Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Macbeth 1.7 Analysis (10A)
In one well-worded paragraph, analyze EITHER Macbeth's opening speech OR Lady Macbeth's rhetorical strategy in 1.7. You should, as always in analysis, ground your argument in specific references to the text. Remember that your job here is to argue not summarize. Proofread before you post. Include citations.
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(1.7.38-41)
ReplyDelete"from this time Such I account thy love. Art thou afeard To be the same in thine own act and valor As thou art in desire?"
When Lady Macbeth says "from this time Such I account thy love" she is saying that from now on this is how she will view his (Macbeth's) love and character. This statement is ironic because this is how we as readers feel toward Lady Macbeth. From the beginning of the play (the moment we were introduced to her)we viewed Lady Macbeth's character as cruel because of the evil things she said. We were never given a glimpse of what her character was before but we judged her whole character of the way she acted when she read the letter from Macbeth. In the same way she is judging Macbeth off of the way he is acting; we are judging Lady Macbeth from the beginning. I think Shakespeare did not want us having prior knowledge of Lady Macbeth because she could have been a good person. Just like Lady Macbeth thought that Macbeth was a man before his cowardly actions.
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ReplyDelete"We still have judgement here, that we but teach bloody instructions, which, being taught, return to plague th' inventor. This even-handed justice commends th' ingredience of our poisoned chalice to our own lips" (1.7.8-12).
ReplyDeleteMacbeath realizes that it isn't a good idea to kill the king because it will later lead to destruction. By him saying, "that we but teach bloody instructions, which, being taught, return to plague th' inventor", shows that he realizes by him doing violence it will set an example for other people to do violence. He also realizes that the young will follow what the adults do and it will come back and hurt the adults. Macbeth understands that the by him killing the king to take the position that someone will do the same to him. Macbeth is no longer confused and understand clearly that if he murders the king,then the consequence of his action will be his murder. Macbeth is aware of his actions and what he should do.
Lady Macbeth: What beast was ‘t, then, that made you break this enterprise to me? When you durst do it, then you were a man; and to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man. Nor time nor place did then adhere, and yet you would make both. They have made themselves, and that their fitness now does unmake you. I have given suck and known how tender ‘tis to love the babe that milks me. I would, while it was smiling in my face, have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you have done to this. (1.7.53-67)
ReplyDeleteIn this passage Lady Macbeth shows us the motherly and masculine nature inside of her. She sometimes wants to be a mother when she says “‘tis love the babe that milks me,” but when she says “I would, while it was smiling in my face, have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed the brains out.” Lady Macbeth also tells Macbeth that he isn’t a man because he broke his promise to kill Duncan because he is too scared and he wants to be loyal to him.
(1.7.12-16)
ReplyDelete"He’s here in double trust:
First, as I am his kinsman and his subject,
Strong both against the deed; then, as his host,
Who should against his murderer shut the door,
Not bear the knife myself."
Since Macbeth has a good job he does not want to kill Duncan anymore, he wants to be loyal to Duncan and loyalty comes first. Macbeth is putting his job in front of his personal problems. Even though he wants to become King he knows that killing Duncan isn't the right thing to do. He also says, "Not bear the knife myself." Macbeth might be suggesting that he wants someone else to kill Duncan instead of him so he doesn't feel guilty. Macbeth wants to do something fair, instead of something foul.
1.7:69-82
ReplyDelete"We fail? But screw your courage to the sticking-place,And we'll not fail. When Duncan is asleep Whereto the rather shall his day's hard journey Soundly invite him--his two chamberlains Will I with wine and wassail so convince That memory, the warder of the brain,Shall be a fume, and the receipt of reason A limbeck only: when in swinish sleep Their drenched natures lie as in a death, What cannot you and I perform upon The unguarded Duncan? what not put upon His spongy officers, who shall bear the guilt Of our great quell?"
In this passage, Lady Macbeth reveals her well-thought-out plan. She is trying to re-convince her husband to go along with her, because he had been having second thoughts. She says that they will not fail, her plan is fool proof! She will get the guards drunk on wine and wassail (a celebratory-type drink- very inconspicuous) and then when the King is asleep, use the guards' weapons against the King. The guards, knowing only that they were drunk the previous night, will then believe the lie that the Macbeth's will tell them- that they were the ones to kill King Duncan in their drunkenness. This passage reveals how truly evil Lady Macbeth can be and is. She knows that after such a long journey today he will be tired and sleeping soundly. Likewise for the guards, but just to make sure they don't awaken and try to stop them, and also to make the story more plausible, she will get them drunk and out of the way for a while. "What can't we do to an unguarded Duncan?" "This will be easy!" There probably will be a few unforeseen issues to wreck this devious plot. "When in swinish sleep" Lady Macbeth insults the guards by calling them pigs and that they will be "out like a light" or "dead to the world". And whatever happens, we can blame them.
"If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twhere well it were done quickly (1.7.1-2)."
ReplyDeleteThese lines of the opening speech is a play on words. The word "done" is repeated several times, each time having a new meaning. The first "done" refers to "it" being finished. The "it" mentioned is unknown at the time. The second "done" refers to "it" being accomplished, and the third "done" refers to "it" being performed. The combination of the "done's" is saying, if it has to be accomplished, it is best that it be performed quickly so that this whole "it" situation can be finished. This suggests that Macbeth doesn't really want to perform "it" and that if it is absolutely necessary then he wants to get it over with and be finished with it forever. Also, these lines have ten syllables.
"What beast was't, that made you break this enterprise to me? When you durst do it, then you were a man; And to be more than what you were, you would be so much more than the man"(1.7.53-58).
ReplyDeleteDuring Lady Macbeth's rhetorical response to her spouse backing out, she speaks the passage above.
Lady Macbeth, a very pushy person, has the wonderful opportunity to sit on the throne with her husband. This is not her first time predicting what it would be like it seems.
When Lady Macbeth says, "What beast was't that made you break this enterprise to me?" She is asking, "Why are you backing out of MY dream?" She speaks to Macbeth trying to convince him back into her plan. She tells Macbeth if he accomplishes her goal, he will be so much more than a man; but what will that make him? Inhuman? A witch? Earlier in Act I, when Lady Macbeth gets news of Macbeth's witch confrontation, she is not shocked. She uses this to let Macbeth know, he too could be as powerful as them. Lady Macbeth is very persuasive and not trust worthy.
If she isn't afraid to kill Duncan, why doesn't she just do it. Lady Macbeth is two faced and selfish. She acts so daring and positive, but really, she wouldn't kill Duncan. If she were to witness Macbeth getting caught, she would leave him high and dry.
Art thou afeard to be the same in thine own act and valor as thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that which thou esteem’st the ornament of life and live a coward in thine own esteem, letting “I dare not” wait upon “I would,” like the poor cat I’ th’ adage? (1.7. 43-49).
ReplyDeleteIn this passage, Lady Macbeth asks Macbeth if he is afraid to have the same ruthlessness in his act of murder as he is in his desires. She is really asking if he has enough desire to be the king because he will have to kill Duncan. The ornament of Macbeth’s life is to be king. Lady Macbeth wants to know if he will reach for the ornament or if he is going to be a coward and only talk of being king. When she says “I dare not” and “I would”, she using examples of Macbeth talking about being king instead of actually being the king. She is calling him a coward without actually calling him a coward. She wants him to think he is being a coward so he will want to prove her wrong and kill Duncan. When Lady Macbeth references the cat in adage, she means that Macbeth says he would kill the king but he is afraid of murder and its’ consequences. This shows how clever manipulative Lady Macbeth can be. She knows the exact words she needs to say to Macbeth to make him kill Duncan.
“What cannot you and I perform upon th’ unguarded Duncan?” (1.7.79-80).
ReplyDeleteMacBeth and Lady MacBeth are a team in which Lady MacBeth is the captain. They both want the crown and Lady MacBeth is willing to do anything to get it. When Lady MacBeth states to MacBeth, “what cannot you and I perform” she is letting him know that she is going to be right by his side through everything. She knows they are a very strong couple and no one can stop them from getting what they want. But deep down inside Lady MacBeth knows she has MacBeth in control. She has a way of manipulating MacBeth into doing and believing everything she says. She has MacBeth wrapped around her finger. MacBeth would listen to his own wife before he listens to anyone else. Lady MacBeth knows this, so she uses it to her advantage. She knows his weaknesses and knows what he wouldn’t do. That is why she is trying to pump MacBeth up and convince him to kill Duncan. She knows that he doesn’t want to go through with the plan so she does her best to convice him that it is the right thing to do. Lady Macbeth knows what she wants and won't stop until she gets it.
"But screw your courage to the sticking-place,
ReplyDeleteAnd we’ll not fail. When Duncan is asleep—
Whereto the rather shall his day’s hard journey
Soundly invite him—his two chamberlains
Will I with wine and wassail so convince
That memory, the warder of the brain,
Shall be a fume, and the receipt of reason
A limbeck only: when in swinish sleep
Their drenchèd natures lie as in a death,
What cannot you and I perform upon
The unguarded Duncan? What not put upon
His spongy officers, who shall bear the guilt
Of our great quell?"(1.7.70-82).
Lady Macbeth shows in this speech that she is genuinely evil. She has no feelings. Her desire for the crown is so great that she is forcing her husband into going along with the murder after he told her that it was wrong and he didn't want to do it. Lady Macbeth has a power over Macbeth; he can't say no to her. Macbeth has no confidence that their plan will be successful, but Lady Macbeth has all the confidence in the world. Macbeth's guilty conscience will mess up Lady Macbeth's victory. She tells him that if he has a little courage and confidence that they will not fail. Lady Macbeth has no compassion for others. She plans to wait until Duncan is tired and get his guards drunk. They guards will be close to unconscious. Lady Macbeth is not hesitant to attack while someone is vulnerable,; she prefers it that way. She also has nor will have any remorse for bearing the guilt on Duncan's guards. Nothing will stand in her way.
"But screw your courage to the sticking-place,
ReplyDeleteAnd we’ll not fail. When Duncan is asleep—
Whereto the rather shall his day’s hard journey
Soundly invite him—his two chamberlains
Will I with wine and wassail so convince
That memory, the warder of the brain,
Shall be a fume, and the receipt of reason
A limbeck only: when in swinish sleep
Their drenchèd natures lie as in a death,
What cannot you and I perform upon
The unguarded Duncan? What not put upon
His spongy officers, who shall bear the guilt
Of our great quell?"(1.7.70-82).
Lady Macbeth shows in this speech that she is genuinely evil. She has no feelings. Her desire for the crown is so great that she is forcing her husband into going along with the murder after he told her that it was wrong and he didn't want to do it. Lady Macbeth has a power over Macbeth; he can't say no to her. Macbeth has no confidence that their plan will be successful, but Lady Macbeth has all the confidence in the world. Macbeth's guilty conscience will mess up Lady Macbeth's victory. She tells him that if he has a little courage and confidence that they will not fail. Lady Macbeth has no compassion for others. She plans to wait until Duncan is tired and get his guards drunk. They guards will be close to unconscious. Lady Macbeth is not hesitant to attack while someone is vulnerable,; she prefers it that way. She also has nor will have any remorse for bearing the guilt on Duncan's guards. Nothing will stand in her way.
"Shall be a fume and the receipt of reason
ReplyDeleteA limbeck only" (1.7.76-77)
In this selection of Lady Macbeth's rhetorical scheme to kill King Duncan Lady Macbeth sets a metaphor to a distillery. When she says "shall be a fume" (1.7.76) she is referring to Duncan's memory. In distilleries all liquids are heated to specific concentrations so that they can ferment. In the process unnecessary liquids are evaporated- just like Duncan's memory. In the second half of the same line, Lady Macbeth also refers to his "receipt of reason" (1.7.76). This is supposedly the container that encloses reason- scientifically known as the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is also the section of the brain that is known for decision making abilities. She refers to this as a "limbeck" (1.7.77). A limbeck is a part of a still. A still in a distillery is where the alcohol is fermented. To ferment something merely means to make alcoholic, but to make alcoholic is to make toxic. This is why when humans intake too much alcohol they become ill. In these two lines Shakespeare is saying that Lady Macbeth is planning to mutate Duncan's brain from a normal, royal brain into a container of toxic thoughts and decisions- thoughts and decisions that will harm him. They will make him so unaware of his surroundings that he will become a vulnerable prey to the Macbeths. It also doesn't hurt that in line seventy-four, Lady Macbeth states that they are planning to get him drunk.