In my last post, I noted how limiting it is to tell students what the main themes of a text are. Yesterday I was reminded of another reason that the typical list for Macbeth falls short. It includes "blind ambition, lust for power, guilt, corruption through power". It seems unjust to limit Shakespeare to such a list. There are more, and much more nuanced themes on almost every page. We looked at some of them yesterday.
We looked at the scene in which Macbeth hosts a banquet to celebrate his new title of King. He has recently hired two murderers to kill Banquo and Banquo's son. In the middle of the banquet Banquo's ghost arrives in dramatic fashion to haunt macbeth with a steely glare from atop the table (We watched this scene in the 2010 modernised adaptation, 1:24:00-1:28:00 here )
Once Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are out from under the confused and suspicious eyes of their guests, they have the following exchange.
LADY MACBETH
When I asked them what they thought Macbeth would do next, some said "seek the witches!" (which is correct) but S. suggested "He might confess". I asked them to look closely at the bolded text above. What is Macbeth saying? The first class, thanks to the ever bright A, got it by the third comment. He's past the point of no return, and has killed enough that he can't go back to innocence. I look forward to talking about that theme more. In the other class I had to all but don a costume to get the point across by miming stepping backward and stepping forward as I read the words with emphasis. Then they jumped in triumph at having understood. "He's stuck!" So we recognised therefore that confession is unlikely, since he points out that going backward doesn't feel like a legitimate option.
On Monday we'll look at Macbeth's response to the witches' prophecies, and how he now pledges to "crown his thoughts with acts" before resolve cools - he's a man out of control, and Macduff's family will be the next batch of collateral damage.
Don't you think "not being able to step backward because of being so far instepped so far into something" and "the compulsion to act quickly before fear triumphs over conviction" are more interesting themes to tease out than "ambition"?
A kind good night to all!Exeunt all but MACBETH and LADY MACBETHMACBETH
It will have blood; they say, blood will have blood:LADY MACBETH
Stones have been known to move and trees to speak;
Augurs and understood relations have
By magot-pies and choughs and rooks brought forth
The secret'st man of blood. What is the night?
Almost at odds with morning, which is which.MACBETH
How say'st thou, that Macduff denies his personLADY MACBETH
At our great bidding?
Did you send to him, sir?MACBETH
I hear it by the way; but I will send:LADY MACBETH
There's not a one of them but in his house
I keep a servant fee'd. I will to-morrow,
And betimes I will, to the weird sisters:
More shall they speak; for now I am bent to know,
By the worst means, the worst. For mine own good,
All causes shall give way: I am in blood
Stepp'd in so far that, should I wade no more,
Returning were as tedious as go o'er:
Strange things I have in head, that will to hand;
Which must be acted ere they may be scann'd.
You lack the season of all natures, sleep.MACBETH
Come, we'll to sleep. My strange and self-abuseThey talked about the effect that guilt seems to have on the two characters, and how the bravado displayed in the film might be a mask for their uncomfortable conscious. They talked about how uncomfortable Macbeth seems with the influx of power, and that's why he seems to abuse it so, even when he's not envisioning friends he's murdered. Lady Macbeth, M. pointed out, refers to him here as sir, where she never did before, showing a change in the power dynamic of their relationship. She may now fear him and defer to him as her own conscious grow heavier and heavier. We talked about collateral damage, and how Macbeth's wife, and employees, and friends are all suffering acutely because of his actions and his own deteriorating mental state.
Is the initiate fear that wants hard use:
We are yet but young in deed.
When I asked them what they thought Macbeth would do next, some said "seek the witches!" (which is correct) but S. suggested "He might confess". I asked them to look closely at the bolded text above. What is Macbeth saying? The first class, thanks to the ever bright A, got it by the third comment. He's past the point of no return, and has killed enough that he can't go back to innocence. I look forward to talking about that theme more. In the other class I had to all but don a costume to get the point across by miming stepping backward and stepping forward as I read the words with emphasis. Then they jumped in triumph at having understood. "He's stuck!" So we recognised therefore that confession is unlikely, since he points out that going backward doesn't feel like a legitimate option.
On Monday we'll look at Macbeth's response to the witches' prophecies, and how he now pledges to "crown his thoughts with acts" before resolve cools - he's a man out of control, and Macduff's family will be the next batch of collateral damage.
Don't you think "not being able to step backward because of being so far instepped so far into something" and "the compulsion to act quickly before fear triumphs over conviction" are more interesting themes to tease out than "ambition"?
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