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| Sunday, 19 March 2006 |
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A/L English Literature Made Easy - Drama : Macbeth by William Shakespeare Act 5 Scene 1 In this scene the three visible characteristics of Lady Macbeth's delirium reveals her feminine nature and her weakness- her deteriorating will power. "i. Repercussions of the horrible and tragic scenes she has been in.
ii. Her extreme desire and effort to free herself and keep away her husband from unfolding tyrannical procedure. iii. Her womanly nature rising against the tyrannical deeds. Also she seems to be afraid of death and "the after death"." Lady Macbeth's waiting gentle woman reports to the doctor of Lady Macbeth's movements - rising from her bed, throwing her nightgown upon her, unlocking her closet taking forth paper and folding it; (this may be "a reminiscence of Macbeth's letter." (Act 1 Sc 5) writing upon it, reading it, sealing it and returning to bed. The whole procedure takes place in sleep. The doctor assumes it to be a great disturbance but the gentle woman would not tell the doctor the utterance of Lady Macbeth during her "sleep walking scene." Lady Macbeth enters and the doctor notices that her eyes are open sans sense, carrying out the exact procedure of events. The murder of King Duncan; inspiring Macbeth to commit the crime; washing hands to remove the blood stains. "Here's the smell of blood still: All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. Oh! Oh! Oh!" Arabia is traditionally the land of perfumes and spices. Lady Macbeth wonders whether all such perfume could remove the smell of blood from her hands. Lady Macbeth inspiring Macbeth to have courage as Banquo could never rise up from his grave. The doctor's words: "Even So?" is an exclamation of surprise - revealing the second crime - the murder of Banquo - Lady Macbeth presumes that she hears a knock at the gate and urging Macbeth to go to bed. "Come, come, come, come give me your hand: what's done cannot be undone - To bed, to bed, to bed." The repetition of the words "come" and "to bed" brings significance to the mental imbalance pertaining, disturbing Lady Macbeth's normal routine. The doctor becomes helpless for Lady Macbeth has unfolded the secret of the crime and the after effects. But he would not utter a word for fear of death. He could be the next in the death list. Act 5 Scene 2 Macbeth's downfall is forcused from this scene. The country near Dunsinane. Menteith, Caithness, Angus, Lennox and soldiers enter with drum and colours. Monteith unveils the scenes and incidents providing the background "unfavourably created" forecasting the downfall of Macbeth. The remarks of Monteith, Angus, Caithness and Lennox shadow forth the unfavourable attitudes of the majority, to Macbeth's villainous actions. "Of all the gentry: there's Siward's son, And many unrough youths that even now Protest their first of manhood." Caithness unveils the views of the tyrant, Macbeth. "Some say he's mad; others that lesser hate him, Do call it valiant fury: but, for certain, He cannot buckle his distempered cause Within the belt of rule." The ambition of Macbeth fulfilled reaching its heights but. "Nothing in love: now does he feel his title Hang loose about him, like against is robe Upon a dwarfish thief." Malcolm's soldiers march on for Malcolm's victory and Macbeth's downfall. In this scene Shakespeare has used the most appropriate comparison giving prominence to Malcolm, vehemently foreshadowing Macbeth. Malcolm being compared to a sovereign flower paving way for dramatic sequences to follow. Macbeth's downfall and Malcolm's victory. "To dew the sovereign flower and drown the weeds." Act 5 Scene 3 Act 5 - Scene 3 highlights the depressed condition of Macbeth, tormented mentally, having murdered innocent folk, the king, himself who had been so lavish in conferring honours on him and above all the murder of Macduff's innocent children and their mother. Hallucinations of all such evil deeds start haunting Macbeth every minute. Yet Macbeth is determined to face the battle for he strongly believed in the witches' prophesy. "None of woman born can harm Macbeth;" "No man that's born of woman Shall e'er have power upon thee." This scene starts with Macbeth's mental attitude; disturbed and deteriorated: "Bring me no more reports, let them fly all Till Birnamwood move to Dunsinane." A servant informs Macbeth of ten thousand soldiers on the march to Dunsinane. Macbeth's angry words reflect his attempt to control his inner feelings, his fear of the situation how his life is going to wither like a leaf. "I have lived long enough my way of life Is fallen into the sear the yellow leaf;---" This soliloquy is a reflection of the weaker side of Macbeth. His effort to hide his subjugation to witches' prophesy. Even the condition of Lady Macbeth's ill health doesn't affect him - his wife who stood by him amidst fortune and misfortune. He, just orders the doctor to cure her of her illness. Doctor's advice only rouses anger. "Throw physic to the dogs, I'll none of it" for Macbeth believed in the process of erasing "rooted sorrow from the memory." The effect of previous memory, all guilt of the past be erased. "That should applaud again - Pull't off, I say What rhubarb, Senna or what purgative drug, Would scour these English hence?---" "Pull it off" may refer to his armour which he may be putting on and off as he is in a highly disturbed state of mind. Macbeth deriving courage to face the enemy relying on the words of the witches. "Till Birnam forest come to Dunsinane." The doctors words reflects his utter disgust and his inner feelings. "Were I from Dunsinane away and clear, Profit again should hardly draw me here." Shakespeare has used the image of a plant to highlight the inner feelings and anxiety of Macbeth. "--- pull it off, I say - What rhubarb, Senna ---" and then the image of a disease "Cure her of that Cans't thou not minister to a mind diseased, Pluck from the memory a rooted sorrow ---" and then refers to: "What rhubarb, Senna, or what purgative drug, Would scour these English hence?---" Act 5 Scene 4 In Scene 4 the background is set up for Malcolm old Siward, young Siward, Macduff, Monteith, Caithness, Angus, Lennox, Ross and soldiers to enter with colours and drum. They come across the wood of Birnam and Malcolm orders every soldier to cut a branch and carry it before him as a cover to that the number of soldiers may be hidden from the scouts of enemy. It has been mentioned that "this strategem was used by the Japanese in their war against Russia." Siward assures that they are aware of their present position. But Macduff, stresses the importance of making every preparation and refrains from being over confident. The rhyme in the words spoken by Siward gives the effect of "elderly moralising" - Thoughts speculative their unsure hopes relate, But certain issue strokes must arbitrate: Towards which advance the war." - inviting the attention of the audience to the proceeding events. Act 5 Scene 5 Dunsinane, within the castle. Macbeth's order to hangout the banners, forecasting how the enemy would be scorned. Macbeth expressing his own views and feeling of a "night shriek", which would have disturbed him to extremes, in the past. But now he has got accustomed to horrors. "--- I have supp'd full with horrors" Seyton brings the sad news of Lady Macbeth's death, making Macbeth to Come out with "a callous remark." Being unmoved by his wife's death, his life's partner, his 'dearest love.' "She should have died hereafter; There would have been a time for such a word. Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day, To the last syllable of recorded time; ---" Macbeth faces the extremely tragic situation in normal state of mind saying that death comes when "the time of death is reached." Life's like the flame of a candle shortlived and paves way to "dusty death." Life is like a walking shadow, a poor player that performs a stiff walk upon the stage and vanishes. It's like a tale told by an idiot full of 'sound and fury' signifying hardly anything. In the line "Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury---" there's an extra syllable in 'idiot' forming a dactyl. "Life's but a poor player." Shakespeare being a player himself and a playwright has commonly used this metaphor. "Signifying nothing." There's "absolutely" - "nothing" is the final conclusion to which Macbeth and his wife's plans, murders and their extreme ambition ending in tremendous disaster sans all what they aimed at. In this scene Birnamwood coming to Dunsinane disturbs Macbeth to extremes. The witches' prophesy is begining to blow up. 'Fear not till Birnamwood Comes toward Dunsinane--" for Birnamwood is actually moving to Dunsinane. Macbeth facing extreme danger and the witches' prophesy being proved vague, stimulates him to "--- die with harness on his back". The fine effect of the rhyme in the last words of Macbeth add poignancy to the short scenes and divisions between the scenes indicated by rhyming couplets and highlight - the dramatic effect. "Ring the alarum bell! Blow, wind! Come, wrack! At least we'll die with harness on our back. Shakespeare's "--- out, out brief candle. Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then it is heard no more: it is a tale Told by an idiot full of sound and fury. Signifying nothing" reflects the philosophical view of the life of a man; standing as the most popular lines of Shakespeare; followed by later writers and poets. Robert Frost's poem "Out, out" reflects the philosophical idea of Shakespeare's Macbeth, verbally put through by Macbeth's soliloquy. Day after another the dawn of a new day; all occur and creep on "in this trivial daily progress" "till time ends and time itself ceases." The duration of a man's life, being short like the flame of a candle. It's like a tale told by an idiot with a lot of noise but "signifying nothing." Mrs. C. Ekanayake, Retd. Specialist Teacher Eng. Lit., St. Anne's College, Kurunegala. |
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