Screening & Reading Shakespeare's 'Macbeth'

This blog is written as a thinking activity task assigned by the head of the Department of English (MKBU), Prof. and Dr. Dilip Barad Sir. Here is the link to the professor's article for background reading: Click here

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Open-Ended Short Questons:

Q.-1.|Describe the symbolic significance of the opening scenes in Act I & IV involving the three witches in the play "Macbeth."

Ans.

In Shakespeare's 'Macbeth,' the opening scenes involving the three witches in Acts I and IV are essential in setting the tone for the play and significantly influencing the plot and characters. These scenes, rich with symbolic meaning, establish the play's atmosphere of darkness, chaos, and moral ambiguity while also driving Macbeth's tragic descent.

Act I, Scene 1: Setting the Tone:

The play begins with the three witches gathering on a desolate heath amidst thunder and lightning, creating an immediate sense of foreboding. Their conversation, "When shall we three meet again? / In thunder, lightning, or in rain?" (1.1.1-2), coupled with the line "Fair is foul, and foul is fair" (1.1.12), introduces a world where moral boundaries are blurred. This paradoxical statement sets the stage for the play's exploration of appearance versus reality and establishes the witches as harbingers of chaos.

Impact on Plot and Characters:

Foreshadowing:

The witches' prophecy in Act I, Scene 3 that Macbeth will become king ("All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!" (1.3.50)) sparks his latent ambition and sets the tragic events in motion. This prophecy is crucial in driving Macbeth towards regicide and his eventual downfall.

Atmosphere:

The witches' presence amidst a stormy, chaotic setting symbolizes the disorder and turmoil that will engulf Scotland as Macbeth pursues power.

Act IV, Scene 1: The Witches' Prophecies and Macbeth's Downfall:

In Act IV, Scene 1, Macbeth seeks out the witches again, desperate for reassurance about his future. This scene is marked by the witches' eerie rituals and the apparitions they summon, which provide Macbeth with ambiguous and ultimately misleading prophecies.

Impact on Plot and Characters:

Prophecies:

The apparitions—such as the bloody child telling Macbeth that "none of woman born / Shall harm Macbeth" (4.1.80-81)—offer Macbeth a false sense of invulnerability. This overconfidence leads him to dismiss the threat posed by Macduff, ultimately leading to his downfall.

Paranoia:

The witches' prophecies exacerbate Macbeth’s paranoia and tyranny, pushing him to commit further atrocities, including the murder of Macduff’s family.

Symbolic Significance and the Witches’ Influence:

The witches' symbolic significance lies in their role as agents of chaos and moral inversion. Their chant in Act IV, "Double, double toil and trouble; / Fire burn, and caldron bubble" (4.1.10-11), captures the play's central motif of disorder and confusion. This chant, along with their prophecies, reflects the upheaval that Macbeth's ambition will cause.

Moreover, the witches' final prophecy about Birnam Wood moving to Dunsinane ("Macbeth shall never vanquish'd be until / Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill / Shall come against him" (4.1.105-107)) seems impossible, cementing Macbeth’s false sense of security and leading to his tragic end.

Conclusion:

The witches' opening scenes in Acts I and IV are pivotal in establishing the dark tone of 'Macbeth' and driving the narrative forward. Through their manipulative prophecies and supernatural interventions, they set the stage for Macbeth's rise and fall, embodying the themes of fate, ambition, and moral ambiguity that define the play. These scenes illustrate the witches' role as both instigators of chaos and symbolic representations of the destructive power of unchecked ambition.

Q.-2.|How does Macbeth's ambition lead to his moral deterioration throughout the play? Provide examples from the play to support your answer.

Ans.

In Shakespeare's 'Macbeth', the titular character's moral deterioration is a complex process influenced by his unchecked ambition, the manipulative power of Lady Macbeth, and the sinister prophecies of the three witches. These elements, intertwined with Macbeth’s psychological unraveling, propel him from a noble warrior to a tyrannical murderer.

Act I: The Seed of Ambition:

Macbeth's downfall begins with the seed of ambition planted by the witches' prophecies. In Act I, Scene 3, after a victorious battle, Macbeth encounters the witches who greet him with titles that he does not yet hold: "All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis! / All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor! / All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!" (1.3.48-50). These prophetic words immediately ignite Macbeth’s ambition. Although he is initially skeptical, the idea of becoming king takes root in his mind.

When Macbeth learns that he has indeed been named Thane of Cawdor, he begins to entertain the possibility that the final prophecy might also come true. His soliloquy reveals his inner turmoil: "If good, why do I yield to that suggestion / Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair / And make my seated heart knock at my ribs?" (1.3.134-136). Here, Macbeth is already imagining the murder of King Duncan, a thought that both excites and horrifies him. The witches' prophecy awakens a latent ambition in Macbeth, setting him on a path toward moral decay.

Act I-V: Lady Macbeth’s Manipulation:

The influence of Lady Macbeth is crucial in pushing Macbeth further down the path of moral corruption. In Act I, Scene 5, upon reading Macbeth's letter about the witches' prophecy, Lady Macbeth immediately resolves to make her husband king, whatever the cost. She fears that Macbeth is "too full o' the milk of human kindness" (1.5.17) to seize the crown by murder and begins to plot Duncan’s assassination.

When Macbeth hesitates to go through with the murder in Act I, Scene 7, Lady Macbeth questions his manhood and his courage: "Art thou afeard / To be the same in thine own act and valor / As thou art in desire?" (1.7.39-41). She manipulates him by attacking his masculinity and ambition, ultimately convincing him to proceed with the murder. Macbeth's resolve weakens, and he declares, "I am settled, and bend up / Each corporal agent to this terrible feat" (1.7.79-80). This moment marks a significant moral decline, as Macbeth, driven by ambition and spurred on by his wife, prepares to commit regicide.

Act II-III: The Deed and its Consequences:

The psychological effects of Macbeth’s actions begin to manifest immediately after he murders Duncan in Act II, Scene 2. Macbeth’s guilt is palpable as he stares at his blood-stained hands: "Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood / Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather / The multitudinous seas in incarnadine, / Making the green one red" (2.2.60-63). This vivid imagery symbolizes Macbeth's recognition that his guilt is indelible, foreshadowing the irreversible nature of his moral corruption.

As Macbeth ascends to the throne, his ambition drives him to further atrocities. In Act III, Scene 1, fearing Banquo’s descendants will inherit the throne as foretold by the witches, Macbeth arranges for Banquo and his son Fleance to be murdered. He reflects on his precarious position, lamenting that his reign is fruitless if it only benefits Banquo’s lineage: "To be thus is nothing; / But to be safely thus" (3.1.49-50). This reveals Macbeth’s growing paranoia and willingness to commit more heinous acts to secure his power.

Act III-V: Descent into Tyranny and Madness:

Macbeth’s moral decline accelerates as he becomes increasingly tyrannical and detached from reality. By Act III, Scene 4, after Banquo’s murder, Macbeth is haunted by Banquo’s ghost at the banquet, a hallucination that reveals his deepening guilt and fear. He exclaims, "Thou canst not say I did it: never shake / Thy gory locks at me!" (3.4.61-62). This scene marks the beginning of Macbeth’s descent into madness, as the psychological toll of his crimes begins to unravel his sanity.

The witches' influence resurfaces in Act IV, Scene 1, where Macbeth seeks them out for more prophecies. The apparitions they conjure give Macbeth a false sense of security—especially the prophecy that "none of woman born / Shall harm Macbeth" (4.1.80-81). This misleading assurance emboldens Macbeth to continue his tyrannical reign, leading to the slaughter of Macduff’s family, an act of senseless brutality that underscores the extent of his moral decay.

Act V: The Tragic End:

By Act V, Macbeth is isolated, despised, and facing an inevitable downfall. The psychological effects of his unchecked ambition, Lady Macbeth’s influence, and the witches’ manipulations have left him a hollow shell of the man he once was. In Act V, Scene 5, upon hearing of Lady Macbeth’s death, he reflects on the futility of his actions: "Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, / Creeps in this petty pace from day to day" (5.5.19-20). This speech reveals Macbeth’s profound nihilism, as he contemplates the meaningless nature of life.

Ultimately, Macbeth’s belief in the witches' prophecy leads to his defeat. He faces Macduff in battle, still clinging to the idea that he is invincible due to the prophecy that "none of woman born" can harm him. However, Macduff reveals that he was "from his mother's womb / Untimely ripped" (5.8.15-16), not "born of woman" in the traditional sense. Realizing he has been deceived, Macbeth finally meets his end, a tragic figure undone by his own ambition, manipulation, and misplaced trust in the supernatural.

Conclusion:

Macbeth's moral deterioration is a tragic journey fueled by his ambition, the manipulations of Lady Macbeth, and the prophecies of the witches. Each element contributes to his psychological decline, as he transitions from a valiant warrior to a paranoid, tyrannical murderer. The play serves as a powerful exploration of the destructive potential of unchecked ambition and the consequences of surrendering to external influences without moral restraint. Through Macbeth’s downfall, Shakespeare offers a timeless commentary on the dangers of overreaching ambition and the moral corruption that can result from it.

Q.-3.|In what ways does the motif of ‘blood’ serve as a symbol in "Macbeth"? Explain its significance in relation to guilt and violence. (‘Blood’ is mentioned around 40 times in the play).

Ans.

The Motif of Blood in Macbeth:

In Shakespeare's 'Macbeth,' the motif of blood serves as a powerful symbol, particularly in relation to the themes of guilt and violence. The word "blood" is mentioned repeatedly throughout the play, and its significance deeply influences the decisions and actions of key characters, especially Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.

Blood and Macbeth's Guilt:

Macbeth's first encounter with blood occurs when he hallucinates a bloody dagger before murdering King Duncan, indicating his deep-seated guilt: "I see thee still, And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood" (Act II, Scene 1). After the murder, he laments, "Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood Clean from my hand?" (Act II, Scene 2), illustrating his inescapable guilt.

Macbeth's paranoia that someone will discover his crime continues to grow. When the murderers he hired return after killing Banquo, Macbeth notes, "There's blood on thy face" (Act III, Scene 4), feeling more guilt about this murder. He soon imagines Banquo's ghost at the banquet, covered in blood, and reflects, "they say, blood will have blood" (Act III, Scene 4), believing the blood of Banquo will expose him.

In the final scene before his death, Macbeth shows one last moment of remorse when he tells Macduff that he cannot kill him because the blood of his family is already on him: "get thee back; my soul is too much charged With blood of thine" (Act V, Scene 8).

Lady Macbeth's Guilt and Madness:

Lady Macbeth initially seeks to suppress her remorse, wishing to "make thick my blood" (Act I, Scene 5) and close off her soul to avoid feeling guilt. However, her guilt manifests in madness, as she obsessively tries to wash away imaginary blood in her sleepwalking scene, exclaiming, "Out, damned spot!" (Act V, Scene 1). She relives the murder of King Duncan, saying, "who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?" (Act V, Scene 1). Lady Macbeth's transformation underscores how the blood motif intricately ties to their psychological unraveling.

Blood and Violence:

Throughout the play, blood is associated with the violence that permeates Macbeth's world. When Macduff learns of the murder of his family, he cries over the state of affairs in Scotland, saying, "Bleed, bleed, poor country!" (Act IV, Scene 3) and later, "an untitled tyrant bloody-scepter'd" (Act IV, Scene 3). In the final battle, Macbeth continues to fight, even saying that he likes to make people bleed, "whiles I see lives, the gashes Do better upon them" (Act V, Scene 8).

In conclusion, the motif of blood in 'Macbeth' serves as a powerful symbol of guilt and violence, profoundly affecting the decisions and actions of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. The repeated use of the word "blood" throughout the play highlights its significance and impact on these characters as they descend into madness and tyranny.