The universe crumbles. Men turn wild. Animals become savages. Earth plunges into eternal darkness. The scent of death lingers in the air. In the 16th century, during the Elizabethan era, Elizabethan citizens believed that the order of power in the universe was based on the Great Chain of Being, which was a hierarchy that ranks entities from most powerful to least powerful. It starts at gods, and is followed by nobles, knights, gentlemen, peasants, animals, plants, inanimate objects, and finally, chaos and forces of darkness. To the Elizabethans, this Chain of Being was a major part of their history, religious beliefs, political systems, family structures, and their overall understanding of humans. They believed that one act of disorder in this …show more content…
The previous example can be applied here also; the light from above in the Order has fallen to chaos and the beings of the dark at the bottom of the Order. However, Duncan’s death was not the only fracture in the Order that forced it to collapse. The First Witch foresees the uncertainty of the future when she says, “When shall we three meet again? / In thunder, lightning, or in rain?” (1.1.1-2). Thunder, lightning, and rain represent the different consequences they may experience from telling Macbeth prophecies that he will become king. Thunder representative of the initial shock, lightning the strike of darkness and chaos upon civilization, and rain the falling action towards grief and the worst kind of pain: slow suffering and depression. Another example of this can be seen further on in the play, when Macbeth orders the assassination of Banquo and his son, Fleance. Right before Banquo is killed, he states to Fleance, “It will be rain tonight,” (3.3.23). This quote is again implying a change of weather following a crime committed by Macbeth. By following the representation of crime and guilt as bad weather, it can be argued that, in some ways, Banquo is predicting his own death. Banquo is predicting rain, and, since rain traditionally follows a depressing or horrific moment in movies and stories to represent tears and communicate a sad mood to the reader, he foresees such an event. Banquo was present while Macbeth was receiving his prophecies from the witches, and he knew that Macbeth was envious of the position of King of Scotland. Banquo could have known Macbeth was suspicious of him upon seeing the prophesy that his sons would become king, so he could have predicted that he and Fleance needed to be careful and
Apparitions were also involved in the telling of the story and helped to portray an eerie air. The Apparitions appeared in the first scene of the fourth act after being summoned by The Witches, “Come, high or low; / Thyself and office deftly show!” (4.1.71-72) As The Apparitions spoke to Macbeth about his future and his ultimate demise, the first witch warns Macbeth that the apparition can hear his thoughts so he should refrain from speaking to them, “He knows thy thought: Hear his speech, but say thou nought” (4.1.69-70). This warning gives off a feeling of fear and unpredictability that proves the supernatural world is beyond any human control or comprehension (Boyce 1). The Apparitions, along with The Witches, add a unique theme to the play itself, however, The Witches bring the theme to life at the beginning of the play and The Apparitions carry it through until the
Guilt surrounds Macbeth for the second time when he sends out the murderers to kill Banquo, his old friend. Macbeth had no other choice but to get rid of Banquo. Banquo had witnessed the three witches and the prophecies. One prophecy was that his son would become king one day "To make them kings, the seeds of Banquo kings"(Act3 scene1 line70). In order for Macbeth to be safe is to kill Banquo. Banquo may assume what had happened and tell the people of Scotland. "For Banquo’s issue have I filed my mind; for them the gracious Duncan have I murdered; Put rancors in the vessel of my peace only for them, and mine eternal jewel".
Prior to deciding whether or not conflict is central to the dramatic development of MACBETH, one must consider all the dramatic factors that contribute to the Shakespearean play. The gradual decline of the protagonist , the role portrayed by characters and the order in which the events occur, greatly influence the direction in which the development of the play takes place. After reading the text MACBETH, by Shakespeare and viewing the film version, directed by Roman Polanski, it is logical to see that ambition and the deceptive appearances of what really is, is central to the dramatic development of MACBETH.
Elizabethan based their people upon the divine order, known as the Great Chain of being, which accommodated everything in the whole universe.
wink at the hand! yet let that be, /" (I, iv, 57-59). Macbeth is vexed
Macbeth is willing to twist destiny and change the prophecy to protect his ambition, asking about his downfall to try and prevent it. The three witches’ prophecies strengthen Macbeth’s ambition; the first prophecy makes Macbeth realize his ambitions, and the second prophecy displays his willpower to protect that ambition. Being over-ambitious brought about the demises of not only Macbeth, but his family as well as the many people he killed in order to bring about his rise to power. This theme was demonstrated through several motifs, including hallucinations, blood, and prophecies.
Insanity is defined as “[the] inability to understand the nature and consequences of one's acts or of events, matters, or proceedings in which one is involved.” In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the protagonist turned antagonist, Macbeth, was once “valour’s minion” (I.ii.16) a loyal and devoted nobleman of Scotland. However, he commits a heinous act of regicide in order to ascend the throne, only to become a tyrant who in the end was regarded as nothing but a “dead butcher” (V.ix.35). Macbeth was unarguably sane in the beginning of the play, however, at the end of the play its unclear whether or not Macbeth truly was a “deranged blood hound” (V.ii.32), or if he was still acting on his own accord. Critics may say that this “Bloody sceptered tyrant” (IV.iii.95), who murdered innocent people indiscriminately through the novel befell the holds of insanity, but in truth, Macbeth, whether for better or for worse, never was truly driven insane.
When Macbeth kills King Duncan in William Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth, there is a breakdown of order throughout Scotland. This breakdown is evident through three main factors; within the person, mainly through Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, through the kingdom and through nature. From a completely ordered nation into the depths of chaos - Scotland collapsed from the lack of strong leadership. In the end, when resolution is reached, this chaos is reversed and Scotland is restored to a peaceful nation as it was before Macbeth's reign.
Later in the play Banquo starts to have a bad feeling about Macbeth. "Thou hast it now: King, Cowdor, Glamis, all,/ as the weird women promised, and I fear/ thou play'dst most foully for `t." III i 1-3, this is a quote from Banquo explaining how he feels about Macbeth's predictions coming true. Macbeth realizes this about Banquo and he starts to have feelings about killing Banquo. This isn't the only reason he feels this way, the witches had also made predictions for Banquo. "Thou shall get kings, though thou be none." I iii 67, Macbeth doesn't want any of Banquo's family to rule Scotland; he wants his own family to continue to rule. Macbeth hires two murderers to kill Banquo and his on Fleance. The murderers end up killing Banquo, but Fleance gets away.
Throughout William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Macbeth, Macbeth experiences some insanity caused by his own wicked decisions. In my opinion the deeper the play gets the more insane Macbeth tends to exceed. Throughout the play Macbeth shows his insanity through his ambition, guilt, and false hopes.
In the play Macbeth, there is many killings to stride for power, but after killing people there is a sense of remorse. William Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, teaches his readers that guilt can lead to insanity through his use of Characterization. Readers can especially see this shortly after the death of Banquo. Banquo was killed from Macbeth's Kinsmen. Macbeth did this in order to gain power and become King.
fate in the form of the three witches. The second suggests that there is no
In “Macbeth” the first scene presents a meeting of three witches during stormy weather. Shakespeare shows disturbed, angry nature - thunder and lighting represent light - daytime and dark – night-time. Light is the metaphor for innocence, purity, truth, and goodness as opposed to dark - evil. It is also a suggestion that the innocent will suffer as well as the guilty. The fog and filthy air signify moral and spiritual obscurity and “the set of sun” means the end of the reign and kingship. The sun appears only twice – when Duncan sees the swallows flying around the castle of death and during the army gathering to purify the earth of its shame (traitors).
People in Medieval England found themselves within a social and political hierarchy due to their monarchical government, which likely influenced their willingness to believe in the Great Chain of Being. While humans only ranked third in the overall Chain, the subdivisions within humanity gave certain people, particularly kings, a sense of power over those the Chain dictated to be beneath them. Even if they were below kings, angels, and God, plebeians in Medieval England could still take comfort in the fact they outranked lesser beings like animals and plants. Inevitably, the Great Chain changed how those of Elizabethan times viewed the world, as demonstrated by the culture of that time period. Establishing the Great Chain of Being provided many writers inspiration for their stories, but also caused repercussions in European society.
According to the classical view, tragedy should arouse feelings of pity and fear in the audience. Does macbeth do this?