In the play Macbeth wants to be king and the dagger symbolises Macbeth’s penis. The dagger represents the desire of Macbeth killing Duncan, as the dagger and blood is pointing at Duncan. The dagger also represents Macbeth’s desire of expanding his offspring to be the king and leave his sons to rule for him. The last example of symbolism is the chaotic scenes and reversal of nature which takes place after the murder of Duncan. At the time of Macbeth a common belief was that everything is as it is because god put it there.
Macbeth lies, saying he never thinks of them, but tells Banquo that he would like to discuss them further. Macbeth then seeks to draw Banquo closer to him, inviting him to join Macbeth's cause when the time comes for him to become king. Banquo makes his position clear: So I lose none In seeking to augment it, but still keep My bosom franchised and allegiance clear, I shall be counseled. With these words, Banquo sets limits on his loyalty to Macbeth. He will support Macbeth so long as he can do so with a clear conscience and an unguilty heart.
In Act 2 Scene 1, just before Macbeth kills the King, we see signs of his psychological destruction when he hallucinates about the dagger. Shakespeare shows us this through Macbeth’s soliloquy. Macbeth says “Is this a dagger that I see before me, the handle towards my hand?” This quote uses imagery and a rhetorical question to suggest the Macbeth is seeing the dagger. Macbeth questions whether or not the dagger is really there, this makes us believe that the dagger is a hallucination. The suggestion that the handle is facing Macbeth makes this imagery even stronger, it also makes us think that Macbeth is questioning whether or not the dagger is meant for him.
1. Identify a reaction to the lines that give clear insights into a character’s state of mind and/or intentions. Discuss these insights in depth. The following journal entry will identify and analyze the states of mind of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, and their development over the course of the passage. Macbeth has just finished a powerful soliloquy in which he considers his earlier plans to murder the King.
One of the main messages he is trying to deliver to us is to always weigh what you achieve to what the consequences will be. This especially holds true for Macbeth, as when first contemplating if he should kill Duncan, not once did he think of how he could be punished. Also, when Macbeth first hears the witch’s prophecy of him being a king, he jumps directly to the idea of murder. This kind of thinking is exhibited in Macbeth’s monologue in scene 5 act 5, where he discus’s the uselessness of living, and this attitude towards life made him go mad. This also points to how unintelligent Macbeth really was.
Eventually everything proves to be too much for him and Lady Macbeth and it swiftly leads them to their death. One of Macbeth’s soliloquy’s in the play is when he sees a dagger appear in front of him right before he is going to kill Duncan, cornering him into a whirlpool of uncertainty and hesitation. In this soliloquy, the author uses metaphors and motifs in order to emphasize the fragile state of Macbeth’s mind at this point in time. The author uses the metaphor of a dagger to demonstrate Macbeth’s struggle with appearance vs. reality. Right before Macbeth is about to kill Duncan, a dagger appears in front of him, forcing him to question
She expresses her determination and the desire she has for the third prophecy to come true. She knew that Macbeth would be too kind of a man to complete the task at hand. Lady Macbeth: “What thou art promised: yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full o’ the milk of human kindness “ (1.5.15-16) Knowing that Macbeth wouldn’t have the heart to kill the king, she conjured up the master plan to kill Duncan. In act 1 scene 7, she revealed the plan to Macbeth, saying that they will drunken Duncan’s chamberlains, then slip in and stab Duncan with the chamberlains’ weapons. Lady Macbeth: “What cannot you and I perform upon The unguarded Duncan?” (1.7.76-77) Lady Macbeth’s plan
Banquo will be wearing expensive clothing and with jewellery. Banquo has to look like he is thinking deeply about something with one hand on his hip and the other hand on his chin. He has to speak to himself saying “Thou hast it now… king… Cawdor… Glamis… All… As the weird sisters promised”. He should say these lines as if he has find out significant information about Macbeth’s foul play in becoming king. He should look worried that he has a feeling that his best friend killed King Duncan.
With the predictions of the witches, there is an immediate shift of Macbeth’s character. Macbeth, soon after discovering the second prediction of the witches is correct, he begins contemplating the last prediction, his murder of Duncan. Macbeth while contemplating states, “My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, / Shakes so my single state of man that function / Is smother'd in surmise, and nothing is / But what is not”(Shakespeare 1.3.159-162). Macbeth’s aside begins his downfall, already starting to shift his character from a loyal nobleman to the ambitious tyrant, with this very acceptance of his “fate”. Additionally, soon after Macbeth’s return , Lady Macbeth, aware of the witches’ prediction, begins pressing Macbeth to murder
| Verbal irony, the difference between what is said and what is meant. (eg: sarcasm) | The first witch comments on Macbeth's forgetting to thank them: Witch - That this great king may kindly say our duties did his welcome pay. | Dramatic irony - when the audience knows more than the characters | The death of Macduff's wife, children and servants. When Ross first declares to Macduff that his family is "at peace," the audience already knows what happened. | Part Six: Foreshadowing – Select two examples of foreshadowing and make a prediction based on the lines The bloody battle in Act 1 | 1 foreshadows the bloody murders later on; | when Macbeth thinks he hears a voice while killing Duncan | foreshadows the insomnia that plagues Macbeth and his wife; | Macduff’s suspicions of Macbeth after Duncan’s murder | foreshadow his later opposition to Macbeth