During the era of William Shakespeare, the Great Chain of Being permeated society. This philosophy of how every part of creation is set on a specific level of this chain is seen all throughout Shakespeare’s plays. It has been around since Aristotle and was the basis of most, if not all, monarchies of the time. It gave one king the power to rule above all else, the idea of the divine right of kings. Macbeth was originally written to entertain a king who was obsessed with all that was metaphysical and paranormal, one can interpret it as a form of propaganda in the king’s favor. Utilizing symbolism, and immoral characters Shakespeare depicts the dire consequences of not following the hierarchy of creation.
Nature’s reaction to King Duncan’s death …show more content…
The driving forces of the play are Macbeth and his wife who are too ambitious for their own wellbeing. Though people argue that Macbeth never had a free will in the first place, it is still through his deeds that one see conflict arise both in him and the world around him. The roles of Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are reversed as the play continues, evident through their confidence “fluctuations” throughout the play. One is able to truly see these variations in Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s characters in the latter’s introductory soliloquy: “What thou art promised; yet do I fear thy nature; it is too full o’ the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest [way. Thou] wouldst be great art thou not without ambition…” Lady Macbeth calls her husband too kind to ever commit a crime against the king despite his ambitions to become greater. (1.5.4-6) The same scene demonstrates her own ambitions to become queen: “Come into my woman’s breasts and take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers… you wait on nature’s mischief” (1.5.37-40) where she literally pleads to be stripped of her womanly traits to become evil, especially if Macbeth is unwilling to commit the sin of murder that “fate and metaphysical … doth seem to have [him] crowned.” (1.5.17-19) One sees his insecurities and hesitation further on when he finally meets Lady Macbeth to discuss the ominous prophecies of the Wyrd sisters and later after Duncan’s death. Macbeth, distraught, demonstrates his remorse through his paranoia, stating, “One cried ‘God bless us!’ and ‘Amen’ the other as they had seen me with these hangman’s [hands. Listening] their fear, I could not say ‘Amen,’ when they did say ‘God Bless us!’” (2.2.28-31) The roles are reversed once he is crowned king, palpable through Macbeth’s gain of
Nature’s reaction to King Duncan’s death …show more content…
The driving forces of the play are Macbeth and his wife who are too ambitious for their own wellbeing. Though people argue that Macbeth never had a free will in the first place, it is still through his deeds that one see conflict arise both in him and the world around him. The roles of Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are reversed as the play continues, evident through their confidence “fluctuations” throughout the play. One is able to truly see these variations in Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s characters in the latter’s introductory soliloquy: “What thou art promised; yet do I fear thy nature; it is too full o’ the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest [way. Thou] wouldst be great art thou not without ambition…” Lady Macbeth calls her husband too kind to ever commit a crime against the king despite his ambitions to become greater. (1.5.4-6) The same scene demonstrates her own ambitions to become queen: “Come into my woman’s breasts and take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers… you wait on nature’s mischief” (1.5.37-40) where she literally pleads to be stripped of her womanly traits to become evil, especially if Macbeth is unwilling to commit the sin of murder that “fate and metaphysical … doth seem to have [him] crowned.” (1.5.17-19) One sees his insecurities and hesitation further on when he finally meets Lady Macbeth to discuss the ominous prophecies of the Wyrd sisters and later after Duncan’s death. Macbeth, distraught, demonstrates his remorse through his paranoia, stating, “One cried ‘God bless us!’ and ‘Amen’ the other as they had seen me with these hangman’s [hands. Listening] their fear, I could not say ‘Amen,’ when they did say ‘God Bless us!’” (2.2.28-31) The roles are reversed once he is crowned king, palpable through Macbeth’s gain of