It is not like she just worries for him, she “fears” for him. In A1 S5 Lady Macbeth says she “fears” Macbeth’s “nature.” This is important for two reasons: firstly, it seems very extreme to argue that you “fear” something in a family member. It is interesting to wonder whether it was the same lack of understanding that made Macbeth such a ruthless killer in the start that also made him such a poor king when the time came. Everything Macbeth did was, ultimately, for nothing. He says it is full of “sound and fury” – a clear reference to the violence that is inherent in so much of Shakespeare and Macbeth’s worlds of fighting, witch burning, reformations, and royal wars.įinally, he says that life “signifies nothing.” More than any other quote this reveals Macbeth’s final depression: life has no deeper meaning. He calls it a “tale told by an idiot.” This would have been an almost comical metaphor for Shakespeare, since he was the one who told Macbeth’s tale! Life is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.īy A5 S5, Macbeth is in deep despair: life has lost all meaning. You could easily argue that her spirits, became his scorpions. It is also interesting to compare this quote to Lady Macbeth’s desire to pour her “sprits” into his ear. Also, as they are ground dwelling killers, like snakes, they call to mind the way that Satan appeared in the Bible, which immediately references the witches’ and their evil desires. Scorpions are creatures that are both poisonous and have sharp claws, so they can attack with both ends – deadly. In A3 S2 Macbeth says his mind is “full of scorpions.” Here, he uses a metaphor to say how painful even thinking has become – he is displaying signs of madness. O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife! This euphamism shows both how much Macbeth views killing as a job, rather than a horrific event, and also the fact that there really is no other reason to kill Duncan other than the “business.” Here, he refers to the murder of Duncan as a “business” a noun that suggests he sees it as a part of a job, something for which he is being paid. In A1 S7 Macbeth tells his LM that he will “proceed no further in this business.” This is one of the few moments in the play where he stands up to his wife. We will proceed no further in this business:
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