Close Reading Assignment 5

Throughout the entirety of act 2, scene 2, Shakespeare makes several references to sleep, utilizing metaphor to enhance the meaning wherein Macbeth yields to his ambition and follows through with the murder of Duncan.  The first reference to sleep is made by Lady Macbeth in describing how she drugged the king’s groomsmen so they would sleep through the murder.  Sleep is used here to depict the ignorance of those who are supposed to protect Duncan.  However, Macbeth’s references to sleep have a deeper meaning.  When Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are discussing the murder, Macbeth relates how he heard a voice cry out, “Sleep no more! Macbeth murders sleep! – the innocent sleep , that knits up the raveled sleeve of care, the death of each days life, sore labor’s bath, balm of hurt minds, great nature’s second course, chief nourisher in life’s feast” (2.2.47-51).  The line ‘the innocent sleep’, is the explanation of the meaning behind these lines.  Macbeth realizes that in his guilt that he will never have another night of peaceful sleep.  Sleep, that is so important for a content and healthy life, will never again come to Macbeth.  The ‘innocent’ also relates to Duncan, as he is the innocent victim as he sleeps soundly while Macbeth terrorizes his peaceful slumber with a deathly bludgeoning. The scene depicts the moral horror that Macbeth faces for the remainder of his life.  Another reference to the sleep by the voice is, “Glamis hath murdered sleep, and therefore Cawdor shall sleep no more. Macbeth shall sleep no more” (2.2.54-57).  Macbeth’s conscience is telling him that he has sentenced his entire realm to a sleepless future because of the threat posed by sleep.  The scene also has several references to hand washing which, for Lady Macbeth, in the lines “Go and get some water and wash this filthy witness from your hand” (2.260), means a simple cleansing of the evidence of the murder to hide their guilt.  However, for Macbeth in the lines, “With all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather the multitudinous seas incarnadine, making the green one red” (2.2.78-81) he tells that all of the water in the ocean couldn’t wash the remorse from his hands, that the blood (his guilt) would turn the oceans red.

Close Reading Assignment 4

In Macbeth’s second soliloquy he is hallucinating. Shakespeare uses this as a tool to further depict the detrimental physiological effect that the Weird Sisters and their prophecy have had on Macbeth.  The references to sight and touch characterize his thoughts as visions rather than reality. When Macbeth says “I have thee not, and yet I see thee still, art thou not, fatal vision, sensible to feeling as to sight? Or art though but a dagger of the mind” (2.1.46-50), Shakespeare helps the reader to understand that Macbeth is hallucinating about the murder and how his conscience is having such a difficult time with the witches fateful prediction.  He speaks directly to the ‘fatal vision’ and questions why it cannot be felt. This inability is see his reality is altering his perception of morally correct thing to do.   Another reference to sight and touch is made in the lines,  “Mine eyes are made the fools o th’ other senses or else worth all the rest, I see the still, and, on thy blade and dudgeon, gouts of blood” (2.1.56-58).  Macbeth’s ‘fool’ eyes see blood on the blade of the dagger that doesn’t exist.  He realizes that his eyes are deceiving him as a direct result of his doubts and fears.  Macbeth is losing control and he seems to realize it.  In the line, “Now o’re the one-half world nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse the curtained sleep” ( 2.1.61-63), he suggests that his life has become meaningless and sleep impossible, filled with bad dreams.  The use of ‘curtained sleep’ could have a double meaning; the curtained 4-poster bed from Elizabethan times and also Shakespeare could possibly have used the word curtained to refer to covering up the truth, supressing Macbeth’s thoughts about the hideous deed that he is planning.  The nightmares wake him up from the lie he is trying to sell himself.  Macbeth is falling apart. 

Close Reading Assignment 3

Shakespeare has deliberately used personification in Macbeth’s soliloquy in act 1 scene 7, to further portray the effect that the witches fortune has had on him, and how it presents itself through his actions. During this entire soliloquy, Macbeth is contemplating his desires to become King, due to the morality concerns of the actions necessary to get there. During Macbeth’s soliloquy he proclaims that, “This even-handed justice Commends th’ ingredience of our poisoned chalice to our own lips” (1.7.9-11).  Shakespeare personifies his reference to justice, by suggesting that ‘justice’ will deliver their fate. He implies that Justice is alive and will recognize any immoral behavior and sinners will be punished accordingly.  Justice is defined as morally correct behaviour or treatment, which is the focus of the entire passage, yet the personification makes it more dramatic. Throughout this soliloquy it is evident that Macbeth is questioning the plan to murder Duncan.  Macbeth’s ambition is becoming more evident and in this passage he is trying to justify the murder saying that Duncan will enjoy heaven and that he will be welcomed.  In the line “that his virtues will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued” [1.7.19]. Shakespeare uses the simile ‘like angels’ to show just how virtuous Duncan is, almost trying to convince himself that the King should be murdered so that Heaven will benefit.   He uses another simile in the line “like a newborn babe striding the blast” to compare the King to a child without any sins, depicting Duncan as innocent [1.7.21-22].  Macbeth’s dilemma becomes very obvious in this passage because he talks about the Kings innocence and goodness and yet still cannot seem to tame his ambition to be King himself, regardless of the morality issues.

Close Reading Assignment 2

In Act 1 Scene 5 Lady Macbeth is finally introduced, and here in these short passages she delivers a few soliloquys that help the audience and readers understand her character and motives. In her second soliloquy she implies that her ambition is taking over her decisions and is influencing her to sacrifice her civility and humanity to achieve her deepest desires. This is shown through “Stop up th’ access and passage to remorse” (1.5.51). The remorse in this context means compassion, thus implying that she is giving up her compassion to get what she wants, which is power. A soliloquy can effectively portray a character’s true personality, because they are alone, which allows the character to express their deepest private yearnings.  This helps the reader better understand her character because it shows that she is very ambitious, and will do anything to get what she wants, even control her husband. When she says “Hie thee hither that I pour my spirits in thine ear and chastise with the valour of my tongued” (1.5.27-30). The word spirits in this context, refers to her power over Macbeth, which shows her character because it implies that she will influence Macbeth to do things to get the crown through her manipulation. Also, the word chastise in this context means inflict punishment, which further depicts how she will use forceful means of punishment to ensure that she achieves her goals, with the help of her husband. This contributes to the understanding of the character Macbeth through showing that he is easily persuaded by the woman he loves.  Otherwise he is a very courageous and noble man. This passage shows that Macbeth does not desire the fate of becoming King as much as his wife, and that she is power driven. Overall, these passages depict Lady Macbeth as a ruthless, manipulating, power hungry woman and Macbeth as an easily influenced, kind-hearted sole, with his only ambition implanted in his mind by his controlling, greedy, malevolent wife.

Close Reading Assignment 1; 1.4.55-60

In this short passage from Macbeth, Shakespeare uses various types of figurative language and motifs to portray the theme. The motifs of darkness and light and blindness and sight contribute deep meaning to this passage.  The light represents truth and sight knowledge, darkness dishonesty and blindness ignorance.  Shakespeare uses this language to illustrate Macbeth’s moral struggle. Ever since the three witches told Macbeth of his prophecy of becoming King and the Thane of Cawdor, he has shown that he does not like his fate, until now, when he realizes deep down that he truly desires the power.  This is shown through the passage “The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step on which I must fall down or else o’erleap; for in my way it lies” (1.4.55-57). This is the turning point in Macbeth’s ambition where he starts to consider how his fate will play out in his favor.  Shakespeare uses the motif of darkness and light to demonstrate the effect of this prophecy, “ Stars, hide your fires! Let not light see my black and deep desires. The eye wink at the hand yet let that be which the eye fears, when it is done to see” (1.4.57-60). Shakespeare uses light in this passage to represent the truth in humanity and uses the black to cover up what is the truth. So Macbeth is hiding important things in his life to achieve his deepest desire, which is to become King.  He implies that appearances and images are not always as they seem or appear. This connects to Macbeth’s prophecy inferring that he will cheat the truth and lie to achieve these deepest desires. Also the eye represents that one can physically see, but is metaphorically blind to the truth, which also connects to Macbeth’s attempt to disguise his ambition. This passage reminds me of the influential politician during the Renaissance era, Machiavelli. He is famous for this quote, “The end justifies the means” meaning that anything you must do to achieve your goal is justifiable. Although this may be a stretch for the position that Macbeth is in currently, I believe the two connect because in this passage he proclaims that he will do anything to get the Prince of Cumberland out of his path to the throne.