming through, with his reluctance and doubt about killing Duncan. This whole scene leaves the audience very confused. Should they feel sympathy for Macbeth as they watch him try to defend himself against Lady Macbeth’s barrage of out-downs? Or should they dismiss his reluctance to kill Duncan as a symptom of his schizophrenia (and not that his conscience is catching up with or his more humane side coming out)? I am not even sure that Macbeth quite knows what to think, something that works perfectly for Shakespeare – as this layer of uncertainty creates suspense within the audience and forces them to carry on listening. After the murder, we are given yet more insight into Macbeth’s character. Fleeing from the scene of the crime he shows signs of paranoia. After hearing someone in the distance he shouts â€Å"Who’s there? what, ho!† He is clearly not thinking as, having just committed a terrible crime; he should have tried to have stayed undetected. The murder has definitely had an effect on him. He then discovers that luckily, it is only his wife and when he meets her anxiety clouds his thoughts. The first thing that he asks is â€Å"Didst thou not hear a noise?† To calm himself down he persistently asks Lady Macbeth whether she heard noises â€Å"When?†, â€Å"As I descended?† trying to reassure himself that he was not detected and there is nothing to worry about. His speech is edgy and uneasy. It that shows that he has not managed to calm down. Shakespeare usually wrote in iambic pentameters and these short one-word questions distort the flow of this pattern and are meant to indicate the paranoia and nervousness of Macbeth and his wife. Macbeth must have been extremely perturbed when he was in the room with Duncan. He says â€Å"this is a sorry sight,† whilst he is looking at his hands. This indicates that the killing was messy and later, Macbeth describes them as â€Å"hangman’s hands.† This could mean that Macbeth is disgusted and sorrowful for committing such a disgraceful crime and that he is showing signs of remorse. He continues to use euphemisms, such as â€Å"deed† to block out and forget the murder as much as he can. Shakespeare tries to give the audience the impression that Macbeth is sorry for his actions and not a cold-blooded person. Shakespeare also gives Macbeth another human element whereby he has him looking down at his hands, something that many people can identify with. Macbeth then goes on to talk about the â€Å"deed.† He mentions that when the two grooms were in the room with Duncan one cried, â€Å"Murder!† As Macbeth has refrained from using this tabooed word throughout the passage he must be very unstable to finally use it. Shakespeare also uses an exclamation mark which is meant to startle the audience and create suspense with a short pause. The short pause here is in start contrast to Macbeths other words which are written to be spoken very quickly. This is to give the audience the idea that Macbeth wants to forget his experience and get it off his chest as quickly as possible. A good example is when Macbeth is again talking about the two grooms, â€Å"That they did wake each other: I stood and heard them; but they did say their prayers, and addressed them again to sleep†. What Macbeth says next can also tell us much about his inner feelings. He does not respond to Lady Macbeth’s remark â€Å"There are two lodged together,† but instead carries on as if she were not there. This is a sure sign, as if it were needed, that he has been deeply affected by the prior events. He speaks in a jumbled fashion but yet his flow is uninterrupted. He refers to the Biblical terms used by the guards, â€Å"G-d bless us!† and â€Å"Amen.† He then says that he could not respond to the statement â€Å"G-d bless us† with the traditional â€Å"Amen.† This is probably because, looking at his blood soaked hands and thinking about what he has done he feels that he has badly dishonoured his religion Muddling his sentences, once more reveals the volatile state of his mind and his inability to think straight. Obsessed with the betrayal of his religion, he continues to talk about his inability to say â€Å"Amen.† He also mentions, â€Å"I had most need of blessing.† Here, Macbeth must be thinking about what will happen to him in the afterlife and whether he will be eternally damned for his actions. Macbeth then carries on to talk about sleep. He tells us that sleep is â€Å"innocent,† hinting that whilst he is asleep, he does not feel the guilt of whatever cruel actions he has taken during the day. He says that sleeps is â€Å"great nature’s second course,† referring to his life as a meal and saying that his â€Å"innocent sleep† is the best course. Then his words take on a dark tone. Again, completely ignoring what Lady Macbeth has said, he carries on in an entranced state. He says â€Å"Macbeth does murder sleep†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ â€Å"Glamis hath murder’d sleep, and therefore Cawdor Shall sleep no more; Macbeth shall sleep no more.’ The fact that he can no longer escape to his â€Å"innocent sleep† because â€Å"Cawdor† and â€Å"Glamis† (he does not mention his own name or talk in the first person, probably through guilt) have murdered it evidently disturbs Macbeth. In my opinion, Shakespeare uses makes Macbeth say â€Å"Cawdor† and â€Å"Glamis† to remind the audience of the significance of the prophecy by the witches to the plot of the play – and specifically the murder. Finally, the audience are shown that Macbeth is broken and hysterical. Macbeth has given up and is reluctant to carry on. â€Å"I’ll go on no more: I am afraid to think what I have done.† Macbeth believes that he cannot carry on through fear of being discovered and that he would be constantly reminded of this great sin. This scene reiterates to the audience Macbeth’s insanity and shows us many of his emotions that we have already seen such. However, we see yet another side to Macbeth’s persona in the form of his religiousness. The audience is now confronted with someone who initially was the archetypal hero, but now is the complete antithesis. During the play the audience have seen his rationality and his insanity, his treachery and honour and both his bravery and cowardice. Now furthermore, we see his spirituality. Again, the audience cannot help but be bemused about who the real Macbeth is – and at this point in the play, which signals Macbeths psychological demise, this serves a brilliant dramatic purpose in that the audience really do not know what to expect next. The final act regards Macbeth’s demise. After hearing that Macbeth has murdered his entire family, Macduff (who has had his doubts about Macbeth ever since the murder of Duncan) joins forces with Prince Malcolm (Duncan’s son who fled to England after hearing of his father’s death).Meanwhile, Macbeth has visited the witches again – paranoid of Macduff’s challenge to his crown. They told him that he has nothing to worry to about â€Å"for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth† and that he was alright â€Å"until Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane shall come against him.† At the beginning of Act 5 Scene 3, Macduff is already advancing on Macbeth. Macbeth seems confident and he insists, â€Å"bring me no more reports: let them fly all.† He is obviously not worried, however desperate the situation may seem because he truly believes that what the witches have told him is true. Shakespeare is possibly hinting this when he uses the word â€Å"fly† which has connotations of witchcraft. We are then reminded of Macbeth’s valiant side we were told about at the beginning of the play. He shows fearlessness by describing his servant as a â€Å"cream-faced loon,† meaning that he is pale faced and fearful. Macbeth therefore tells the servant to â€Å"prick thy face, and over-red thy fear.† Here telling him to cut himself and cover his face with the blood to look less pale. The Macbeth speaking now able to talk about subjects like shedding blood and feels no need to replace such words with euphemisms. This could be a sign that either Macbeth has lost all the guilt and remorse for his past murders, or that he is completely insane and no longer has any humanity left. We see flashes of this valiant Macbeth throughout the act. An example of this is when he says â€Å"I’ll fight, till from my bones my flesh be hacked.† Macbeth is then greeted with the news that – in the words of his messenger – â€Å"The wood began to move† He wonders whether the witches have deceived him, and he sets out fighting even though it may be in vain. He crosses Siward’s son. Macbeth is very arrogant about his clash with Siward’s son, because the witches’ predictions have proved correct so far, and they have told him not to fear any human born of a woman. Siward’s Son asks him his name, and as if a man assured of victory he replies â€Å"Thou’lt be afraid to hear it.† He finally answers â€Å"My name’s Macbeth,† this short phrase shows how self-assured Macbeth is. It also carries alliteration when spoken. The conflict concludes with Siward’s Son’s death. Macbeth makes a speech in soliloquy after killing Siward, â€Å"But swords I smile at, weapons laugh to scorn, Brandished by man that’s of a woman born.† The rhyming couplet gives his image a boost by convincing the audience that he is invincible. He assures himself that he has power and control over fate. When Macbeth meets Macduff, he tries to take the same tone as with Siward’s Son. He tells Macduff that â€Å"I bear a charmed life, which must not yield To one of woman born† Macduff replies â€Å"Despair thy charm†¦ Macduff was from his mother’s womb Untimely ripp’d.† At this Macbeth is clearly startled and he curses the witches accusing them of being â€Å"juggling fiends,† because they have tricked him through â€Å"juggling† their words. When Macbeth accepts Macduff’s challenge, even though he knows the end is near, the valiant and honourable side of his character shines through again. Macduff calls Macbeth a â€Å"coward† and tells him to â€Å"yield.† Possibly in one final maniac act of desperation he accepts the challenge and does not yield. He says that he cannot be dishonoured, â€Å"to kiss the ground before young Malcolm’s feet.† This is very clever as it uses distinct imagery that is easy to relate to. He goes on to say â€Å"I will not yield†¦ to be baited with the rabble’s curse†, saying that if he yields even common people will tease him. He goes forth to battle with Macduff and is killed. Shakespeare’s Macbeth is on of the classic tragic figures in literary history. He personifies a man’s corruption as a result of power. From our initial view of him, as what can only be described as a hero, we see him fall into an abyss of mental instability and eventually insanity. Shakespeare investigates many ideas such as, things not being as they seem, feminine influence and the overall result of regicide. He uses many cleverly crafted semantic fields such as clothes (â€Å"why do you dress me in borrow’d robes†) and a man’s face (â€Å"There’s daggers in men’s smiles†). These all work as clever imagery to further entice the audience. Apart from being a tragic hero, Macbeth is also one of the most complicated of all of Shakespeare’s characters. He goes through almost every emotion that we have a word for, and his feelings always contradict. First we think he is a fearless warrior, and then we see him bullied by his heartless wife. This serves a superb dramatic purpose for Shakespeare as the audience are never sure what to think or what to expect next. The conclude, the play â€Å"Macbeth† is undoubtedly one of Shakespeare’s greatest masterpieces and is a timeless piece of theatre – with its core, being the dramatic enigma that it the character, Macbeth.