Casondra Moquin
Ms. Stead
English III
3RD of April 2012 “My Wife Made Me Do It”
“Fair is foul and foul is fair” (Shakespeare Coleman) stated the three witches in the beginning of Act I, after deciding on when they’ll meet again. This quote generally means that things are not always as they may seem and will foreshadow events soon to come. After the bloody battle between Scotland and Norway, the protagonist Macbeth meets three witches. These “black and midnight hags” (Shakespeare Coleman) tell his future by greeting him with three titles that lead him into to killing innocent people. In, Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth, blood and sleep are recurring symbols that move the audience and come to represent guilt and insanity.
Throughout the Tragedy three witches motivate Macbeth. After giving Macbeth such foul thoughts and false visions Macbeth’s wife and his self plan to kill Duncan. Therefore, Macbeth has a feast at his castle and invites Duncan. After, the feast Duncan falls asleep innocently and Macbeth then strikes. “I go, and the murder will be done. The bell calls for me to do it. Do not hear it, Duncan, for this ringing summons you to heaven or to hell.” (Shakespeare Coleman) This quote shows what Macbeth is about to do to poor Duncan as he is asleep. Macbeth then feels guilt after killing Duncan and expressing himself to his wife, Lady Macbeth. “Whose hands are these? Ha! They’ll pluck out my eyes. Could all of great Neptune’s ocean wash my hand clean of the blood? No; instead, my hand would drench the enormous seas a crimson color, making their green waters wholly red.” (Shakespeare Coleman) This quote shows that blood portrays guilt in this tragedy.
Macbeth has killed Duncan while he was asleep, but he then suspects Banquo of his mortality and feels he is a threat. Banquo was also predicted from the witches that he will NOT be a king but he will father some. Therefore, Macbeth feels the need to end Banquos life also. So Macbeth gets some Murderers to do the job for him, to kill Banquo and his son Fleance. But Macbeth is still paranoid about the murders of King Duncan that’s why he needs Banquo dead cause of his suspicion. The murderers do kill Banquo but were not successful in killing his son Fleance whom gets away and flees from Scotland to England. “Is it agreed upon. Banquo, if your soul is going to fly to heaven, it must find its way there tonight.” (Shakespeare Coleman) This quote is what Banquo says right after he sends the murderers on their way to kill Banquo. “If I continue to tremble then, call me a baby girl. Away, you horrible shadow! You unreal mockery, away!” (Shakespeare Coleman) This quote shows that Macbeth begins to hallucinate Banquos shadow at the feast due to Lady Macbeth and his self lacking innocent sleep. Also in this quote Macbeth states he was “trembling” that shows that he is still nervous and paranoid about these deaths that he set up.
Lady Macbeth begins to go insane as well as her husband. After being the more dominant one in the relationship and telling her husband what needs to be done. She now begins to be left in the dark. Macbeth doesn’t confide in her anymore. As Macbeth was in the beginning, very guilty. Lady Macbeth starts to become the same way Macbeth was before the murders but after it. “Out damned stain! Out, I tell you! One o’clock, two o’clock. Well, then, it’s time to do it. Hell is dark. Shame, my lord, shame you call yourself a soldier, and yet you’re afraid? Why should we who know about it be afraid, when we’ll be too powerful to be brought to justice? Still, who would have thought the old man would have so much blood in him?” (Shakespeare Coleman) This shows how Lady Macbeth is sleep walking and going crazy because of her and her husband “murdering innocent sleep. She also begins to feel guilty