Macbeth - Act Three, Scene Four

Macbeth - Act Three, Scene Four

1. 'Our hostess keeps her state'

   • She remains seated, showing a female submissive role, she is distant nowhere near the seat of power.

2. '(Aside) Then comes my fit again. I had else been perfect -'

   • Fragile mental state, showing the transgression into disorder and loss of control, contrasts to the scene around him as it is an ordered festival.
   • '-' illustrates loss of control and power.

3. 'Enter the Ghost of Banquo. It takes Macbeth's seat at the table.'

   • Ironic as that is what the prophecy suggests, that Banquos sons will be king, also illustrates Macbeths guilt conciouence.
   • Supernatural preoccupation with the mind.

4. 'What man dare, I dare! Approach though like the rugged Russian bear, the armed rhinoceros, or the Hyrcan tiger - take any shape but that, and my firm nerves shall never tremble.'

   • He can concour anything but his concourse, as 'that' indicates Banquos ghost, so it shows that he is mentally unstable, with fear and regret.
   • Natural imagery turns nature into disorder, as an 'armed rhinoceros.'
   • '-' shows his hesitant state.

5. 'This is the very painting of your fear: This is the air-drawn dagger which, you said led you to Duncan!'

   • 'air-drawn dagger' hallucinating showing mental state of deterioration.
   • 'fear; is the main theme in any Gothic literature.

6. 'Would well become a woman's story at a winter's fire'

   • Lady Macbeth asserts her dominance, and uses his gender against him.

7. 'Prithee, see there1 Behold! Look! Lo! - how say you? Why - what care I ?'

   • Speed of language illustrates fear and confusion.
   • 'Why - what care i?' not about consumption can trade himself for the be allan end all of his recklessness which is majorly ironic as he cares more than he lets on.
   • 'If charnel-houses and our graves must send those that we bury back, our monuments shall be the maws of kites'
     • Shows his quarrel with death and the last time we see guilt.
     • Use of natural imagery of death awakening to show the disorder of nature and life itself.

8. 'And to our dear friend Banquo, whom we miss. Would he were here.'

   • Shows complete consumption of Macbeths doppleganger, as he is even deceitful to his wife.

9. 'Avaunt and quit my sight! Let the earth hide thee! Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold - Thou hast no speculation in those eyes which thou dost glare with!'

   • The earth that once hid him to do his terrible dead has now betrayed him, into the light.
   • 'Marrowless,' and 'cold,' also reflects not only the death of Banquo but also how Macebth is feeling, his actions are now empty and there is no reason.
   • 'Eyes' another reference to sight, and that Banquo has no speculation because he is now dead.

10. '(Aside) There the grown septet lies; the worm, that's fled, hath nature that in time will venom breed - no teeth for the present.'

    • Fears that Fleanance will avenge his father.
    • Natural imagery, the serpent is Banquo and the worm is fleece, he suggests that fleance is harmless for the time being, but isn't really convinced as he will one day be king.

11. 'It will have blood, they say, blood will have blood.'

    • Foreshadows the events to come.
    • 'It' is also ambiguous so unaware of exactly what will happen.

12. 'More shall they speak - for now I am bent to know by the worst means, the worst. for mine own good'

    • Evil has finally consumed him
    • 'More shale they speak' illustrates that reference to the witches.

13. 'You lack the season of all natures, sleep. Come we'll to sleep. My strange and self-abuse is the initiate fear, that wants hard use. We are yet but young in deed.

    • 'Sleep' is an iconic theme throughout the whole play.
    • 'You lack the season of all natures, sleep,' nature has been turned upside down so to say that Macbeth can sleep would be to say that the natural order was restored.
    • He is prepared to do anything he can and becomes a tyrant in the making.
    • Psychological transgression is intense and the last time we see lady Macbeth assert herself.