This is a short one that spends just five minutes focusing on Act 2, Scene 4. It looks at the order of power in the time of the play, and the discussions about this order being upset. The scene itself uses extended metaphor, and it is more important than it first seems to be.
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This is a key scene in terms of language and structure - especially due to the debate surrounding the use of this scene as 'comic relief' in the play. Remember - this is the scene with the (drunken?) porter...
The deed is done! Duncan is dead and Macbeth, despite his misgivings, was the one who thrust the knife into him.
However, now it's time to cover up the deed, and Macbeth is already showing signs of regret. Not so Lady Macbeth, though; she is quite happy that she is on her way to being a Queen. Methought I heard a voice cry, “Sleep no more! Macbeth is already renouncing his religion as the word 'amen' gets stuck in his throat; Lady Macbeth is having none of it. She's sick of his whining, and gives him a piece of her mind, telling him what to do in no uncertain terms, and taking control of the situation as only Lady Macbeth could. Here's Mr Bruff with more:
This is a really important scene of the play - Macbeth is clearly beginning, already, to lose his grip on reality. It is here that he has his first hallucination (a running motif), exclaiming "is this a dagger I see before me?"
Macbeth is clearly not feeling Lady Macbeth's plan. This unease isn't helped by Banquo acknowledging Macbeth's recent promotion and mentioning the coincidence of this happening just after the Witches' prophecy. This feeds Macbeth's paranoia, leading him to sink into the depths of madness a little further. Here's Mr Bruff with more. |
In a Nutshell...After returning from war, Macbeth meets three witches who tell him that he is to become King. His wife persuades him to kill the existing King in order to win the throne - but this comes with a whole heap of problems, as Macbeth has to continually kill people - including his best friend - in order to hide the truth. ArchivesCategories
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