SEY.
The Queen, my lord, is dead.
MACB.
She should have died hereafter;
There would have been a time for such a word.
Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
Enter Macbeth’s Messenger.
Thou com’st to use thy tongue;
Thy story quickly.
MESS.
Gracious my lord,
I should report that which I say I saw,
But know not how to do’t.
MACB.
Well, say, sir.
MESS.
As I did stand my watch upon the hill,
I look’d toward Birnan, and anon methought
The wood began to move.
MACB.
Liar and slave!
MESS.
Let me endure your wrath, if’t be not so.
Within this three mile may you see it coming;
I say, a moving grove.
MACB.
If thou speak’st false,
Upon the next tree shall thou hang alive,
Till famine cling thee; if thy speech be sooth,
I care not if thou dost for me as much.
I pull in resolution, and begin
To doubt th’ equivocation of the fiend
That lies like truth. “Fear not, till Birnan wood
Do come to Dunsinane,” and now a wood
Comes toward Dunsinane. Arm, arm, and out!
If this which he avouches does appear,
There is nor flying hence, nor tarrying here.
I gin to be a-weary of the sun,
And wish th’ estate o’ th’ world were now undone.
Ring the alarum-bell! Blow wind, come wrack,
At least we’ll die with harness on our back.
Exeunt.
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ReplyDeleteIn this excerpt of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the protagonist learns of his wife’s death and responds to the news, before being interrupted by a messenger bearing more news. When Macbeth learns of Lady Macbeth’s passing, and of threats to his reign, his response reveals his egotistical and volatile character. Through shifts in tone, Shakespeare proves to readers Macbeth’s true nature.
ReplyDeleteFollowing his wife’s death, Macbeth demonstrates a lack of empathy with a tone of indifference. He fails to demonstrate the sorrow appropriate to the news and instead claims, “She should have died hereafter,” indicating how he finds her death to be an inconvenience. Macbeth sees Lady Macbeth’s death as nothing more than an annoyance, which he bases merely on her poor timing. Considering life as, “but a walking shadow, a poor player/… told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,” Macbeth goes on to express an existential perspective in addition to indifference to life. Such an existential outlook, especially on his wife, proves Macbeth to be a self-centered individual, who believes life should obey his command.
Macbeth’s existential indifference soon shifts into tension and anger, as his own wellbeing becomes threatened. When a messenger interrupts Macbeth’s thoughts about his wife, the news the messenger bears, in which he saw, “the woods [begin] to move,” causes Macbeth’s rage to emerge. The messenger’s news even takes precedence over the news of his wife, again proving how Macbeth prioritizes a socially inferior’s news over the importance of his queen. Macbeth’s fury also shows his temper, which creates tension for the reader who cannot predict how Macbeth will react due to his volatile nature. When Macbeth responds to the meek messenger’s news by calling him, “Liar and slave!,” readers feel for the messenger, who is simply carrying out his job and being attacked by an enraged madman, and the messenger must, “endure [Macbeth’s] wrath.” This outburst, spurred on by self-interest indicates Macbeth’s desire to have complete control over his life, and exposes his inability to control his anger when something goes awry.
A final shift to a murderous tone, in addition to the existing tone of indifference concerning the value of a life, cements Macbeth as a villain by nature. The news the messenger brought to Macbeth angered him and caused him to threaten the messenger's life, saying, "If thou speak'st false/ Upon the next tree shall thou hang alive." This comment shows the lengths Macbeth will go to in order to assure his own safety because Macbeth’s words show the anger he feels when the messenger brings news of a possible danger to his wellbeing. Furthermore, despite just learning of his wife's death, Macbeth still manages to threaten the life of another human, thus indicating Macbeth's lack of empathy for not only his wife, but also for his messenger. Macbeth even claims, “I care not if thou dost for me as much,” showing how Macbeth lacks the ability to value another life. Macbeth's volatile manner and inhumane treatment of others proves his true nature to be self-concerned.
Macbeth’s behavior upon hearing of his wife’s death and of a threat to himself, coupled with tone of indifference, followed by one of anger, and then a murderous one, reinforces Macbeth’s true egotistical nature. Throughout the entire excerpt, Macbeth fails to express concern for others and instead degrades the value of any life but his own. Motivated only by self-serving means, Macbeth demands everyone follow his command and responds with annoyance and anger at those who do not obey. Shakespeare’s use of tonal shifts illustrates a development of Macbeth’s character, on a small scale in just one scene, which reflects the progression of Macbeth’s true nature throughout the work.
The Final Straw:
ReplyDeleteIn the stir of Macbeth’s predetermined and the death of his wife, Lady Macbeth, he examines his new-found evolving ideology about the futility of his life and the futility of his future. Straying from the conventional grieving process, his actions following the death of his wife imply his hopeless and desperate attitude towards a prosperous and glorious future. After the passing of his spouse, Macbeth has nothing left to lose in his life but himself. With such high stakes being placed on the table, he wagers his existence and his hopes to combat fate. Through the use of diction and contrasting characters, the playwright portrays Macbeth’s tone and daring demeanor as desperate and hopeless during times when the plotline validates his prophesied fate.
The use of diction after the pronounced death of his wife depicts Macbeth’s hopeless yet aggressive tone towards life and its short-lasting presence. He suggests life “Is a tale told by an idiot” (V.v.25-26) showing his growing detest for his unfulfilled reign as king. When the messenger exclaims that “I look’d toward Birnam…The wood began to move” (35-36), Macbeth’s sudden tone and mood changes from hopelessness to evident aggression by using such words as “Liar and Slave” (V.v.38) to describe the innocent messenger. Macbeth’s immediate aggression originates not from his personal conflict with the messenger, but the fact his fate is transforming into reality. His hopeless monologue about life’s meaningless journey and his transformed aggression towards his fate assuming presence both focus on Macbeth’s character as egoistic and self-centered. After his wife’s death and the messenger’s news, his aggressive diction occurs on account of his desperation to save himself. His diction, although different throughout this excerpt, intersects at a crossroads of Macbeth’s self-oriented character.
Macbeth’s egoistic nature magnifies through the use of a secondary character, the messenger. The messenger uses soothing, deliberate words contrasting Macbeth’s outbursts to his threatened throne and life. The messenger addresses Macbeth by exclaiming, “Gracious my lord, I should report that which I say I saw” (V.v.30-31). From the details of this text, the messenger is portrayed as polite, respectful, and loyal of Macbeth’s kingdom. After the messenger explains that it looked as though the wood had moved up to the castle, Macbeth replies with words such as “Liar and slave!” (V.v.38), a repugnant reply to the messenger’s courteous address. Through the use of pugnacious diction, the reader can see that Macbeth responds in such an aggressive manner on account of his desire to avoid his deplorable fate. By showing the transition and contrast through a secondary character, the playwright further acknowledges Macbeth as a self-seeking character.
His tragic flaws and egoistic nature eventually lead to Macbeth’s downfall. Without reason and rational, Macbeth erratically reacts to the messenger’s notice and instead of accepting his fate, attempts to wage his life to combat the gruesome prophecy the witches presented him. With his combatants arriving in short time to the orders of his prophecy, Macbeth’s ego transcends his desperation and through his conversation with the messenger, this ego is exploited.
After hearing the news of his wife’s death, Macbeth displays hints of his individual grief and his recognition of consequence. His monstrous acts throughout the play have caused him to lose all sense of meaning of life. With such hopelessness, Macbeth speaks numbly about the passage of time as it creeps along in such small movements. The death of his wife led to the acknowledgment of his futility, demonstrating that he is apathetic and ruled by greed and power.
ReplyDeleteWith words of such cynicism and despair, Macbeth illustrates his unsympathetic lack of concern for Lady Macbeth. The ambiguity in his words “She should have died hereafter” blurs his intended meaning. He may have been suggesting that he is aware of the unfortunate timing of her death, or simply displaying a tired and pessimistic view of life. The latter interpretation is further represented through Shakespeare’s use of the passing of time, mostly through the repetition of “tomorrow” creating a feeling of endless, pointless days. The collective tomorrows “Creeps in this petty pace from day to day” hinting at both fatigue and uselessness. As Macbeth slowly deteriorates, his attitude concludes that the “walking shadow” of life evokes a feeling too insignificant to even be given a full form.
However, there is also a defensive and wary quality to his words as well. If he believes that life is meaningless, then all of his offenses signify nothings as well. Since Lady Macbeth is gone, he cannot obtain his victory and tomorrows creep on at their trivial slow pace “to the last syllable of recorded time.” Yet, instead of grieving for his dead wife, he rather concerns himself with the apparent movement of Birnam Wood towards Dunsinane Castle as it seems to be equally as important to him as his wife’s death. In this passage, Macbeth’s ambiguous tone leaves the reader unclear about his true intentions.
Macbeth communicates his personal recognition of the impact that his arrogant actions have had on others, specifically leading to his wife’s death. Macbeth nearly confesses his morality as he realizes that the consequences of his actions are slowly but surely impending upon him. This soliloquy highlights the destruction of Macbeth’s ambitions as to uncover the ultimate tragedy of Macbeth.
Throughout Macbeth, Shakespeare allows the reader to interpret characterization by utilizing tone and diction to portray emotions between the characters. When Macbeth is notified that Lady Macbeth has passed away, the reader may notice that Macbeth is initially somber and gradually becomes angry. This occurs because Macbeth is numb to emotions such as happiness and sadness at this point in the play as his murderous scandals have deluded his feelings.
ReplyDeleteInitially, Macbeth expresses how the untimely death occurred too soon when stating, “There would have been a time for such a world tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow.” Macbeth’s somber tone encounters a dramatic shift as he soon becomes angry rather than upset. Continuing to use dark and angry diction, Macbeth says “life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player…it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” No longer saddened by the death of Lady Macbeth, Macbeth begins to develop a Samuel Beckett, existentialist view on life as Macbeth explains that our lives are meaningless and without purpose.
By contrasting the angry tone of Macbeth with the apologetic and polite tone of the messenger, Macbeth’s diction becomes more powerful. This contrast between the two characters also exemplifies the sanity versus insanity theme Shakespeare incorporates into his play. While the messenger speaks in short choppy sentences saying “Gracious my lord” Macbeth barks back at the messenger with responses such as “Liar and Slave!” or “If thou speak’st false, upon the next tree shall thou hang alive.” These excerpts allow the reader to further understand the insanity of Macbeth as he realizes that his partner who was behind the murder of Duncan has left his side. The reader also learns about Macbeth’s selfishness as he continues to point fingers at others even when no one is at fault.
Despite Macbeth’s anger, the only person he can blame for the death of Lady Macbeth is himself. Realizing that his past actions are finally catching up to him, Macbeth harnesses his anger and utilizes the emotions for the one thing he has become so great at; killing.
Shakespeare uses the scene after Lady Macbeth's death to reveal the mental state which overcomes Macbeth with the tragedy of losing his wife. Though struck by the obvious sadness of losing a loved one Macbeth remains calm for a period of time before revealing his anger from the death of Lady Macbeth. His words express how distant he is from the realization of his own emotions.
ReplyDeleteMacbeth's words reveal his opinion on the importance of human life. He addresses the "petty pace from day to day" which each individual eludes to in the everyday life and expresses no appreciation for life. His words spew a condescending tone as he looks at life as "a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." To be bold enough to make the statement that human life signifies nothing proves that Macbeth's character is dark and emotionless. A empathetic character would express his/her remorse for the death of someone so close to them; however, Macbeth reveals the opposite about himself. He does not find the value in life and instead views life as "a walking shadow, a poor player" meaning that no one surpasses the ordinary in life. Macbeth's mind is warped into thinking that there is not any meaning to life and instead people spend their lives in foolish ways.
With the word choice that Shakespeare give to Macbeth the reader quickly notices his views on the human condition. Instead of expressing his sadness Shakespeare speaks through words of numbness which quickly becomes anger as he addresses the messenger. He does not tolerate the human who is alive and talking to him. Instead Macbeth reveals anger when talking to the only person in the same room.
The passage following Lady Macbeth's death proves the views Macbeth has on the value of human life. As he sulks in the news of his wife passing away he fails to have empathy for her life coming to an end.
Arguably Shakespeare’s most notable tragedy, Macbeth, follows the fall from grace of the formerly renowned war soldier, Macbeth, as he experiences an inner struggle for power and control at the cost of several lives. Set in 11th century Scotland, Macbeth is first driven to kill by his wife, Lady Macbeth, who eventually cannot deal with the guilt of murder and commits suicide. Upon hearing the news of his wife’s death, Macbeth’s true character is revealed through his shifts in attitude in the moments immediately following.
ReplyDeleteThough the reader cannot always comprehend a character’s feelings and should not attempt to force their own reactions onto said characters, Macbeth’s strange initial reaction to his wife’s death is indifference. The first words Macbeth utters after hearing the news are, “She should have died hereafter. There would have been a time for such a word,” which melodramatically downplay the significance of her death as these lines express Macbeth’s feelings about how death does not matter as it has to happen at some point anyway. In the same breath, Macbeth goes on to show a glimpse of his inner turmoil and a fraction of sadness when he says, “Out, out, brief candle! Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more” but finishes the same thought with “Signifying nothing” in regard to life itself. In this excerpt Macbeth acknowledges the briefness of life, which is somewhat ironic as over the course of the play he has orchestrated several deaths (some to children), but furthermore expresses Macbeth’s insane nature and disregard for life. Numbed from the feelings of death, Shakespeare employs a metaphor to display Macbeth’s lack of concern towards death, even regarding his wife.
As Macbeth progresses through this scene interrupted in his speech by his Messenger who shares news of one of Macbeth’s greatest fears, the trees of Birnan on their way to attack the castle. Scared and confused by this puzzling news, Macbeth accuses his Messenger of being a “Liar and slave,” clearly unable to deal with additional troubling news at this time, although he was not significantly upset prior to this message. Macbeth virtually disregards the news of his wife’s death upon these new and more pressing findings. Still angry and hoping this not to be true, Macbeth attempts to intimidate his Messenger by saying “If thou speak’st false, Upon the next tree shall thou hang alive, Till famine cling thee,” revealing yet another example of his cruel intentions and the extent he will go to in order to remain safe, only concerned with himself. Willing to hang his Messenger if he finds out he was lying, the reader understands Macbeth is beyond a point of return to innocence through this vicious statement.
In yet another, and final shift, Macbeth ends his speech and the scene with a call to action, changing from his initial indifference to anger and now to excitement. Realizing the news of his Messenger to be true, Macbeth puts aside whatever feelings he was experiencing as defending his castle and his kingship has proven to be of chief importance to him. Macbeth exclaims, “Ring the alarum-bell!—Blow, wind! Come, wrack! At least we’ll die with harness on our back,” telling the men of his castle to prepare for battle. Macbeth’s thirst for power and violence distracts him from his prior concerns. At first clearly scared of the trees on their way to fight against him, Macbeth embraces his fate in an eerily insane deflection of emotions.
ReplyDeleteMacbeth, at this point in the play completely overtaken and corrupted by authority, is not capable of grief or sadness, even at the discovery of his wife’s suicide for the same reasons which have driven him crazy. Macbeth’s true nature, only troubled to worry about his own wellbeing and safety is ironic as he recognizes the fact that everyone must die sooner or later, but his own purpose in life is to defend his life and the crown he so wrongly attained. Macbeth’s lack of basic human empathy, which has been replaced by apathy and animosity, is revealed through his reaction to the death of his wife, Lady Macbeth, along with his enthusiasm at the news of battle.
Macbeth is an extremely emotionally torn being and one that struggles greatly to find his own direction. His views of reality become skewed and after committing murder his view of life is also quite altered. After the death of his wife, and co-conspirator Lady Macbeth much is revealed about Macbeth himself and the inner workings of his mind on his quest for the throne.
ReplyDeleteMacbeth as the center of this tragedy is forced to forgo his emotions in order to maintain the throne of Scotland. Lady Macbeth in her passing ignites some more human emotion from Macbeth however it is very apparent that he has become fairly stoic and cold to the world. "Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more."Certainly it appears that Macbeth has become indifferent to the lives of others and is only concerned with his own endeavors; a selfish nature revealed about Macbeth at many points of the play.
In Macbeth's dialogue with his messenger it becomes also very apparent the frustration he feels and the constant stress and fear surrounding the prophecies. Macbeth has lost control of his own destiny and is now at the mercy of those manipulating his mind. "If thou speak’st false,Upon the next tree shall thou hang alive," Clearly things for Macbeth are in a downward spiral as the as the only emotion he seems to exhibit at this point in the play is anger and frustration.
Finally in the dialogue is the foreshadowing of Macbeth's impending doom and the hopeless courage he embraces it with. "Ring the alarum-bell! Blow wind, come wrack,
ReplyDeleteAt least we’ll die with harness on our back."
Through the play, Macbeth’s character shifts into a power-craze. The witches’ prophesy drives him insane around the fact of becoming king. Macbeth destroys anyone in his way to achieve his power and control. He’s grown insensitive to death and shown his true self by brushing off the fact that his wife died from this passage. By distancing Macbeth from his emotions, Shakespeare shows the shift in his character into a ruthless, control thirsty shell of a human being.
ReplyDeleteMacbeth’s life revolves around the prophecy of being king. All of his energy and emotion go into maintaining his place, he’s indifferent from the people around him. When Seyton reveals to Macbeth that Lady Macbeth died, Macbeth merely claims, “She should have died hereafter; There would have been a time for such a word” (2-3). By saying his wife would have died eventually and that it was bound to happen shows his lack of emotional bond towards people. He’s so consumed with himself and the prophecy, he barely cares about his life partner passing. Now that his emotional ties are cut, the news leaves room for his obsession of power to grow inside of him.
After the news of Lady Macbeth’s death, a messenger tells Macbeth that “the wood
began to move” (22-23), hinting towards one of the apparitions which uncovers the demise of Macbeth’s power. Even though the news of his wife’s death was a major part of this passage, Macbeth begins to worry about the woods of Birnan’s movement towards Dunsinane. This movement creates Macbeth to falter, becoming insecure in his power. Again, Macbeth only cares about the power he may lose rather than the death of his wife. This only shows how insignificant life and death is to Macbeth.
By using this passage with Lady Macbeth’s death, Shakespeare shows the emotionless Macbeth and his quest for power. When his emotions were eliminated, Macbeth’s obsession for power grew and his selfishness to conquer his mind.