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    Macbeth Commentary Act 4 Scene 1

    RagavanGaneshathasan,DavidKong.

    1.ThemeThepowerofthesupernatural

    ThewitchesandHecateareoverallmuchmoreevilthantheirfirstmeeting.

    ProofLiverofblasphemingJew;NoseOFTurk

    IV,i,2629

    Witcheshavecommittedamurderforingredientsintheircauldrons.Jewswere

    thoughtofasbadpeoplebecausetheydidnotbelievethatJesuswasGodsson.

    Appearancevs . Reality

    Apparitionsforeseethreepredictions,butarebothhalftruths.ItgivesMacbetha

    deceptivesenseofsecurity.Thesehalftruthsareappearancesconjuredbythe

    witches,buttherealityismuchmoredeadlytoMacbeth.

    ProofThepowerofman,fornoneofwomanborn

    ShallharmMacbeth.

    IV,i,8081

    Appearance Reality

    Appearsto

    Macbeth

    as

    impossible

    becauseamanisalwaysbornfroma

    woman.Hebelievesnomancankill

    him.1

    Macduffis

    born

    of

    C

    section

    and

    wasuntimelyripped.Thismeanshe

    wasntbornofawoman

    metaphorically,andthereforehas

    theabilitytokillMacbeth.2

    1Thenlive,Macduff:whatneedIfearofthee(IV,i,82)

    2Tellthee,MacduffwasfromhismotherswombUntimelyripped(IV,i,1516)

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    Proof

    Macbethshallnevervanquish'dbeuntil

    GreatBirnamwoodtohighDunsinanehill

    Shallcomeagainsthim.

    IV,i,9294

    Appearance RealityMacbethtakesitliterallyandhe

    believesthatthetreeshavetotaketheir

    rootsoutandcometoDunsinaneHill3

    Soldiersactuallysawoff,andcarry

    thetreesinGreatBirnamwood,

    andtakesthemtoDunsinaneHill

    asamilitary

    disguise.4

    Overall,thisscenegivesanewsenseofconfidenceforMacbethwhichturnshimintoa

    verydifferentcharacterfromthebeginningHeismuchmoreruthlessanddecidesto

    killMacduffsfamily.Thechangeoccurredduetothewitchsuseofappearancevs.

    reality.

    Order/Disorder

    OrderhasbecomedisorderbecauseMacbethdoesntcaremuchfortheworld.Heis

    willingto

    give

    up

    the

    future

    of

    this

    universe

    for

    his

    selfish

    answers.

    ProofEventilldestructionsicken,answerme

    TowhatIaskyou.

    (IV,i,5661)

    Basically,Macbethiswillingtosacrificethefutureoftheuniversetogethis

    answerstoapointwhereevendestructionitselfissick,

    DuetotheElizabethanbeliefintheGreatChainofBeing,therecentchangesinthe

    societalhierarchyarecausingallegeddisorder.

    3Thatshallneverbe:Whocanimpresstheforest,bidthetreeUnfixhisearthboundroot?(IV,i,9496)

    4Withinthisthreemilemayyouseeitcoming;Isay,amovinggrove.(IV,i,3738)

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    TheNumberTwo

    ThenumbertwoisathemeinMacbeth,asitsignifiesthedisorder.Inaddition,the

    numberthreesignifiesorder.Theplaystartswiththenumberthreethefirsttwolings

    oftheplayarehighlyassociatedwithtriads.5Then,underMacbethsrule,the

    predominantnumberchangesto2.

    DuetotheElizabethanbeliefintheGreatChainofBeing,therecentchangesin

    thesocietalhierarchyarecausingallegeddisorder.

    Proof

    Double,double,

    toil

    and

    trouble:

    Fire,burn;andcauldron,bubble.

    (IV,i,1011)

    ButyetIllmakeassurancedoublesure,

    (IV,i,83)

    Bothoftheselinesusetheworddouble,astheybothhavedeepermeanings.Itisalso

    importanttonotethatattheendoftheplay,threereturnsasthepredominantnumber.

    2. ContextProphecy-howitadvancestheplotoftheplay

    ThewitchespropheciesinthisscenehelpadvancetheplaybecauseMacbethbeforethis

    sceneisworriedaboutpossiblethreatstohimlikeMacduffwhodidntattendthefeast

    andsodecidestoseethewitches.

    ProofIwilltomorrow,

    5Whenshallwethreemeetagain,Inthunder,lightningorinrain?(I,i,12)

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    AndbetimesIwill,totheweirdsisters:

    Moreshalltheyspeak;fornowIambenttoknow,

    Bytheworstmeans,theworst.Formineowngood,

    Allcausesshallgiveway:Iaminblood

    Stepp'dinsofarthat,shouldIwadenomore,

    Returningwereastediousasgoo'er.

    III,iv,131137

    Macbethisspeakingofcrossingarubicon.Hehassteppedsofarintotheriver

    ofblood

    that

    it

    is

    just

    as

    hard

    to

    go

    forward

    as

    it

    is

    to

    go

    backwards.

    Therefore,

    hemustgotothewitches(theweirdsisters)andaskforadviceaboutthe

    future.Theninscene5,HecatedecidestomessaroundwithMacbethsmind,

    leadingtoAct4Scene1.Finally,thewitchesadvancetheplotbygivingMacbeth

    deceptivesecurity.ThispushesMacbethpastthepointofnoreturnthefinal

    threshold.

    AllofMacbethsactionsarebaseduponthewitchesprophecywhichbringsinthe

    themeAppearancevs.Reality.Forexample,theBirnamWoodandbornofwoman

    propheciesmakeclear,thepropheciesmustbeinterpretedasriddles,sincetheydonot

    always

    mean

    what

    they

    seem

    to

    mean.

    This

    advances

    the

    plot

    of

    the

    play

    because

    Macbethbecomesoverconfident,andiscarelessfortherestoftheplayleadingtohis

    eventualdownfall.

    Characterdevelopment

    Macbethpersonalcharacteristicsarealwayschangedtobeingoverconfidentandthe

    feelingofinvincibilityafterthissceneandanyotherscenehemeetswiththewitches.

    ThisturnsMacbethintoacoldbloodedmurderer.

    ProofThenliveMacduff:whatneedIfearofthee?

    ButyetIllmakeassurancedoublesure,

    Andtakeabondoffate:thoushaltnotlive;

    IV,i,8284

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    MacbethchoosestoexecuteinnocentmembersofMacduffsfamily,even

    thoughhefeelsthatMacduffisofnothreattohim.

    ThewitchesaffecttheactionsofMacbethfortheremainderplot.Everymeetingwith

    thewitchesresultsinanilldeed.Forexample,thefirstmeetingresultsinthemurderof

    KingDuncan

    and

    the

    second

    meeting

    results

    in

    the

    murder

    of

    Macduffs

    family.

    The

    killingofDuncanandBanquowassupportedbylogic,buttheslaughteringofMacduffs

    innocentfamilywasirrational.ThisexhibitsShakespearesattempttodevelopMacbeth

    intoanevilandinhumancharacter.Atthebeginning,Macbethwishestocommitone

    crimeandwashhishandsclean,butisdriventocommitothers.Inthisscene,wecan

    trulytastethenewmercilessMacbeththefinalstageofhischaracterdevelopment.

    3. LanguageSymbolization oftheApparitions

    1. Armedhead:SymbolicallyMacbethsheadcutoffandbroughttoMalcolmbyMacduff

    2. Bloodychild:Macduffwhowasuntimelyrippedfromhismotherswomb3. Childwithacrownandtrees:Malcolmthefutureking.Hecarriesatree

    becausethatishowthesoldiersbroughtBirnamtoDunsinane.

    Thesesymbolizationsarequitecomplicated,andsomeonewhoreadsthebookoncewill

    mostlikelynotunderstandwhattheapparitionsaresymbolizing.However,when

    analyzedin

    detail,

    the

    apparitions

    are

    actually

    displaying

    Macbeths

    future

    downfall.

    Simile

    Andnowaboutthecauldronsing,

    Likeelvesandfairiesinaring,

    Enchantingallthatyouputin.

    IV,i,4143

    ThewitchesmakeapotionforthearrivalofMacbeth.ThisiswhenHecateenters,and

    commendsthehardwork.Sheisrelatingthepotiontotheelvesandfairiessinging.Itis

    sostrongthatitseemsasiftheyareenchantingandincreasingthestrengthofit.

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    Showhiseyes,andgrievehisheart;

    Comelikeshadows,sodepart!

    IV,i,110,111

    Thefourthapparitionsarebeingcomparedtoshadows,whichcanalsobeinterpreted

    asghostsorspirits.

    Metaphor

    Poetry

    IambicPentameterShakespeareusesiambicpentameterwithiscomposedof10syllables,ina

    shortlongarrangement.Forexampleourfavoriteline:

    Thenlive,Macduff;whatneedIfearofthee?

    ButyetI'llmakeassurancedoublesure,

    Andtakeabondoffate:thoushaltnotlive;

    IV,i,8184

    Allthelinesare10syllableslong,andsoundlike:daDUMdaDUMetc.

    Thisformatgivesthelinesform,andunifiestheentireplay.Itisalso

    Shakespearessignatureheusesthetechniquewheneverpossible.

    WitchsRhymeWhenthewitchesspeak6theyspeakinaveryrhythmicandareincouplets.The

    twoadjacentlineshavethesameamountofsyllablesandrhyme.Theeffectisa

    verypoeticdictation,similartothatofwitchescastingspells.Thisgivesthe

    witchesamoreauthenticandwickedfeel.

    MACBETH

    6Witcheshavelinesfrom:IV,i,147

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    ThisdarknessusedbyShakespeareisbelievedtobeactualwitchspellsfromthe

    Elizabethanerabymanypeople.Thereisbeliefthatthewitchesgotsoangrythatthey

    havecursedtheplay.Thesuperstitionisthatsayingthenameoftheplayinsidea

    theatreresultsinthefailureoftheproduction,andcausesphysicalinjuryorworseto

    castmembers.


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