Z Notes Cian Hogan

May 12, 2016 | Author: Earl Edwards | Category: N/A
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1 Z Notes 12 Essay Pack Two SAMPLE ESSAYS Cian Hogan 2014 KEY NOTES, ESSAY WRITING TECHNIQUE, EXAM QUESTIONS 23 Contents...

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Z Notes Ⓒ Cian Hogan 2014

1

Essay Pack Two SAMPLE ESSAYS

Ⓒ Cian Hogan 2014

KEY NOTES, ESSAY WRITING TECHNIQUE, EXAM QUESTIONS

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Contents Leaving Cert 2007

4

Leaving Cert 2004

11

Leaving Cert 2003

17

Leaving Cert 1999

22

Imagery

27

Ⓒ Cian Hogan 2014

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LEAVING CERT 2007

M AC B E TH – Wi l l i am Shake s peare

(i ) “ Th e re l ati o ns h i p between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth u n d e rg oe s s i gn i f i can t c hange durin g the cou r se of th e play.” Di sc u ss t h i s s tateme nt supporting you r answer with the aid of s u ita b l e re f e ren ce t o t he t ext .

M ar k ex 60 b y refe rence to the cr iter ia for assessment using th e fol l ow in g break do wn o f marks. P 18 C 18 L 18 M 6

Ca n d i d at e s a re f re e to agree, disagree or partly agree with the statement. Expect candidates to engage with the re l at ion s h i p be t wee n Macbeth an d Lady Macbeth, and the c han g e / s i n t hat rel ationship durin g the course of the play. ‘ Sig n i f i ca nt ’ m ay b e implied by th e quality of the candidates’ e nga g e m e n t wi th t he change/s in th is c entral relationship. In o u t li n i n g t h e ch an ge/s (or lack of ch an ge/s), candidates may e m p l o y f ocu s e d n ar rat i ve t o i l l us t rate th e poin ts th ey make.

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Co d e C R f o r c h an gi ng re l at io ns h i p.

Po s s ib le p o i n ts : - t h e p l a n t o k i l l D u n c a n i n t ro d u c e s t e n s i o n i n t o t h e i r l o v i n g / s ha r i ng re l at i ons h i p - th e m u rd e r al te r s t he dy n amic betw een th em - he a ct s al one, hi gh li ght i ng t h e ‘death ’ of th e partn er sh ip - th e i r re lat i on s hi p d is i nt e grat es f o ll ow in g th e ban qu et scen e - th e y b e c om e i nc reas i ngl y is o lat ed from each oth er - th e w it ch e s rep l ace Lady Mac beth ’s in flu en ce on h is life - h is re s p o n s e t o h er death illustrates the significant gulf b e twe en t h e m - d e sp it e t h e a ppare n t ch ange /s , thei r l ove en du res

Shakespeare’s “ Macbe t h” presents us with one of the mo st m e m o ra bl e rel at ions hips in all of literature. However, in t h e c ou r s e o f th e p lay, t his relation sh ip undergoes significant c han g e . To b egi n w ith , Macbe th an d Lady Macbeth share a c los e an d l o v in g marr iage. However, the murder of Duncan d riv e s t h e m a part un til th ey each go to their deaths alone a n d i so l at e d .

In order to understand the significant change that takes p la ce i n t h e i r rel at ions hip, it is important to acknowledge h ow cl os e M a cb et h and Lady Macbeth once were. When we f irs t m e e t L a d y Macbet h, s he is reading a letter from her h us ba n d . Th e le tter is a marv ellou s device that affords us an in s ig h t i n t o t h e c l o s en es s of t he ir relationship. In the letter,

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M ac b e t h s h a re s the n ew s of his encou nter with the Witches. It is cl ear f rom t he ton e and th e conten t that Macbeth values h i s w i f e ’s o p i n i o n a n d i s p a s s i o n at e l y i n l o v e w i t h h e r. D e s cr ib i ng h e r as h is “ dea re st partn e r in greatn e s s,” he o u t l in e s h i s ambi ti on s and hopes for th e future. Importantly, it i s a s h a re d futu re t hat con tain s the promise of joint “great n e s s.” Fo r h er part, Lady Macbeth is excited by what h e r h us b a n d ha s commun icat ed to her. She shares in his d ream o f an ambi ti ou s f ut u re :

Glam i s t h ou art , an d Cawdor; and shalt be W hat t hou art pro mise d:

He r rea ct i o n t o wh at Macbet h outlines demonstrates an in t i mat e u n d er s t an ding of h is character. She recognises his d e si re for great ne s s , y e t ack no wl edges th at h e lacks “ the illness

that

should

understanding of

attend

i t .” A s

a

the complexities of

result

of

her

h e r h u s b a n d ’s

c h a ract er, s h e de t ermi ne s t o t ake co ntrol of th e situ ation . H owe ve r, t h is is no o rdi nar y si tuation . If h er h u sban d is t o rea l i se h i s d ar kes t ambit ions , sh e kn ows that she will have t o h e l p h i m, a nd i n orde r t o do th at, sh e understands that she wi ll ha v e t o ch ang e. Sh e w il l have to “ Stop up the access and p a ssa g e t o re mo r s e” so that “ n o compunctious visitings of nat u re S h a ke [h er ] f e ll pur pos e.” S he is willing to sacrifice h e r v e r y i d e nti ty a s a woman in order to ensure that she has th e s t re n gt h to h el p h us ban d car ry o ut th e mu rder :

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[ . ..] Co m e , y ou s pir it s That t e nd on mort al t h oughts, unsex me here, A nd f ill me f ro m t h e cro wn to the toe top-full Of d ires t cru e lt y!

Wh il e w e r i gh t ly c on demn Lady Macbeth for her murderous in t e n t , w e mus t a l so recogn ise that she is in large part mo t iv at e d b y l o v e. He r realisation th at she must become c ru el e r i n o rde r to s upport h er h usband places an awful strain o n h e r, an d t h at s train con tr ibutes greatly the significant c h a ng e t h at t ake s pl ace in t he ir relati on sh ip.

The Killing of Duncan marks the beginning of the end f or t h e i r re l at i o n s hi p. Th e way in wh ich they react to awfulness o f wh at t h e y h av e done expos es fun damental differences in t h e i r c h a r a c t e r s t h a t e v e n t u a l l y d r i v e t h e m a p a r t . Fo r exa m p l e , o n the ni ght of th e mu rder, Macbeth falls prey to h is o v e ra ct i v e i magin at ion. He sees a dagger before him, “Th e h a n dle to ward [ h is ] han d ” a n d h e i m a g i n e s “wither'd m u rd e r A l a r um 'd by his s en t ine l, the wolf.” On the other h an d , L ad y M a cb et h res ponds to th e n ight ’s events in a very d iff e re n t m a nne r. Fo r h er, th e sou nds th at so disturb Macbeth a re l itt le m ore t h an t h e “Owl[ ’s ] scream and the crickets[’] c ry.” H e r i m a gi nati on is lite ral an d rigid . It lacks the flexibility nee de d t o s u rvi ve th e u nfolding h orro rs of her husband’s c rim e s an d as a res ult t he relation ship quickly becomes stra in e d . Pe r h aps Macbe th s en ses this in his wife because he no lo n g e r c o nf i de s in h er an d, followin g the Banquet Scene, s he re ce de s , wre t ch e d and de je cted fro m th e action . Ⓒ Cian Hogan 2014

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For his part, Macbeth’s attitude to the relationship is a lt ere d d ra mat i c ally following Du ncan’s murder. To begin w it h, he re l i es o n his wife to provide him with the courage a n d s t re n gt h n ee ded to carry ou t this crime. And, she fulfils th i s ro l e ad mi ra bl y. The scenes in wh ich she convinces her hu sb and of th e ne ed t o “ screw [h is] courage to the sticking pl a ce” are s o me o f the the most ten se and sexually charged in t h e p l a y. Du ri n g such moments, she calls on her husband to prov e to h er t hat he i s man:

When yo u dur st do i t, th en you we re a man And t o be mo re t ha n w hat y ou we re , you wou ld Be s o m uch mo re t h e man

Th e p ow e r and pas s i o n o f La dy’s Mac beth ’s “undaunted m e ttl e” m es m er i s es Macbeth as h e en visages their future as Ki n g a n d Q ue en o f Scotland. He murders Duncan not just to s at is fy h i s o wn am bi tion but be cause h e loves her. Yet, like his w if e b e f ore h i m, Macbeth fin ds it necessary to alter his pe r so na l i t y i n o rd er to live with th e consequence of his c r i m e . Th e c h a n g e s t h a t h e f o rc e s h i m s e l f t o u n d e rg o i mp i n ge s i gni f i c ant l y o n hi s rel atio nsh ip w ith h is w ife. The c hanges t hat o c c u r i n Ma cb eth ’s c h arac ter are seen ear ly o n i n p l ay. I n an eloquent evocation of the horrors that a re h a pp en i ng t o h im, he makes an evil plea in Act III, scene i i f o r t he s up pre ss i o n o f any s c r upl es h e still migh t h ave:

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Come s e e lin g n ight, S carf u p t h e t e n der e ye of pitiful day; A nd wit h t h y bloody and invis ible hand Ca nce l an d t ear to pie ce s that great bond W hich ke e ps me pale !

M ac b e t h ’s fr i g hte n in g praye r is answered and very quickly life c eas e s t o h av e a ny meanin g for him beyond holding on to p ow e r. Wh il e hi s w ife becomes trapped in the past, he b e co me s ob se s s ed wi t h f ut u re. H e keeps alon e, “of sorriest f a n c i e s [ h i s] c o mpa n ion s ma k ing ” an d, sensing his wife’s d iff i cu l t y i n c o mi n g te rms wit h the grim reality of the world t h at t h e y h a ve creat ed for t he mselves, excludes her from the d e ci sio n m a ki n g pro ce s s . He plan s the murder of Banquo and t h e d e s t r u c ti on of Macduff ’s castle wi thout her, eager that s h e “rem a i n i nn o c e nt o f t he kn ow ledg e until [she] applaud the dee d.”

A s L a d y Ma c bet h rece des from the action, she makes

re p eat e d att empts to rea ch h e r h u sb an d bu t to n o avai l . The re l ati o ns h i p is li terally fractu red by th e killing of Duncan and t h e l as t m ea ni n gfu l role t hat sh e plays in his life occurs d ur in g t h e Ba nq ue t s cen e in Act III scene iv. However, even h e re , a s s h e attem p ts to prev en t him from making a public d i s c l o s u re , w e a re re m i n d e d o f t h e d i ff e re n c e s i n t h e i r p e rs on a l i t i es . The l it eralis m of her imagination resurfaces as s h e re m in ds h im th at h is :

                         

f la w s a n d st a rts, [...] w ou ld we ll be come A w oman 's s t ory at a winter's fire, [...] W he n all's don e , You look but on a st ool.

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Ho we ve r, i t i s to o l ate . His fear s have taken hold of him, and in s t ea d o f l o o ki ng t o he r for comfort as he would have once d on e, h e t u rns to Wi t ch es f o r s o lac e.

Fo l l o w i n g h i s s e c o n d e n c o u n t e r w i t h t h e W i t c h e s , M ac b e t h b ec o mes in creas ingly savage. He bring fire and sw ord t o h is co unt r y an d dur ing th is period we hear little of L ad y M ac b eth . Th e couple , w hich w as once so close now face t h e ir d oo m al o n e a nd is olat ed. Wh en news reaches Macbeth t h at h i s w ife i s i l l , his att en tion remains fixed on military m atte r s . S e yto n’s c on fir mat ion th at she has died is greeted by h im w i t h a c o l d ac ce ptan ce of the inevitability of her fate. He offe r s u s a n i hi li s ti c v iew of ex isten ce when he suggests that L ad y M ac b et h “s ho uld h a ve died h ereafte r”. It is philosophy th at v i ew s:

“ To - m o r r o w , a n d t o - m o r r o w , a n d t o - m o r r o w , [C re eping] in t h is petty pace from day to day to th e l a s t syllable of recorded time.”

Th e f ut u re that the y on ce de te rmin ed to shape for themselves h as b e c om e a co l d a nd e mpt y presen t.

The relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth u nd e rgo e s s i gn ifi can t ch ange du rin g the course of the play. Th e i r i n i t i a l c l o s e n e s s a n d b e l i e f i n a s h a re d f u t u re i s d e st ro y e d by t h e bu rde n t hat t h ei r c ri me places on th em.

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LEAVING CERT 2004

“ Th e pla y, M acbe t h, h as m an y s ce n es of compelling drama.”

C ho o se o n e sc ene that you foun d c ompelling and say why y o u fo u n d it to be so. Support you r answer by reference to t h e p la y.

W hi l e c a n di dat es may interpre t ‘on e scene’ liberally, they sh o u l d fo c u s m a in ly on one parti cu lar part of the play, or on a g ro up o f rel ate d scenes such as th e meetings with the witches, or the murder of Duncan and its immediate a fte r m at h . Co de C D f o r ‘c om p el l i ng d ra m a’. Po s s ib l e p o in t s: Co mp e lli n g d ram a be c a us e o f … - t h e s etti n g a n d at mo sphere - t h e t e n s i o n a nd c onf lict created in it - i t s o c c u r re nc e at a key mo ment in th e drama - t he m o od c reated by the acti ons and thoughts of the c h a ra c t e r s - t h e d ra m at ic imp a ct o f Sha kes pea re’s lan gu age /image ry - t h e s ta g i ng , c os t ume, lighting - t h e s ce n e ’s po ten t ia l f o r special e ffects

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“Macbeth” has many scenes of compelling drama. Ho we ve r, t o my mi n d Act th ree , scen e iv, The Banquet Scene, h as t o b e o n e o f the play ’s most fascin ating and dramatic. In on e sh ort s c e ne, S hake speare manages to capture both the m o m e n t o f Mac be th and Lady Macbeth’s triumph and their d ow nf a l l . Thi s s c e ne ch ange s everyth ing and following the B a n q u e t , M a c b e t h ’s l e g i t i m a c y a s m o n a rc h i s n o l o n g e r a c ce p t e d , h is re lati ons hip w ith h is wife becomes increasingly s t rain e d an d he i s dr iv e n f u rt h er i nto paran oia an d violen ce.

The Banquet Scene occurs in Act III, scene iv. Its placement within the overall play is highly significant. M ac b e t h ’s i l l eg a l att empt to u su rp th e throne of Scotland has b e e n s u c ces s f ul an d in orde r to projec t an image of power a n d s t a bi l i t y he a rran ges for a state ban quet to be held. The sc e n e o p e n s wi t h Macbet h in sistin g on order and decorum. H e re m i n d s h i s g u e s t s t h at t h e y a l l “ k n o w [ t h e i r ] o w n d eg ree s; ” an d off e rs t he m a “hearty we lcome.” He makes ext en s i v e u s e of th e royal plural so as project a sense of m a je s t y a nd po we r :

Our se lf will min gle w ith s oci e ty, A nd play t h e h u mble h ost . Our hos t e s s ke e ps h e r st ate, but in bes t time We w ill re qu ire h e r we lcome.

O ne o f t h e m o s t c ompellin g aspects of this scene is the way which Shakespeare highlights the incongruity between

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M ac b e t h ’s o pe n h earted welcome to the assembled Thanes an d t h e d a rk s e cre t he is keepin g from them. If the Banquet h as b e e n o rg a ni s e d to project a sen se of power and stability, it h as al s o be e n arranged in order to conceal Macbeth’s mu rd e r o f B an qu o. The theme of appearance and reality is c en t ra l t o a ny read i ng of Macbeth an d as the two murderers ar r iv e at t h e d oo r, we are remin ded of Duncan’s belief that th e re i s no “ a rt t o f ind t he min d’s co ns tru ction in th e face.” M ac b e t h ’s s h oc ki n g ability to presen t a kind and affable face t o h i s g u es t s afte r having retu rn ed from discussing the c i r c u m s t a n c e s o f h i s f o r m e r f r i e n d ’s m u r d e r m a k e s f o r c o m p e l l i n g drama . The hired m urderers that wait for Macbeth o ut si d e t h e b a nq uet act as a powerful metaphor for the t h e m e of a ppearan ce and reality. As th ey present us with a v is ce ra l a cc ou n t of B anquo’s fate, w e learn that he now lies in a d i t c h w i t h “Wit h twenty trench ed gas hes on his head; | The l ea st a death to n at ure. “ The men ’s appearance and the la ng u ag e t hat t hey use are co mpl etely at odds with the re f i ne d s p l end o r o f the banquet a nd its emphasis on order an d s t at u s.

Whe n Mac b e t h re t urns , we a re presen te d w ith on e of t h e mo st co mpe ll in g moments of drama in all of literature. Th e a r r i v a l o f th e g host of Banqu o puts an end to Macbeth’s c a re f ul l y con s t ruc ted attempt to a ppear majestic. In many re s pe c t s , B an qu o ac hieves in death wh at he failed to do in lif e . E ar l i e r i n th e p lay, in Act II, scen e i Banquo promised to f ig ht “A g a i n st t he undiv ulged p reten ce” and to question this “mo st b l o o d y p ie ce o f w o r k.”

U nfortu nately, Banquo does

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no t li v e up to thi s promise. In fact, he i s in many ways deeply c o m p rom is ed b y hi s inaction. Ho wever, in death the spectral e m b o di m e n t o f Ba nquo succeeds in destroying Macbeth’s “p re t e n c e.” Th e as s embled guests kno w nothing of Banquo’s mu rd e r. S o, whe n Mac bet h i ns i sts to t he Gh ost th at:

Th ou can s t no t s ay I di d i t: n ev e r s h ake Th y go ry locks at me .

t h e y mu s t s us p ec t that he is referri ng to the murder of D u nc a n. Th ei r s us picions are ca ptured in Ross’ puzzled reply to M a cb e t h:

W hat s ig ht s, my lo rd?

Th e re i s no a ns w e r t o this question a nd while Lady Macbeth’s t i m e l y i n t e r ven t io n saves her h usband from making a full d is cl os u re , it mus t also empha sise to the guests that he is c o nc eal i n g a dar k secret. The tension at this moment in the sc e ne i s a l m os t as unbearable as it is compelling. From this p oi nt o n , Mac be th has lost the respect and trust of his ki n sme n.

Th is sce ne also pre se n t s u s w i th a c o mpel l i ng i nsi gh t in t o t h e M a c b eth ’s mental state. W h en the murderers arrive an d c on fir m th at B anquo has been “ dis patch e d,” Macbeth’s re l ie f i s a l m os t pa l pable. However, when they explain that F lean ce h as es c ap ed we are afforded a glimpse into just how Ⓒ Cian Hogan 2014

14

a gi t at e d M a c be t h’s mind is. Wh at follows, in his description o f h ow he i s f e e li ng , i s a near c l i ni c al accou n t of paran oia:

B ut n ow I am cabin 'd, cribb'd, confined, b ou nd in | To s au cy doubts and fears.

Th e s e “ s a u c y do ubt s a nd f ea r s” are magnified when he sees t h e Gh os t . M ac b eth is no coward ; hi s prowess on the battled h as c on f i r m ed t hi s for us. However, the sight of Banquo whos e “b o n e s a re ma r ro w less” and w ho has no speculation in [h is ] e ye s ” redu ce s M ac be t h t o feel in g like “ The baby of a g irl.” B anq uo’s “ho r r ible sha do w ” d e s t ro y s M a c b e t h ’s s e l f c o nf id e n c e a n d hi s ability to proj ect a sense of majesty. It is o n l y whe n t h e ap pari t i o n vani s hes th at h e feels like a “man a ga i n .”

Alth ou gh Lady Macbe t h i s mast erfu l in h er att empts to p re v e n t h e r h us b and from makin g a su dden disclosure, her a c tio ns are i n h er o wn wo rds “ t o o late.” Macbeth’s incoherent a n d v er y t rou bl in g behavi o ur has “disp laced the mirth [and] b roke t h e g o od m eet ing, | With mo st ad mire d dis orde r.” The p ur po s e o f t he banquet was after al l to project a sense of o rd er a n d p ow e r. I n order to portray th e Macbeths’ complete c o m p l e t e re v ers a l of fortune Sha kespeare emphasises the a s y m m e t r i c a l nature of the scene. In fact, one of the most compelling aspects of

this scene is the way which

Sha ke s p ea re man ages to capture the specific point at which t h e M ac b e t h ’s are no longer accepted as the legitimate rulers o f Sc o t l a nd . The B a nquet Scene opens with Macbeth insisting Ⓒ Cian Hogan 2014

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th at hi s ass emb l e d gue s t s al l “kn ow th ei r own deg ree s.” Th e re i s, o f c ou r s e, a great dea l of iron y in Ma cbe th ’s att em pt t o re mi n d h i s gu es ts of the soci al h ie ra rc hy th at he h as so sa v ag e l y v i o l ated . I f the scene begins w it h order, i t ends i n an un ce re mo n io us a nd disorderly exit by th e gues ts . Real is ing t h at h e r h u s ba nd is on the brin k o f maki ng a ful l dis cl os ure , L ad y M a cb et h ha s ti ly begs her gu ests t o leave i n wh at eve r ord er t h ey see f i t:

I p ra y y ou, spea k not; he g rows wors e an d wors e; Qu e s t ion e n rage s h im. At on ce , good ni gh t : Stan d no t u pon t h e order of your goi ng , Bu t go at on ce .

Th e re i s a w on de r ful and compell in g eco nom y to t he sc ene t h at ma n a g es to underscore the tragic f uti li ty of w hat th e M ac be t h’s h ave d one .

Act III, scene iv, Th e B a n qu et S cen e, i s a f a s c i n at i n g a n d compelling moment of

drama. In this short scene,

S ha ke s p ea re ca p tures both the m om ent of Mac bet h and La dy M ac b e t h ’s tr i ump h and their down fa ll . Th e m oo d, t ens io n and c a re f ul l y t h o ug ht o ut structure of the sce ne w or k to h igh li ght ju s t h ow su d de n and complete the Mac bet h’s dow nfa ll ha s been been.

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LEAVING CERT 2003

I n “ Ma c be t h”, Sha ke speare doe s not present Macbeth as a m ere vi l l a i n , b ut su ccee ds in arou sin g some measure of sy m pat h y fo r hi m.

I n h i s d ep ic ti on of a man wh o m u rder s h is k in g an d kin sm an i n o rd er t o gain t he crown , on ly to lose everything t h at w e s e e m t o n e e d i n o rd e r t o b e h a p p y — s l e e p, n o u ri s hme nt , f ri e nds , l ov e — S hakespeare does not present M ac b e t h as a me re v illain, but succeeds in arousing some m easu re of s ympat h y f or hi m.

M acbe th is a tragic he ro. When w e fi r st m eet h i m , w e a re st r u c k b y the fact th at he is a gen eral of extraordinary mi li t a ry p ro w e s s an d cou rage. He has fought bravely and re s ol ut e l y i n d efe n ce of t he kin gdom. In fact, the sergeant ’s a c co un t o f Ma c be t h’s batt lefield exploits emphasises his c o urag e a nd hi s ch ar is ma:

B u t all’s t o w ea k Fo r bra ve Macbe t h — we l l he d ese rv es t hat na me — Di s dai nin g f ortu ne , with his brandish 'd st eel, W hic h sm oke d wi t h bloo dy execu t io n , Like v alou r's min ion ca rve d ou t his pas s age Till he faced the s lave ;

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Th e pe rs o nific ati on of “f ort un e” a n d “ Va lo u r ’s min io n” creates a large r- t h a n- l i fe image of Macbeth wh ich is essential if we a re t o e mp at h is e wi th t he t ragedy of this great man’s fall from g rac e . Th i s o pi ni o n of him is further u nderscored by Duncan whe n he l av i s hes p ra is e on hi s “wo rthie s t cou s in.”

However, Macbeth

succumbs

to

the

evil

t e m p t at i on th at t h e Wit che s represen t and he chooses to v i o l at e e v e r y t h i n g t h at h e o n c e f o u g h t t o p re s e r v e . Ye t d e sp i t e t h i s , S h akespeare s ucce eds in maintaining sympathy f or M a cb e t h i n a number of v er y interesting ways. To begin wit h , h e c h oo s es to s hie ld u s from the horror of the actual m u rd e r. B y e m p l o y i n g e l i s i o n , S h a ke s p ea re f o rc e s u s t o c o nc e n t rat e on t h e effect s of t he murd er on Macbeth rather th an t he vi cti m. The man w ho emerges from Du n can ’s bedc ham b e r i s n o t s een by u s as a cowardly murderer, but rather a m a n wh o h as s ac ri ficed e ve ry th ing th at matters on the alter o f hi s o wn “v a ult in g a mbit ion.” The sympathy that we feel for M ac b e t h at t hi s poin t in t he play is heightened by the in s ig h t s t o h is me nt al s tate th at he himself provides before t h e m u rde r. A s he debate s ov er w heth er or not to proceed, he ad m it s t h at:

Pi t y, l i ke a n a ke d n e w - b o r n b a b e Striding the blast,

wi ll pl ea d ag ai ns t th e “de ep damn ation ” o f k illin g Duncan . Th is i mag e of a v uln erable babe, so powerfully evoked by M ac b e t h h i ms el f, capt ure s Macbeth’s sense of the awfulness

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o f th e v i ol at io n t h at he is about to commit. Of course, at the sa me t i m e , Sh ake s peare heightens ou r sympathy for him by mo v in g ou r i m agi nation and con sci enc e through his vision of t h e e n t i re w or l d b ro ught to tear s at the sight of Macbeth’s a c t of i n h uma ni ty. I n this wonderful ly evocative key moment in t he p la y, Macb et h f o res hado ws h i s ow n even tu al isolation .

It is this clear-eyed awareness of

what is

h ap p e n i n g to hi m that arouses mo st sympathy from the a u d ie n ce f o r Ma c beth. From th e mo ment that he leaves D u nc a n’s b ed ch amber, Macbeth is awa re that the murder has c h an g e d h i m:

Ho w is't w ith me, when eve ry n oise appalls me ? What hand s are here? ha ! t h ey plu ck ou t min e eye s .

Th is is f ol lowed by a h ea rt - re n d er in g ad mi ssi on o f gu i l t th at s ee s M ac b et h quant i f y hi s c ri me in epic ter ms:

W i l l a ll g reat Neptune's oc ean was h th is blood C lea n from my hand? No, t his my h and will rat h er Th e mu ltit udin ou s s eas in in carn adin e, Ma king the green one red .

I t is d i ff i c ul t no t t o be moved b y these lines and, as the play p r o g r e s s e s , w e w i t n e s s M a c b e t h ’s g r a d u a l d e c e n t i n t o p ara n oi a . H is g ui l t overwhelms h im and he embarks on a Ⓒ Cian Hogan 2014

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m urd ero us c o ur s e that sees him attempting to regain his pea ce o f m i nd . Yet, each murder fu rther dehumanises him. His thoughts become “cabin’d, cribb’d” and his “saucy do u b t s” dr i ve h i m f urther and fu rth er away from his wife and hi s k i ns m e n . O nc e he murders Ban quo, there is no turning ba ck f or M acb et h; real i s i ng t hat he “ in blood | Stepp'd in so f a r th at [ . . . ] Re tu r ni ng w e re as ted io us as go o 'er.” Macbeth re si gn s h i ms el f to a course of action that he knows will de s t ro y hi s humani t y.

Th e f inal A ct of t h e play presen ts us with some tr uly u n f o rg e t t a b l e m o m e n t s o f t r a g e d y. A s M a c b e t h ’s w o r l d crumbles before his very eyes, he achieves a level of pe rce p t i v en es s a ff o rded to very few people. His wife is dead, hi s s u pp orte rs h av e deserted him and h e is surrounded on all s i de s b y en em i es . Once again, the remarkable quality of Ma cb et h l i es h i s c l ear-eyed acceptance of his fate. His final soliloquies are dark, nihilistic and deeply moving. He u n de rs t and s t hat t he qualities that make life worth living such a s; “h o n o u r”, “l o v e”, “ o bedienc e and troops of frie n ds” are in co mp at i bl e wi t h t he life that he has chosen for himself. In a ge n u i ne l y s h o c ki n g moment of epiphany, he is taken aback by h is o wn i n ab i l i ty to feel mean ingfu lly about anything. The “n i g h t - sh r i ek” o f a woman, fails to stir him and he admits that he ha s “ s u pp 'd f u ll with horrors; | Direness, familiar to [his] sl a u gh t erous t ho ughts | Ca nnot on ce s tart ” him. And when Se y t o n c o nfi r ms t hat his wife is dead he is unable to grieve f o r h e r. H i s de c i s i o n to face Macdu ff on the battlefield is not n e c es s ary be caus e hi s “ castle’s stre ngth will laugh a siege to Ⓒ Cian Hogan 2014

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sc o r n .” Ye t h e c ho os es t o do so because he wants to die like a so ld i e r. Thi s c o n fer s a h eroic status on him that recalls the d e p ict ion s of h i s b att le f ie ld expl oi ts in Act I.

W h i l e S h a ke s p e a re d o e s n o t d e n y t h e b r u t a l i t y o f M ac b e t h ’s ty ra nny, he does not present him as a mere villain. Th rou g h h i s de pi c t ions of Macbeth’s suffering and in his e mp h as i s of t he t ragic w ast e of hu man p otential, he succeeds in arou si ng s ome meas ure of s ympath y for h im.

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LEAVING CERT 1999

“ I ma g e s o f st o r m, blood, and an imals dramatically evoke an atmosphere of destruction and disorder in the play ‘M ac b e t h’.” Di sc uss this stateme nt, s upporting your answer b y ref ere n ce t o o r quo tat io n f rom th e play.

Imag e ry do mi nate s t he poetic fabric of “Macbeth.” In p a rt ic u l ar, i mag es of storm, blood, and animals are used by S h akes p ea re t o e voke an atm osph ere of destruction and d i so rd er in t he p l ay.

I n many res pec ts, “ M ac beth ” i s abou t blood an d in th is p l ay, b l o o d i mag ery is used by S hakespeare to create an at mo s ph ere o f de struction an d disorder. The Witches are c e n tral to h o w t hi s atmosphere is evoked. If we accept that th e s e s up er natu ra l creatures symbolise a vision of evil that is c ha ot i c a nd rel i s h es in destruction, th en we quickly come to s e e t h at t h e b l o o d imagery associated with them is essential in e s ta b l i s hi n g t hi s vision. In t he opening scene of the play, th e s e co nd wi t ch c o mes f ro m th e bl oody task of “ Killing S wi n e” a n d t h e f i r s t w i t c h h a s “a pilot ’s thumb .” Of course, as th e “Wei rd Sist ers” dance “ ha nd in han d,” their chanting and s p e ll - ma k i ng a re s et to the back drop of a bloody and costly re b el l i o n. I n th e p l ay, blood and th e disorder associated with re b el l i o n a re i n ex tr i cably linked. Macbeth‘ s crime is seen as a vi ol at i on o f a natu ral order that h as been established through

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t h e l e g i t i ma c y o f Duncan’s blo od. On the morning of the d is co v e r y o f Du n ca n’s body, th e dead King is spoken of as b e in g t h e “ f o unta i n” of his son‘s blood; his wounds “ look’d l i ke a b rea ch i n nature f o r r u in ’s wa ste fu l e n tran ce.” Here, t h e im ag e o f Du n can’s sacred, blo odstained body, acts as a p ow e r f u l me t aph o r for the ch al len ge to order and stability th at M ac b et h’s cr ime repres e nts .

Th i s asso c i at io n be t wee n bl o od imagery and disorder c o n t i n u e s a ft e r D u n c a n h a s b e e n i n t e r re d i n Co l m e k i l l . Fo l l o w i n g M a c b e t h ’s a c c e s s i o n t o t h e t h ro n e , t h e w o r l d b e com e s a “ b lo o dy st a ge” and the new King brings fire and sw ord t o h i s o wn people. The m urder of Banquo comes to sy m b o l i se th e abs e nce of law an d o rder under Macbeth. For h is pa rt , Ma c be t h understand s the awfulness of killing his f or me r k i n s m an a nd friend, an d in order to steel himself to th e t as k, h e i s f o rce d t o i nvoke “th e bloody and invisible h a n d” of ni gh t . O nc e the deed i s don e, Shakespeare relies on d e s c r i p t i o n s o f B a n q u o ’s f at e i n o rd e r t o h i g h l i g h t t h e h y po c ri s y of the ne w King and Qu een’s attempts to project o rd er a nd d ec o ru m. On the ni ght of the banquet, as the as s em b l e d g ues t s prepare to take their seats according to the th e ir “d e g rees” o f status, their host listens to a graphic ac co u nt o f h is fr ie n d’s death. The two murderers boast of the “tw en t y t re nc he d ga shes ” on their vi ctim’s head and then, al mo s t i m m ed iate l y afterwards, Ban quo’s ghost shakes his “g o r y lo c ks ” at Mac beth. This bl oo dy image stands as a clear re b u ke t o M ac b eth ’s attempts to im pose an illegitimate order

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o n t h e K i ng do m . It is not su rpr isin g then, that Macbeth s h oul d be c onv i nc ed t hat “blo o d will h ave blood.”

Early in the play, Shakespeare relies on nature ima g er y t o h i nt at t he hierarchical str ucture of society and of c ou rs e t o hi g hl i g ht the threat that Macbeth represents to h a rmo ny a nd o rde r. On the day before the murder, Duncan c om me n ts on th e s we e t and “ pleasan t” air that surrounds Ma cb et h’s c a s tl e but once th e deed is done, a series of disturbing animal images warn of

the disorder and

d e s t r uc ti o n th at l i es i n s t o re f or S co tlan d. A “falcon” “Was by a m o u s i n g o w l h a w k ' d at a n d k i l l ' d ,” Du n can ’s h or ses “ broke t h ei r st al ls” a n d , t o t h e a m a z e m e n t o f t h o s e p re s e n t , “they at e eac h o t he r .” What we a re witnessing here, is a vast d i st u rb anc e t o t he natural fabr ic of existence. As Macbeth a n d L a dy M ac b et h grow in evil, they identify themselves more c l ose l y w i th c reat ures of the nigh t. When Lady Macbeth s wear s t hat t he Ki ng will never leave Dunsinane alive, she i nv oke s th e p owe rf ul audi t o r y image of th e “th e rave n ” h oa r s e from cro aki ng “the fatal e ntrance of Duncan under [ h e r] batt le me nts .” Before each mu rder, Macbeth turns to a n im a l i mag er y i n order exp ress his fears or describe his a n ti ci p at i o n o f t he crime. To his w ife’s amazement, the rhythm a n d ca d e nc e o f h i s speech is au dibly altered as he identifies w i t h t h e “ n i g h t ’ s b l a c k a g e n t s .” M o m e n t a r i l y , i n h i s i m a g i n a t i o n , h e b e c o m e s a v i c i o u s p re d a t o r y n o c t u r n a l c reat ure t hat st al ks t he “Go o d th ings of day.” And, the d i so rd e r of hi s mi nd is conveyed in a series of references to

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v e no mo us c reatu re s s uc h as t he “sha rd- born e be e tle ” and “s c o rp i o n s.” Al thou gh for the most pa rt, such animal imagery is u se d b y S ha ke s peare to represent Macbeth’s attachment to e v i l, i t i s a ls o emp l oyed to empha sise the consequences of wh at h e h a s d on e . For exampl e, when Fife is seized, Lady M ac d u ff h i g hl i g hts her defencel essn ess by contrasting her hu sb a nd ’s ap p arent negl ec t wi t h:

t he p o o r w ren, The most diminutive of birds, [that] will fight, Her young ones in her nest, against the owl.

A nd of c o urs e , wh e n Macduff receives the news of his family's s l a ug h te r, h e wee ps f o r “a ll [ his] pre tty c h icks.”

St orm imagery first appea rs i n th e pl a y w h en we m eet t h e W i t c hes . The disorder that th ey represent is captured p e rf e ct l y b y th e ir d ecision to co nvene their next meeting in “th u n d e r, l ig ht enin g o r in rai n.” Alth ough their power is lim it e d , t h ey do exert a super natu ral influence over the e l e me n t s a n d the y use this influen ce to bring destruction to a n y t h at w o u l d o p p o s e t h e m . Th e “ m a s t e r o f Ti g e r ” i s s u b je ct ed t o t h e f ul l f o rc e o f t he th ei r destr u ctive pow er s:

Th ou gh h is bark canno t be los t, Yet it s h all be te mpest-tost.

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Th e f ac t t h at th e s e creatures embody a profound, if not i n e x p l i c a b l e a n d d i s o rd e r l y d i s t u r b a n c e t o e x i s t e n c e , i s h ig h l i gh t e d i n th e s tage directio ns that announce their four separate appearances. On each occasion, Shakespeare in d ic at e s t h at t h under or ligh ten ing should precede their a p p ea ra n c e o n s t age. And when Macbeth seeks them out in A ct IV, s ce n e i , we are struck by j ust how much his way of t h in ki n g h a s be en influenced b y th e typ e of chaotic evil that t h e se creatu res represent. Drawi ng on storm imagery, he h ig h l i gh t s h i s w i l l i ngness to brin g destruction and chaos to hi s K i n gd om in o rd er t o f urt he r his o w n selfish n eeds:

Thou gh y o u unt i e t he w ind s an d le t th e m figh t A gain st t h e ch u rc h es; though the yesty waves Con f ou nd an d s wallow navigation up; Th ou gh blade d corn be lodged and trees blown d own ; Th ou gh cas t le s t opple on their warders' heads[.]

Th is t y p e of image ry i s v e r y s i mil a r to th e referen c es to th e “u n r u l y” st or m t h at to ppl ed “chimn eys” on th e n igh t of D un ca n ’s mu rde r. It i s al s o, o f co ur se, th e ver y an tith esis of wh at a g o od k i ng s ho ul d want fo r h i s cou n tr y.

I n “M acb et h,” i m a g e s o f st or m, bl ood and animals are u s e d b y S hake sp eare t o hi ghl i ght t he disorder an d d e st r u ct i on that Mac bet h vi s i t s o n hi s c ou n tr y.

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IMAGERY

Mac b et h contains m any memorable and thought provoking imagery patterns that have captured the imaginations of

generations of

audiences. The most

pre do mi n an t i mag ery patterns in the play include those a ss o ciate d wi t h bl o od, c hi l dren, si ck ness an d n igh t.

“Ma cb et h” i s a bloody and violen t play. Accordingly, the pl ay p re s en ts us wi th a litany of bloody events and images. Fro m t he a pp ea ra nce of the b loody sergeant in the second s c en e to t h e c l o s i ng moments of the play, we are presented w it h a co nt i nu al vi s i on of blood. In terestingly, one of the first in st a nc e s o f b l o o d imagery in th e play is associated with Mac be th . We l earn t hat hi s sw ord “smoked with bloody exe c u ti o n” an d th at he and Ban quo seemed to “ bathe in re e k i ng wo u nd s. ” A ll this is delivered to us by a sergeant w h ose “g a she s” c ry out for help. Man y of the supernatural eve nt s i n t he pl a y are associated w ith blood. The second w it ch co me s f ro m the bloody task of killing Swine and the v i si o nar y d agg er i n A c t I I , s c en e i i s stain ed w ith “gouts of b l o o d .” Th e i m a g e r y a s s o c i a t e d w i t h t h e s e s u p e r n a t u r a l eve nt s i m pi n ge s o n the real wor ld and is used to convey M a c b e t h ’s o v e r w h e l m i n g s e n s e o f g u i l t . Fo l l o w i n g t h e m u rd er, t he s i gh t o f his hands covered in blood is almost too m u ch f o r hi m to b ear:

This is a s orry s ight. Ⓒ Cian Hogan 2014

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An d hi s “ h an gma n ’s ha n ds ” s hame him into realising that his cr im e i s m on s t ro u s , and th at his sen se of guilt will never be as su a ge d :

W i ll all great Ne pt u n e's ocean was h t his blood C l ea n f rom my h an d? No, t his my hand will rathe r The mul t it u din ou s seas in incarnadine , Mak i ng t h e gre e n on e re d.

M ac b e t h ’s cr i me i s a v iolat ion of the n atural order and this natural order is established through the legitimacy of D u nc an ’s b lo od . Dun can is s poken of as being the fountain of hi s cou n try ’s b l oo d; h is wo un ds “ lo ok’d like a breach in n at u re f o r r ui n’s w a st ef u l e nt ran ce ”. Ho wever, the imagery of b lo od do e s no t en d wit h th e murder of Duncan. The world b e co me s a “blo od y s t a ge” and accordingly, Macbeth invokes t h e in v i s i b le a nd b l oody han d of nigh t to steel him to the t as k of k i l l in g hi s frie nd. Ban quo’s death is described in g rap h i c d e ta il that leave s litt le room for the imagination. We are t o ld of t he “t we nt y t re nch ed gas h e s” on his head and s u b s e q u e n t l y B a n q u o ’s g h o s t s h a ke s h i s “ g o r y l o c ks ” at M ac b e t h . I t i s n ot su rpr isin g th en th at Macbeth should be co nv i n ce d th at “bl o od w ill ha v e blo od.”

Th e b an qu et s c e ne mar ks a tu rn ing point in the direction t h at t h e p l ay ta ke s an d als o in w ay in w hich blood imagery is u se d b y Sh akes p eare . Th is play is ab out murder and the Ⓒ Cian Hogan 2014

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pre va l e n ce o f b l o o d imagery ensures that we do not forget th e ph y s ical and me t aphy s i c al c on sequ en ces of th is cr ime. Fro m h ere o n i n , Macbeth and h is wife are completely driven a p art b y t he a wfu l ness of what th ey have done; they become o v e r w he l med b y g uilt and desperately seek peace of mind. A s La d y M ac b et h repeatedly tries to cleanse herself of her gu il t i n h er re c ur ri ng nightma re, blood imagery is used by Sh akes p ea re to re- humanise an d re-feminise her in the eye of th e rea de r. S l ee pwal ki ng, s he tr ies to remove th e “damned sp o t” f rom he r h and , and t h e “sme ll of blood” cannot be s we et en e d e ve n by al l t he “per fume s of A rabia.” Earlier, in o n e p a r t i c u l a r l y p o i g n a n t p a s s a g e i n A c t I I I s c e n e i v, Sh akes p ea re us e s blood imager y to con vey the utter futility of Ma cb et h’s s i tu at i o n. Desperate and fearful for his future, he c on f es s es weari l y t hat he i s “st e p’d s o far” in blood th at:

“ s ho uld [ he] w a de no more re tu rn in g we re as tedious as go o’er. ”

I n t h e f i n al A c t o f the play, Macbeth seeks solace in the only c ou rs e of a c ti o n th at he understan ds. Retreating to his sense o f hi ms e l f as a w ar rior, he desperately tries to kill his way to pea ce o f m i nd . O f course, each n ew murder further erodes hi s s ani t y a nd h i s humanity. As he becomes increasingly s av a ge , S c o tl a nd ’s suffering is presented through a series of gra p hi c i mag es t hat are associated w ith blood. The country ha s b ec o me a “ gra v e” a n d ea c h d a y a “gash is added to her w o u n d s.” In res pons e t o t h i s , t h e rebel s are acutely aware of th e n e e d t o l a y d o wn their ow n lives for the greater good. Ⓒ Cian Hogan 2014

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Cai t h n e s s ex pl ai ns that he is w il li ng to offer his life-blood as “m e d i c i n e” in the “ countr y’s purge ” a nd hi s feelings are echoed b y Le nn ox w h en h e s peaks o f t he n eed to “d ew t h e s ov e re i g n fl ow e r a n d d row n the w eeds ”.

O n e of t h e most unusua l, yet interesting patterns of im ag e r y i n t h e p la y, concerns ch il dren and breastfeeding. It f i r s t a p p e a r s i n L a d y M a c b e t h ’s i n v o c a t i o n t o t h e d a r k “s p i r it s” o f n i g h t t o “come to [her] woman’s breasts and take [ h e r ] m i l k f o r g a l l .” T h i s i m a g e r y f i n d s a d i s t u r b i n g c o r r e s p o n d e n c e i n L a d y M a c b e t h ’s a t t e m p t s t o i n c i t e M ac be t h t o t he murde r o f Dunca n:

I have given suck, and know how tender ‘tis to love the babe that milks me – I would […] have dash’s the brains out, had I sworn as you.

Th e e ff e c t o n M a cbeth is dram atic . I n fact, he also employs si m ila r i m a g ery a s he wrestles w ith h is conscience over the mu rd e r o f Du nc an. H e admi t s to h imself th at “pity, like a na ked n e wb o r n ba b e” would be ou traged at his intended c r i me an d th at con s e quent l y “Th at tears shall drown the w i n d.” H e re, Mac b eth moves ou r im agination through his v is i on of a n e n ti re world weepi ng at the inhumanity of the b e t ray al a n d mu rder of Duncan . I nterestingly, later in the p la y, t h e i m age o f the bloody c hild returns to haunt him. Of c o ur s e , o n on e l e vel , the blood y ch il d represents Macduff, on

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an ot h e r l e ve l , i t i s t he s ame naked newborn child whose p lea d i ng s Mac b eth f o ol is h ly i gno red.

A no the r in t ere st ing imager y pattern in the play is co nc e r n e d wi t h s ic kn es s an d medicin e. These images appear aft e r M ac be t h h as t aken cont rol of S cotland. Shakespeare’s in t e n t i on i s c lear. Scot land is su fferin g from the disease of t y ra nn y, w h i c h c a n on ly be cured by bleeding and purgation. Th e v i c t i m s o f t y ra nn y look for ward to wholesome days when S cot l a nd w il l b e free . Malcolm says that Macbeth’s name “b l i s te r s t he ir to ng ue s.” Th e forces of good provide a cure f or th e e v i l th at Macbe th re presen ts. In the final Act of the p la y, Cai th ne s s ref er s t o Malc ol m as “ the medicine of the s ic k l y w ea l.” I f Mac b et h is t he disease from which Scotland is su ff e r i ng , t hen Ma l colm is t he cure. He is both royal and cu rat i v e an d m uc h like h is En glish counterpart Edward, has th e a b i lit y to h eal “t h e e vil.”

Fo r mo s t rea d ers , th e most memorable pattern of imagery i n t h e p l a y c e n t re s o n t h e c o n t ra s t b e t w e e n l i g h t a n d d ar kn e s s . I n fac t, this imager y pattern is repeated nearly 400 t i me s i n t h e pl a y. Dun can ar rives at Inverness as night is f al li ng a nd h e i s mu rdere d dur ing the night. Following this m u rd e r, w e a re to ld t hat pe rpetu al night has fallen over the c o u n t r y. “ D a r k n i g h t ” n o t o n l y s t ra n g l e s t h e “ t ra v e l l i n g l a mp s”, b ut a c c o rdi ng to Banqu o, the stars themselves have b e e n ext i n g ui s hed . Of cou rs e, th is tur n of events had been p ray e d f o r b y Ma c bet h an d h is wife. It would seem that

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so me on e , o r mo re spe cifically, somethin g has answered their p ray e rs .

“c ome s e elin g nigh t s carf up th e tender eye of pitiful day.”

Th is d i s t u r b i n g d a rkn es s prev ails un til th e final act of the play w he n Ma lcol m i s p ro ve n c or re ct i n h is belief th at “the night is l o n g t h at n e ve r fi nds t he da y”.

M a cb e t h is a co mplex play an d mu ch of this complexity is d e ri v e d f rom t h e i nt ricate patt er n of imagery that is used by Sh akes p eare. ( In cl ude a que s t io n speci fic poin t).

“ K ing sh i p, w i th a l l it s pote nt ial for goo d and evil, is a major t h e m e i n ‘ M a cbe t h’.”

I n the cou rs e o f th e play, Sh akespeare presen ts u s w it h a nu m be r o f d i ffe ren t K ings ; Du ncan , Macbeth, King Edward of E n g l a nd a nd fin ally Malcolm. As result, it is clear that K i ng sh i p m u s t b e vie we d as bein g a central theme in the p la y. Thi s t ra ge dy c once rn s it self not only with what does, or d oe s n ot con s t it u te a ju st an d law ful kin g, but moreover with t h e id ea of a d i v in e hie rarchy. In keeping with Elizabethan id eo l og y, t h e ki n g i s se en as th e agen t of God’s will and head o f t h e b o d y p o l i t i c . A s t h e e a r t h l y c o n d u i t t o G o d ’s p e rf e c t i on , the l aw ful kin g br ings order and harmony to his Ⓒ Cian Hogan 2014

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k i ng d o m. U l t i mate l y, the play teaches us that the king has en or m ou s po te nti al f o r go o d and evi l.

The first King that we meet is Duncan. His first a p p ea ran c e o c c ur s in the second scen e of the play and the w ay in w hi c h h e s p eaks emphasises key attributes of both his re ig n and h i s c h arac ter. Duncan speaks in a manner that is at o n ce a u th o ri t at i ve , decisive an d compassionate. Using the r o y a l w e h e d e m a n d s a s i t u a t i o n r e p o r t o n t h e d a y ’s proce ed i ng s o n th e battle field and pronounces a death s e nt en ce o n t he Th ane o f Cawdo r:

No mo re that than e o f Cawdor s h all de ce ive Our bosom interest: go pronounce his pre sent death,

I f t he p ot e nt i al t hat the monarch y h olds for good is to be real is e d , t he n o rde r must be restored. Furthermore, despite th e s wi ft n at ure o f his retribution , he shows care and concern f o r h i s su bj e c ts wh en he commands th at surgeons be sought f o r th e b l e ed i ng c ap tain. In the n ext sc ene, Shakespeare has D un ca n s peak i n a manner that is diametrically opposed to e v er y t hi n g th at t he witches symbolise. The barren androgyny th at t he y rep re s en t, and the ambigu ity o f their prophecies are c ou nt e re d by Dun c an’s open lan guage. Drawing heavily on n at ure i ma ge ry, an d in particular on the language of growth a nd pro mi s e , Dun can lavishes Ban quo and Macbeth with pra is e . Imp o rt an tl y, he speaks in ter ms that emphasise the

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nat u ral n e s s o f h is position as r ightful monarch and the p ot e nt ia l th at h is r ul e ho l ds f or good:

I h a ve b egun t o pla nt th ee, an d will labou r To m a ke thee full of growi ng.

In t h e n ext breat h, Duncan turns h is attention to the duties of s tat e . Th e atta ck by Sweno and the conspiracies of Cawdor and Macdonwald have caused confusion and chaos t h rou g h out th e realm. It now falls to Duncan to create s t a b i l i t y, a n d h e d o e s t h i s b y n a m i n g t h e p r i n c e o f C umb e r l a nd hi s s uccessor. Recogni sing the importance of this decision, Duncan feels confident that the stars t h e m se lv e s wi l l “shin e | On a ll des er ve r s.”

O f c ou rse , Duncan nev er lives to see t h e fu lfilment of h is wi s h . M a cb et h murders him an d by doing so he provokes a r ift i n t h e fabr i c o f the natural w orl d. On the morning of the mu rd e r, Dun c a n’s body is de scri bed in specifically religious t e r m s t h a t s t re s s t h e s a c r i l e g i o u s a s p e c t o f t h e c r i m e . Ironi c al l y, i t i s Ma c beth himself w h o articulates all this. He d e scr ib e s Duncan ’s bo dy as t he “l ord’s an oin te d te mple ” and h is “s il ve r sk in ” as bei ng “la c ed wi th h is golde n blood. ” He l ike ns t h e “ g a sh’ d s ta bs ” i n t h e d ea d k i n g ’s b o d y t o a “breach i n n at u re.” Mac b eth‘ s crime is a violation of a natural order t h at ha s b een e s t abl ished through th e l egitimacy of Duncan’s b lo od a n d ac c o rd i ngly Macbeth’s k ing ship is marked by a t ro ub l i n g a nd w i d espread disru ption of that natural order. Ro ss i nf o rm s us t hat t he h eav en s have become “ troubled with Ⓒ Cian Hogan 2014

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m a n ’s a c t ” a nd t h at “da rk nigh t ” h a s s t ra n g l e d “the travelling l a mp.” An old man who has lived his life to the age of “ three sc o re a n d ten ” und er Dun can’s reign, believes that the recent e v e nt s hav e “tr if le d f or mer k no win gs .” The disruption that M ac b e t h p ro vo kes is not con fin ed to the supernatural. His ru l e i s br uta l a nd frigh te nin g an d no one is safe. Scotland b e co me s a g rav e ya rd wh ere you ng men “die before the f lo we r s i n t he ir c a ps.” In a graph ic ex ample of what it means t o l i v e u n d e r a t y ra n t , S h a ke s p ea re h a s u s w i t n e s s t h e d is t ur b i n g mu rd er of Lady Macdu ff and her family. This is h ow e v e r n o t an i s o l ate d incide nt. Un der the despot there can b e no p eace ; “eac h ne w day n ew w idows h owl ” a n d “new o rp h an s st r ike h ea v en on th e f ace .” Macbeth is the antithesis of w hat a go od Ki ng sh ould be. And in one particularly m e m o ra b l e p a s s a g e t h at u n d e r s c o re s t h e p o t e n t i a l t h at m o na rch y h o l ds f o r e vil, Macbeth claims that he is willing to t ur n a l l creati on i nt o ch aos in order to secure his illegal p os it i on a s S co tl an d’s ru ler. Th e entire body politic comes u nd e r t h reat d ur i ng th e pe riod of Macbeth’s kingship. Those w ho “s p ea k o f f ea r” are h ange d as h e grows weary of the sun a n d wi sh e s t hat “ch urche s,” “nav igatio n,” “ crops,” “ palace s,” “p yram i d s ,” and “ c a st le s” a re “toppled on their warders’ hea d s .”

W he reas “ b la ck Ma cbet h” p ro v i d e s u s w i t h t h e c l ea re s t exa m p l e o f w h at i t mean s w hen kin gship is used to further e v il , S h a ke s p ea re also pres en ts us w ith alternatives to his ru l e . M al c ol m a nd Kin g E dward of En gland each embody the

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most positive attributes of

Kingship.Malcolm is the

p e r son if i cat i o n o f the “k ing be comin g grace s ” of:

[… ] jus t ice, v er ity, temp e ran ce , s table n e s s , Bo un t y, per se ve ran ce, me rcy, lowlin e s s , Dev ot ion , pat ien ce, co u rage [an d] fo rtit ude [ .]

All t hi s i s mi rro re d i n t he de piction s of Edward the confessor. H i s “h ea ve n ly g ift of proph ecy ” balances the diabolical gifts o f p rop h e c y exhi bi te d by t he W itch es and furthermore, he ha s t he a b i l i t y to c ure a s ic kn e s s k no wn as “th e e vil.” With his a id an d b le s s i ng , o rde r is res tored to Scotland. The death of M ac b e t h br i ng s wi th it t he res toration o f justice craved after b y th e f orc e s of g o od. A t t he ver y end of the play, Macduff a n no un ce s th at “The t im e is fre e” an d Malcolm promises, wi t ho ut “a l arg e ex pen se of t ime ” to do what is necessary “w h i c h w o u ld b e pla n t ed ne wly w ith th e time” in order to res t o re ju st ice “i n m ea s ure, t ime, an d place.”

K in gsh i p is a ce n t ral t h eme in th is play. It is u se d b y S h ake s p ea re t o art iculate several aspects of the struggle b e t we e n g oo d an d e vil. In particu lar, the play stresses that t h e l a w f u l k i n g c re a t e s a h e a l t h y c o u n t r y, w h e re a s t h e ill e g it i mat e rul er bree ds ch aos and br ings destruction and su ff e r i ng . B y s o d o i ng, S hake speare emp hasises the potential th at m on arc hy ho l ds f o r bo t h go od an d evil.

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