[Part 4]- Characters: Macbeth 🤴

Question 1

‘Give to th’edge o’th’sword his wifes, babes and all…’ 🚼

Answer 1

I= perhaps he wants to get revenge on Macduff, for siding with England. But alternatively, Macbeth is deciding how to die. This is because Macduff is a warrior, so he knows he will be a ‘worthy’ foe to kill him. [It’s interesting to note how he doesn’t choose Malcom or donaldbain aswell].

Question 2

‘Give to th’edge o’th’sword his wifes, babes and all…’ 🚼

Answer 2

• Additionally, Macbeth is normally in iambic pentameter; in this quote Macbeth is unable to, as there are eleven syllables in this line.
• By deliberately crowding so many syllables in one line, could it perhaps reflect Macbeth’s barbaric nature which can’t be allowed to continue. [as it can’t be tolerated].
• Since he tries to fit so many victims he will kill in one line, that breaks the pattern of iambic pentameter. So by doing this, it highlight Macbeth’s brutality.

Question 3

‘Give to th’edge o’th’sword his wifes, babes and all…’ 🚼

Answer 3

• I= this could also reflect the disturbing/unsettling nature of Macbeth’s mind. By deliberately doing this, Shakespeare constructs Macbeth as a tragic hero who is in conflict/ in crisis with his conscience.

Question 4

‘Give to th’edge o’th’sword his wifes, babes and all…’ 🚼

Answer 4

• L= triplet/rule of three- ‘wife, babes and all unfortunate souls’- highlights how Macbeth is now becoming fiercely extremely, even wanting to murder ‘babes’- and by Shakespeare using of emotive language, this makes the audience view Macbeth as a monster and inhumane.
• because ‘babes’ has connotations of infantile, relating to children. They are innocent, defenceless and haven’t done Macbeth any harm, yet he seeks to murder them.

Question 5

‘Give to th’edge o’th’sword his wifes, babes and all…’ 🚼

Answer 5

I= ; by labelling Macduff’s children as ‘babes’, it makes his actions appear to be worse/gruelling. Does he perhaps want to portray himself as a malicious person ? [link to I am in blood/stepped in so far]

• Moreover, is he butchering babes to take an act of vengeance [against the world] for taking his ‘babe’ away because it can be suggested/inferred that his child died as a baby. As Lady Macbeth is still lactating/producing milk- [link to have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dash’d the brains out.’

Question 6

‘Give to th’edge o’th’sword his wifes, babes and all…’ 🚼

Answer 6

• L= metaphor- ‘Give to th’edge o’th’sword’- yet again, he tries to not take accountability [link to oh full of scorpions is my mind + it is a tale, told by an idiot full of sound and fury, signifying nothing] by personifying the sword, he separates himself from his behaviour/actions, suggesting the sword will take the ‘gift’ from the assassins he hired to murder them.

Question 7

‘Give to th’edge o’th’sword his wifes, babes and all…’ 🚼

Answer 7

By referring to an edge, instead of a blade it reflects how Macbeth is psychologically on the edge of insanity/madness.

• Perhaps this is the turning point of his character, where he realises he cannot be redeemed for his actions and is now a tragic hero, who has met his reversal of fortune-the point where a noble hero, can’t turn back’. Therefore he decides to rouse/provoke Macduff, so he will murder him [Macbeth]

Question 8

‘Before my body I throw my warlike shield. Lay on, Macduff, And damn’d be him that first cries, ‘Hold, enough’ 🛡️

Answer 8

• L= Throughout this quote, Shakespeare’s contuines with the use of iambic pentameter- this implies that the ending of the play seems to be complete: Macbeth is continually speaking in iambic pentameter, he is is being punished for his crimes- by death and
  justice has prevailed. He knows his eternal jewel/soul will be ‘damn’d’ to hell for eternity, yet it’s interesting to note as he no longer believe in God throughout the play.
• I= Alternatively, this highlights how Macbeth is of a psychotic nature and is a [psychotic] warrior Aswell. For example, he still wrestles/fights to the end and is remorseless/unrepentant. ; this is also shown as Macbeth throws/tosses his ‘warlike shield’ away from himself- he appears to welcome/embrace death by giving Macduff an advantage as he chucks his shield.
• ; this quote is of circular nature- Macbeth has brutally butchered Macduff’s family, so Macduff is now taking retribution as he murders Macbeth.
• But Shakespeare doesn’t end the play with this scene: the battle between Macduff and Macbeth. Instead, he ends the scene with a new king being crowned: Malcolm- moreover, the play should have ended with Fleance taking the throne [as Banquo’s descendants should be king- James I is a descendant of Banquo].
• This is ironic as ‘Hold, enough’ gives the impression of the play ending, yet this indicates that in fact, there will certainly not be ‘enough’, since Malcom has to lose the throne, for Fleance to be king.
• Nevertheless, Shakespeare deliberately leaves the ending of Macbeth with uncertainty - relating this to context, it can be inferred perhaps Shakespeare, has contradicting feelings about who will be king.
• Maybe doesn’t think think whoever will be king is more suitable than other person. Perhaps he views the king/monarch as only a role to be flattered/complimented.
• Therefore Shakespeare ultimately uses Macbeth as political propaganda/ message to warn people that those who usurp the throne will be punished or perhaps he uses this play, in an attempt to flatter/charm James I, his patron.