Author: Nico

In this scene. It describes the symbolism blood and Macbeth. His guilt and his hatred for King Duncan, how he acted and covered up the scene of the murder.

At the start of the scene. The Night Porter/Gate Keeper, was rambling on about something that went on last night. The thing he was going on and on about was the feast. The night when Macbeth had killed Duncan (Act 2 Scene 2 reference.) Then Macduff and Lennox enter the castle, they were going on if the king is asleep (They are referring to Duncan.) Then Macbeth enters. In the process Macduff finds Duncan’s body, dead on his bed. He runs out and reports it to the rest, now going to guilt from Macbeth he plays dumb, like nothing had happened, he says “O, yet I do repent me of my fury, That I did kill them.” He plays dumb like this to hide his guilt of the scene he has made, he then walks off. While Donalbain & Malcolm then discuss who did the murder. If it was them or if it was a lie.

In this scene I have required a few points into this scene that really stood out to me from the very beginning. One of them was symbolism of blood and the other point was. Why was Macbeth carrying on about the murder and what happened with King Duncan..?

For this paragraph the symbolism of blood indicates that the deed is done, but Macbeth goes on and on about what happen while he sneaked into King Duncan’s room to assassinate him, showing signs of extreme guilt and hatred, unlike Lady Macbeth. Who is probably more affected than Macbeth himself, even though he committed the murder.

Something else I noticed as a quote at the end of the scene Lady Macbeth says. “Retire we to our chamber; A little water clears us of this deed.” But what the two Macbeth’s don’t know is that Banquo knows of the crime they have committed. He has the exact evidence to turn the two in and claim his right as King Of Scotland.

As a result the last point I will make is that Macbeth also says. “Whence is that knocking?
How is’t with me, when every noise appals me?
What hands are here? ha! they pluck out mine eyes.
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.” This means that he would’ve wanted to clear of his quilt and sin he has commit to starting fresh without anyone knowing.

Point: William Shakespeare uses powerful wording in the soliloquy of the play “Macbeth” Who is determined to be crowned king if he murders King Duncan, the one important figure in this paragraph is PERSONIFICATION.

Example: When Macbeth is within the area near an elevator and probably next to the area of King Duncan’s rest, his soliloquy has such strong meaning and power to it that there are two sentences worth of powerful writing in there. One of those lines were. “I see thee still. Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible To feeling as to sight?” Then as we move onto the next sentence, he then goes on with. “Thou marshall’st me the way that I was going; And such an instrument I was to use.” These two connect to one point. Relating to his sight.

Explanation: This example of relating to his sight means that his eyes are not what they actually seem. This might lead to meaning that his eyes are being fooled by illusions, then once he hears the bell. “The bell welcomes me.” Is a sign from Lady Macbeth to Macbeth downstairs to get upstairs and complete the task of killing King Duncan.

For this scene I have decided to focus on Dramatic Irony. Which means the audience knows more than the actor’s themselves. Dramatic Irony started in Act 1 Scene 6 when King Duncan declares that him and all of his thanes and loyal subjects declared that they stay the night at Macbeth’s castle. Until Lady Macbeth realizes her chance to kill King Duncan, another way to do say it in Lady Macbeth’s mind would be “Just get it over and done it.” Then one sentence or 3 sentences stuck out to me, he would say. “We still have judgement here; that we but teach bloody instructions, which, being taught, return to plague the inventor.” This means to me that King Duncan or at least someone else in Macbeth’s castle he wants executed because of the chance he has for being King of Cumberland, another sentence that stuck out to me was in the 4-5 paragraph in Act 1 Scene 7. “When Duncan is asleep– Whereto the rather shall his day’s hard journey soundly invite him– his two chamberlains Will I with wine and wassail so convince that memory.” Another part was “What cannot you and I preform upon the unguarded Duncan? what not put upon his spongy officers, who shall bear the guilt of our great quell?” These two paragraph are representing the fact that Macbeth is referring to King Duncan’s guards who would be drunk.

During the feast, the guards of King Duncan would be drunk and unable to defend their King. When Macbeth then tries to convince Lady Macbeth to kill Duncan, he simply says. “What cannot you and I preform upon the unguarded Duncan..?”. This means Macbeth doubts that Lady Macbeth cannot preform the murder of King Duncan.

In this summary I do believe something that has stood out from this is Dramatic Irony. Meaning that the audience know things that the actors themselves don’t know. Like when King Duncan entered the castle, Lady Macbeth knew this was her time to take a chance to pour words into Macbeth’s ear to get him the right to become king, having King Duncan unaware of the situation. To this standard Dramatic Irony starts to build within this very scene, even though apart form scene 5 (Summary from last time) Lady Macbeth knew that Macbeth didn’t have the integrity or the strength to be king. It was truly Lady Macbeth is the real air behind the throne instead of Macbeth, then it makes sense to me that when King Duncan says that “To his home before us. Fair and noble hostess, We are your guest to-night.” Meaning that King Duncan has such taste for Macbeth’s lovely castle that he insists to stay. Unlike Lady Macbeth, who wants King Duncan dead.

Point: Personification

Evidence: Lady Macbeth uses powerful personifications in her wording to make it sound very dark and moody. Because of this she describes these as if they were meant to be offensive and negative towards King Duncan and the witches for their forces of evil.

Example: When Lady Macbeth is in the process of blaming the witches for such false prophecy and lies. She cries out “That my keen knife see not the wound it makes, Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark, To cry HOLD! HOLD!” This holds the fact she that she doesn’t want heaven no god to know of what wicked deeds she plans to do, adding to this. She also doubts Macbeth’s strength or will to become king. That is why she will kill King Duncan to become Queen Of Scotland so that she is actually the real power behind the throne instead of Macbeth, but when she says “My keen knife see not the wound it makes”. She is referring to the knife. Lady Macbeth explains it as if she can see what the knife really is capable of and wants it to do the job properly without any witnesses.

In the 4th act of Macbeth (In my absence as I was sick) I have discovered that this scene represents a succession Macbeth must take to become either higher than Malcolm. (The eldest). Meaning Macbeth is saying that Malcolm’s success is like an obstacle (Like the step) Or stay as a “Peerless kinsman” According to King Duncan, this abbreviation means to me that he finds Macbeth “Not Trustworthy” Or perhaps “Not responsible” Enough to have the right to become a king. A Quote I have found for this act or scene is this. “The Prince Of Cumberland! That is a step on which I must fall down, or else o’er leap, For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires;” From what this means is that all Macbeth is, is confronting Malcolm, who yet again I have explained is higher than Macbeth.

Macbeth: [Aside], The Prince Of Cumberland (Malcolm) Who is higher than me, Is a step I must fall down (Relating to Malcolm’s success as an obstacle, Which is the step). or else o’er-leap (Which means Leap Over Macbeth knows that he can’t become King with Malcolm [and Donaldson] in the way. Therefore, he will kill Duncan and blame his sons). For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your eyes; Let not light see my dark and deep desires (This means that he wants Heaven/God to not see his thoughts for they are bad). The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be, Which the eye fears (Still meaning to not wanting God/Heaven to read his thoughts) when it is done, to see.

In this scene. Tragedy, which is our expectations of the play creates such a dramatic and mysterious atmosphere around the play. Which means that if say someone had died it would be a so called “Tragedy”. A quote from such a scene would be “If Change will have me king, why, Chance may crown me. Without my stir”. To me it means that is a sign of doubt and fright because of how Macbeth is describing this “Tragedy”.

What this scene describes is a wounded Captain who has come to report of the battle’s results and what has happened to Macbeth, a so called traitor. Then the thane Rosse comes from Norway part of Scotland. Then with a report that impresses and disappoints King Duncan. Using a quote from Scene 1 Act 1 “When the hurlyburly’s done when the battle’s lost and won” It describes either the King Of Scotland and his army was “Equally” Matched. Or it was an act of treachery and sabotage.

The scene of the 3 witches are having a conversation on where to meet Macbeth or where they 3 witches themselves shall meet each other. And the other mention is the battle.

The main point of this scene is to give an introduction on what the play is and the plain idea and plan of what the play really is about. It is also a great way to grab the audience’s attention, to let them know that the play has started. The witches back in the 14th century