Macbeth Act 3, Scene 4

Macbeth Act 3, Scene 4

1. Macbeth: "But now I am cabin'd, cribb'd, confined, bound in To saucy doubts and fears. But Banquo's safe"

   • Instead of trying to escape fate, like in many Greek tragedies, he is deliberately killing his way towards it
     • He is punished for seizing his fate
       • Alliterative "C"s create a harsh tone, emphasise his feeling of being trapped
     • "crib" is referencing animal feed
       • The imagery means that he lives in, and is fed by "fears and doubts"
         • he is permenately afraid of losing his titles and powers
           • Lady Macbeth spends so much time accusing him of his "fears" and "doubts"
         • he is addicted to them and wants to face them
           • when his thanes "flee" and join the enemy, he becomes nostalgic for this state of fear
             • he says "I have almost forgot the taste of fears"
               • learns to miss fear, preferrable to him than the state of nihilism he ends up with
                 • If life is pointless, there is no need for fear
       • further dehumanisation of Macbeth

2. Macbeth: "Thou canst not say I did it: never shake Thy gory locks at me"

   • fear of killing Banquo
     • Fears Banquo's disapproval because it makes him feel guilty
       • Hires murderes because he cannot psychologically face that he has killed his friend
         • far more upset about killing his friend than by killing his king
           • Macbeth sees regicide, a crime against God as lower - rejects God
             • Shakespeare punishes him and his wife for thinking this way - appeals to Christian audience
   • feels more guilty about killing his friend than king
     • focuses on stopping him shaking his head in critiscism of Macbeth
       • shows he fears Banquo's disapproval the most
   • He didn't have to kill Banquo - he never told anyone it was Macbeth
     • Possible reason - Bloodlust
       • focuses on his "gory locks" - sight of blood attracts him, just as it did on the "dagger"
         • first thing he notices about the murder, "there's blood upon thy face"
           • constant focus on blood implies that this is not a supernatural ghost, it is a vision summoned by Macbeth so he can see the gore for himself
             • Still suggests his feelings of guilt - also suggests fufillment of Macbeth's bloodlust
   • Commands the ghost - need for power and superiority over Banquo - uses "thou" to address him
     • "thou" suggests this love and friendship for the friend he has murdered
       • change from when we first seem them speak together
         • In their meeting with the "weird sisters" they both defer to each other as having suprerior status - "you"
           • only now banquo is dead does Macbeth use "thou"
             • suggests he could not command Banquo in life, only in death

3. L.Macbeth: "Sit, worthy friends: my lord is often thus, and hath been from his youth: pray you, keep seat; The fit is momentary;"

   • L.Macbeth gets the power she wants - goes against patriarchal society - audience expect punishment
     • double stress of "sit, worthy"
     • Shakespeare doesn't punish the Macbeths with the end consequences of their crimes against The Great Chain of Being in death, instead he makes them live tortured internal lives, and lose control of their minds
   • L.Macbeth takes control at the beginning of the scene
     • Macbeth ignores the noble thanes and isntead talks to the murderes
       • she quickly reminds him of his role - and he thanks her "sweet remeberance"
         • Although audience might be critical of her taking control, Macbeth himself is grateful
           • she is still his "partner in greatness"
   • Macbeth tells the murderers that he feels "fit again"
     • Hallucinating regularlly since killing Duncan - "again"
       • Could be why he sees life as a "fitful fever"
         • Lady's reaction suggets that she is getting used to these fits and is exasperated by them

4. L.Macbeth: "O proper stuff! This is the very painting of your fear: This is the air drawn dagger which, you said, Led you to Duncan"

   • Not shocked - as if she is fed pu of hearing this from him
   • she imagines he is seeing Duncan - "the very painting of your fear"
     • personifies "fear" as a painter - paints images in Macbeth's mind
       • imagery rejects any supernatural influence - doesn't believe it is caused by the "weird sisters"
         • Shakespeare rejecting the fault of the Witches
   • "you said" - implies she does not believe in his visions
     • simply produced by his "heat oppressed brain"
       • she is annoyed that his reaction has been a virtual confession
         • everyone if the "gory locks" belong to Duncan, no one knows Banquo is dead
           • The apparition is in Macbeth's chair: in the king's chair
             • Ducnan is the natural king - and it makes sense for him to be in this chair
         • Ridicules her husband for these visions
           • Shakespeare creates an irony - it is exactly these visions which will keep coming back to her later in the play
             • punishment
       • Shakespeare toys with his audience - we cannot decide whether the ghost is real - in a society which believes in supernatural power of witches
         • same with the voice that accused Macbeth of "murdering sleep" and the "airborne dagger"
   • Spondees begin each line - the stresses emphasise her stress
   • Even when criticising Macbeth, she still tries to boost his self-esteem and status, calling him "you"

5. Macbeth: "And to our dear friend Banquo, whom we miss; Would he were here!"

   • Banquo's ghost leaves when Macbeth tells it to
     • It then arrives again playfuly when Macbeth says this to fufill Macbeth's wish
       • Macbeth appears to be able to command it - Shakespeare hints that the ghost is a product of his own mind
         • Or it could be a supernatural presence - designed to drive him to madness

6. Macbeth: "It will have blood; they say, blood will have blood" (G8)

   • confesses his bloodlust
     • addiciton so strong his personifies "blood"
       • it can act without his control
         • repetition and iambic stress on "blood" - suggests he demands more blood"
   • Instead of the passion used when he wanted to back out of killing Duncan - she replies in short sentences now
     • urges him to "sleep" and "rest"
       • loving
         • but also a feeling of defeat - she no longer believes she is able to control her husband's fears
           • when he continues to express his addiction - she does not try to persuade him to stop killing

7. Macbeth: "I will to-morrow, And betimes I will, to the weird sisters: More shall they speak; for now I am ent to know, By the worst means, the worst"

   • Macbeth accepts his fate - no longer believes he can defy the weird sisters' prophecies - only accelerate when they come true
   • repetetion of "worst"
     • knows his fate is coming to an unhappy ending
       • believes contacting the "weird sisters" is the "worst means" of finding out his future
         • better off living each day freely
           • language choice shows that he knows they are eveil
             • Alternatively - they simply tell the truth "worst means" actually his own evil
               • As the weird sisters will say when he approaches "something wicked this way comes"

8. Macbeth:"I am in blood Stepp'd in so far that, should I wade no more, returning were as tedious as go o'er"

   • Suggests that his only solution is to keep murdering
   • he realises his soul will go to hell after killing Duncan - so killing more people makes no difference
     • fear is emphasised by the troachaic stress on "stepp'd"
   • Actually, he never mentions his soul, nor the terror of damnation in hell
     • instead, he likens to boredom "tedious" - realises his addiction is out of control
   • verb choice of "wade" reveals how he has lost any joy in waht he is doing
     • Kinghsip has been a disappointment
       • if this were his real motivation, he would take time to enjoy it
         • Shakespeare hints that ambition was never his harmatia
         • instead, uses it as a position from which to kill iwthout risks, and without fear.
           • trochaic "steppd'd" might convey his over excitment at the blood he is going to spill