“So foul and fair a day I have not seen.” (1.3)
Macbeth’s first line “So foul and fair a day I have not seen” echos the words of the witches “fair is four and foul is fair” which creates a parallel between Macbeth and the witches, therefore conveying that Macbeth has a supernatural link with them.
- This would have made the Jacobean audience wary of Macbeth as he was seen to be aligned with evil,
- moreover, this foreshadows his downfall in the play. This could also imply that the witches are already subconsciously influencing him and could foreshadow how much more their influence over Macbeth grows.
“Tell me more” Macbeth (1.3)
The use of the imperative “tell” implies how intrigued he his and this sheds light on Macbeth’s hidden desires -to become king. He becomes consumed by them and his curiosity takes over. Arguably the start of his downfall and his humanity deteriorating
“This supernatural soliciting Cannot be ill, cannot be good” 1.3
- Already Macbeth is making lawyerly, circuitous arguments about what is just, and we can see the way he tries to justify what is clearly a bad idea, which shows how Macbeth’s lust for power is starting to take hold.
- Supernatural soliciting- the sibilance can symbolise that the witches are quite sly creatures that no-one can really trust. The alliteration of “supernatural soliciting” sounds incredibly seductive, and therefore highlights Macbeth’s lust and thirst for the crown.
- The paradox “cannot be ill, cannot be good” also links to “fair is foul and foul is fair” which evokes the unnatural but also demonstrates the moral ambiguity that Macbeth is facing.,
Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair And make my seated heart knock at my ribs, Against the use of nature? 1.3
- verb “unfix my hair” shows how shocking the act of treason is and emphasises the horror that Macbeth has with himself and his thoughts.
- The personification “my seated heart knock at my ribs” once again depicts the increasing fear that Macbeth experiences as his heart is not “seated” with its connotations of calmness and steadiness but “knock(ing)” which is associated with alarming fear.
- “Against the use of nature” links to the Jacobean belief that the act of regicide was an act against natural order and therefore an act against God. This would have stirred up fear and anticipation in the audience as they wonder in excitement the decisions Macbeth is going to take
“my dearest partner of greatness” 1.5
- Superlative “dearest” demonstrates how caring Macbeth is towards his wife and how their relationship in imbued with affection and love.
- Through the noun “greatness”, Shakespeare showcases how Macbeth upholds his wife to high standards which implies the respect that he has for her.
“ingredience of our poison’d chalice to our own lips” 1.7
- “ingredience” metaphor for their murderous schemes which forms the “poison” which is a metaphor for the evil that is caused as a result of his evil actions
- “chalice” could also be a metaphor for power and the crown which is corrupt and foreshadows the bloodthirsty reign that will lead to his death as shown through the metaphor “our own lips”
- This could serve as a warning to the Jacobean audience as to what would happen to them if they ever rebel against the king and stresses the importance of the divine right of kings
- Use of ecclesiastical imagery through “chalice” ( a vessel used for drinking blessed wine). Oxymoronic phrase “poison’d chalice” renders the audience aghast as they realize the magnitude of desecrating such a sacred object. This image effectively demonstrates the potentially cataclysmic contagion effect that such wanton, insatiable ambition can bring, foreshadowing the other brutal murders Macbeth organises in the scenes to follow.
“His virtues will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against the deep damnation of his taking-off;” 1.7
- The semantic field of heaven is employed to emphasize the holy nature of Duncan and his rightful place as king which is further highlighted through the fact that Macbeth prefigures the spirit of Duncan to be associated with heaven
- The simile “his virtues will plead like angels” depicts the innocent nature of King Duncan and draws attention to how he is aligned with righteousness accentuating his purity
- The alliteration “trumpet-tonged” conveys the volume of outcry that will happen as a result of Duncan’s death, therefore, stressing how wrong his death is
- The alliteration of “deep damnation” highlights how evil the action that is about to take place is. the fact that Macbeth is condemning Duncan to “damnation” aligns him with the devil illustrating how far away he is from God
Amen stuck in my throat. 2.2
- Shows Macbeth immediate guilt and regret
- Cutting himself from god
- “Amen” is an affirmation at the end of prayer , the fact that he cannot say this could imply that he is cut off from god and since he has committed the worst sin (regicide) he has now aligned himself fully with evil. This could also imply that he is now cursed which serves as a warning to the Jacobean audience.
- The verb “stuck” creates an image of choking which demonstrates the eternal suffering that Macbeth will have to face as a result of his sin
- AO3 – strong belief in Heaven and Hell in Jacobean era – also regicide was the worst crime imaginable as the monarch was seen as God’s representative on Earth, so it was a crime directly against God.
contrasts to act 1 scene 7 when he was able to talk of “angels” and “cherubins”
“Sleep no more!” “Macbeth shall sleep no more” 2.2
- Emphasizes the extent of guilt that he feels whilst also foreshadowing his descent into insanity further on in the play. Suggests how his mind is constantly at conflict with itself which highlights his suffering
- this is where his paranoia begins which is conveyed through the anaphora of ‘sleep no more’ as well as the use of the exclamatory which also shows his hysteria
- Given that James I was a patron of the King’s Men theatre company, it can be argued that Shakespeare tailored his material to pander to his paymaster: as previously stated regicide was a great fear of King James, and Shakespeare helps to ally that fear hereby warning the audience of the paranoia and guilt through Macbeth.
“Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand” 2.2
• The hyperbolic imagery of “Neptune’s oceans” emphasises the sheer quantity of blood but also is symbolic of Macbeth drowning within his guilt.
• The fact that this is also a rhetorical question reflects his current tortuous state of mind
• Seeing that he is now calling onto “neptune” shows how estranged he feels from God
since committing regicide and foreshadows later scenes where Lady Macbeth is also struggling to wash the guilt from her hands.
• Jacobean audience would again see this as a warning if they don’t comply with the rules of Christianity.
• Reference to “perfumes in Arabia” quote in Act 5 scene 1
Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown, And put a barren sceptre in my gripe, 3.1
- The metaphor “fruitless crown” is a direct reference to Macbeth and Lady Macbeth not having heir to the throne
- The semantic field of their childless state is heighten by the reference to “fruitless” and “barren spectre” which highlights Macbeth’s bitterness towards the possibility to passing his crown to Banquo’s sons.
- The possessive pronoun “my” demonstrates how Macbeth is becoming more authoritative and also highlights how his ambition is now leading him to plot murders by himself compared to the previous acts where Lady Macbeth planted the deed in his head. This foreshadows his tyrant-like behavior that grows as the play progresses. The use of singular first person conforms to the patriarchal idea that everything belongs to men - including children.
