Реферат: Macbeth Independence And Failure Essay Research Paper

Macbeth: Independence And Failure Essay, Research Paper

Macbeth: Independence and Failure

Peasants of the early sixteenth century are often pictured carrying a

bundle of limbs tied with vines on their backs. This is a perfect metaphor for

the events in Macbeth. Macbeth is one of many thanes, or limbs, bundled

together. The thanes are united by the king, or the vine. Scotland, or the

peasant, carries the bundle by the sweat of his brow. They carry the bundle

for fires on cold nights, or wars, and to build homes, or castles, to protect

them from the elements, or invaders. If the limbs are tied improperly, one limb

may slip to the side and cause the peasant, or nation, to stumble or fall. If

the limb slides completely out, the rest of the limbs may follow because the

bundle is loose. Marriage is like a triangle. Each spouse makes up one of the

leaning sides, and marriage the lower side. The three together are very strong,

but to stand they all must be united. The longer a marriage is held the longer

the bottom stretches, and the more dependent each person becomes on the other.

If one side tries to stand on its own then the second will fall on the first as

it tries to stand. This metaphor also excellently exemplifies the catastrophe

that occurs in Macbeth as both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth try to separate.

Macbeth is a eighteenth century play written by William Shakespeare. Using

these two metaphors, the breakdown in the relationship between Lady Macbeth and

Macbeth and between the king and the thanes and how they perfectly parallel

each other because each is caused by Macbeth’s will to be independent.

According to Webster’s dictionary, the archaic definition of

independence is ?competence? (1148). To be independent is not to be ?subject

to control by others? (Gove 1148). This means that independence is to be in

control of ones decisions and to feel they are good decisions. Macbeth, on the

other hand, feels independence is to not be subordinate to others like the king.

To be independent, one must be strong. Inner strength, not physical

strength, is needed. Inner strength is only accomplished by having a high

self-esteem. Macbeth does not and must use others to reach for independence.

Macbeth needs this strength:

It [Macbeth] hurls a universe against a man, and if the universe that

strikes is more impressive than the man who is stricken, as great as his size

and gaunt as his soul may be he will fall. (Van Doren 217) According to

Macbeth’s ideas of independence and of strength, he is neither independent nor

strong. He feels the need for both and thus allows nothing, including murder,

to get into his way.

Shakespeare opens Macbeth with the disorder being stabilized by the king

and thanes. The thanes fought ?rebellious arm ?gainst arm? to curb ?his lavish

spirit? (I, ii, 56-7). Macbeth’s stature increased to fill the space in the

bundle of limbs opened by the death of the Thane of Cawdor for ?what he hath

lost, noble Macbeth hath won? (I, ii, 67). ?When we first see him [Macbeth] he

is already invaded by those fears which are to render him vicious and which are

finally to make him abominable? (Van Doren 216).At the end of Act I, Lady

Macbeth and Macbeth are discussing whether or not to assassinate the king (I,

ii). Macbeth has not committed himself to this sin and to independence, he has

not broken the commitatus bond that exists between the king and thane.

Likewise, Macbeth’s marriage is unstable as they argue, but their triangle is

still together as they depend on one another.

Lady Macbeth and Macbeth each experiment with external forces to gain

independence from their spouse. Macbeth uses the witches, on which he becomes

increasingly dependent. Lady Macbeth uses alcohol and Satan to ?unsex? her and

make her strong (II, ii, 1; I, v, 42). Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth deny

their dependence on their aid, and still require their spouse. Their self

denial of their dependence makes them weak, and the more self denial the weaker

they get. As a married couple, they are splitting away from each other: they

are trying to turn their triangle of dependence into a open square of

independence.

The split between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth becomes apparent with the

assassination of king Duncan. By the end of their arguing in the beginning of

Act II, the two had not come to a final decision as to whether to kill the king

or not (I, v, 72). Without the consent of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth tries to kill

Duncan but fails, because she lacks strength and covers her ineptitude with the

lame excuse that he ?resembled my father as he slept? (II, ii, 12-3). Lady

Macbeth lacks strength, because she only has conscience strength formed by

extreme self denial. Unlike Lady Macbeth, Macbeth is almost strong enough to

complete the task without Lady Macbeth. ?He is driven to the murder of Duncan

partly by the constant goading of Lady Macbeth and partly by his own will to be

in control of Scotland:? he feels power is strength (Watkins 29). His strength

comes from multiple places. It comes from his strength as a warrior, from the

witches’ revelations, and from self denial of his dependence on the first two

(I, iii, 49-50). Macbeth is still not completely independent from his wife in

that he is unable to complete the task and ?carry them [the daggers], and smear

the sleepy grooms with blood? (II, ii, 48-56). The scene is painful in the way

it separates husband and wife. Crime had at first brought them closely and

eagerly together, but now they discover how the execution of the crime

separates them?In fact, after the murder they can only speak in short sentences,

not communicating or even answering questions. (Jorgensen 67)

Although he blames his rage on the grooms for killing Duncan, he was

actually mad at himself for committing the murder. Not until he kills the

grooms with his regret does Macbeth become totally independent from the thanes

and slide from the bundle of limbs (II, iii, 108-19). The action of killing

the chamber servants was the first action which Macbeth does totally

independent of Lady Macbeth: he does not even mention killing the chamber

servants to her: A stranger to himself and to others, he is on his way to

isolation?but what he sees cannot really be shared with others for it is the

uniquely appropriate and lonely torment that cannot be felt by others. Even

for his wife there will be a torment of a different kind, one that likewise

separates her from others. (Jorgensen 178) This reaction to his regret is the

strongest divider between him and his wife: it ends their relationship of

dependence for their temporal existence.

Tree’s limbs do not tie very well, because they break. Likewise Macbeth

incapable of being king, because he is unfit for the job. He tries to replace

Duncan, because he is so filled with self denial that he can not see the truth:

he will never be a good king. Macbeth wants to be strong and independent at

the same time but is very unsuccessful. Macbeth must use external support to

stand and not to lean on Lady Macbeth so he turns to killing. He has Banquo

killed, because he poses a threat. Macbeth can not do it himself, because they

were once friends which shows his lack of strength to stand erect (II, i, 11).

A soon as the deed is done, Macbeth falls: his control and independence falls.

His plan to use Banquo’s death to restore order and give him strength did not

work. Before all the thanes except for Macduff, Macbeth has a brief moment of

insanity, in which he loses all control and reveals his true strength which has

been hidden by self denial. For her own safety, Lady Macbeth tries to calm the

situation and to make it excusable:

Sit, worthy friends. My lord is often thus,

And hath been from his youth. Pray you, keep seat.

The fit is momentary; upon a thought

he will again be well. If you much note him,

You shall offend him and extend his passion.

Feed, and regard him not… (III, iv, 54-9)

With little effect, she struggles to keep order but

gives up and has the thanes ?stand not

upon the order of your going? (III, iv, 120-1).

Macbeth’s strength from self denial fails, because he is losing his

sanity. To make up for the loss of support, he returns to the witches. ?He may

concievably be under the spell of the witches, may even be possessed?

(Jorgenson 64). He is very uncertain of himself and asks many questions of the

witches in search of answers on which he can be strengthened: ?Then live

Macduff: what need I fear of thee??, ?Who can impress the forest, bid the tree

unfix his earth bound root?? (IV, i, 82; IV, I, 95-6). His answers do not

give him sufficient strength for he vows to make ?assurance double sure and take

a bond of fate? (IV, i, 83-4).

Again his will is greater than his ability, and Macbeth must have

someone else kill Macduff and his family. As if trying to keep all the marbles

together, each time one slips Macbeth has them killed. Unfortunately for

Macbeth, he is not too successful for Fleance and Macduff get away.

Quickly Macbeth is overwhelmed with his independence. Lady Macbeth is?

troubled with thick-coming fancies that keep her from rest? (V, iii, 38-9). She

is no longer ?unsexed? and strong so she can not sleep. She remains sane and

strong longer than Macbeth, because her strength came from one source, Satan,

that would never leave, but ultimately fell, because her sub-conscience fought

against evil and kept her without rest. She also began to realize the

wickedness of her sin for she said, ?all the perfumes of Arabia will not [could

not] sweeten this hand? (V, I, 53-5). The fight in her mind is too hard so she

kills herself.

She leaves Macbeth with the rest of his subjects. Many of Macbeth’s

soldiers are deserting him, and he gets his wish: to be independent of others

(V, iii, 1). He thinks he is independent, but, in reality, he supports himself

on the revelations of the apparitions for he frequently repeats ?until Birnam

Wood come to Dunsinane? and ?was he not born of woman?? (V, iv, 60; V, iii, 3).

In the end, Macbeth dies because everything he used for strength was gone.

As soon as Macbeth dies and reunites with Lady Macbeth, the thanes are

reunited by Malcolm who has the qualities to make a good leader and to keep the

thanes together. The suffering that Scotland had endured ended because ?All

Hail, king of Scotland? (V, viii, 59).

?The passions are directed in their true end. Lady Macbeth is merely

detested; and though the courage of Macbeth preserves some esteem, yet every

reader rejoices at his fall? (Johnson 484). In the end, Macbeth is independent,

because he does not rely on his wife and he dies.