Macbeth - order vs disorder Flashcards
(4 cards)
1st paragraph - Macbeth’s regicide
At the start of the play, King Duncan represents natural order as he is chosen by God under the divine rights of kings. Under his reign, nature is peaceful, undisturbed due to King Duncan’s stability. However, when Macbeth commits regicide, it dramatically throws Scotland into disorder. Shakespeare utilises violent imagery like “the earth was feverous and did shake” to insinuate the drastic effects that the regicide has caused. This highlights how order has been destroyed due to the rightful king being killed.
2nd paragraph - the supernatural
The supernatural plays a significant role in creating disorder through their cryptic language. The witches chant the paradox “fair is foul and foul is fair” which immediately establishes them as unnatural and disturbing figures, blurring the boundaries between good and evil. Their influence quickly corrupts Macbeth as he mirrors their paradox through “such a fair and foul day I have not seen”. The witches also tempt Macbeth through claiming he will be “king thereafter”, fuelling his ambition while encouraging chaos.. This would create an unsettling atmosphere for the Jacobean audience as they believed witches were malevolent creatures, born to serve the devil, therefore reinforcing the idea that Macbeth’s downfall is inevitable once he engages with them.
3rd paragraph - Macbeth
Macbeth himself becomes a symbol of the collapse of order. At the beginning of the play, King Duncan praises Macbeth for being “noble” and “a worthy gentleman” which reveals how Macbeth righteously fought to protect his king and country. His heroism and moral integrity is emphasised as King Duncan considers him as family, therefore placing his trust in him. However, after Macbeth commits regicide, he begins a descent into tyranny. He attempts to secure his power through killing Banquo, Fleance and the Macduff family, yet further deepening the chaos. Macbeth’s insomnia through “murder[ing] sleep” magnifies his inability to find peace because of the abundance of chaos he has created. Eventually, his tragic downfall reveals the consequences of breaking natural order, leading to the ultimate consequence: death.
Conclusion
Through the cyclical structure, order is restored, and the play successfully delivers a powerful warning to audiences about the dangers of participating in regicide and how they lead to severe consequences.
