Macbeth act 5

V.I



Doctor and Gentle woman are speaking in a room about Lady Macbeth. The Gentle woman explains that Lady Macbeth has been walking and speaking in her sleep; on cue, she enters doing exactly what the Gentle woman said she had been. She walks around professing about Banqou's death, confessing to sins she shouldnt know 'she has spoke what she should not'.



Lady Macbeth continues to scrub 'blood' off her hands but she can't seem to get it off' 'Out damned spot: out I say'.







V.2



The scene opens with Mentieth, Caithness, Angus, Lennox and some soldiers. Although this act is short it has a strong significance, they curse Macbeth and basicaly say that they are going to war. It is the beginning of the end.





V.3





Macbeth is talking to a doctor and a friend named Seyton. I believe that this man is called Seyton as some kind of pun; ironic that Macbeth is plotting and confessing with a man whose name is incredibly close to Satan. Macbeth asks for his armour to be brought to him and proclaimes that he 'will not be afraid of death and bane'.



V.4

My thoughts on the witches

I think that the witches hold a very strong significance in Macbeth. I believe that if they had never encountered Macbeth the whole plot would never have taken place. For example, when they tell Macbeth he will become king he initially believes it will happen in time, there for deciding to kill King Duncan to shorten the wait and begin the story plot. However, I think that when the witches told him he would become king they meant because he would kill Duncan after them telling him his prophecy, he would not have become king otherwise.
Because of this, it is as though they were informed by a hierarchy to tell Macbeth in the first place, so that everything would fall in place. Someone more powerful than the witches and Hecat that saw it would all happen and that is why they ordered the witches, consciously or subconsciously to tell Macbeth his fortune on that dreary day.

This is possibly why Hecat is surprised when she finds out that the three witches have been working without her order, someone else could have already given them a task unbeknownst to Hecat.

Macbeth Act 3

Act three of Macbeth is were Banquo's death takes place.
The scene opens with Macbeth speaking to Banquo, Macbeth asks him to come to dinner but Banquo declines. Macbeth asks 'Ride you this afternoon?' to which Banquo replies 'Ay my good Lord.'
However, shortly after this scene Macbeth is seen conversing with to Murderers he has hired to kill Banquo. He says he can't kill Banquo himself because 'certain friends that are both his, and mine, whose loves I may not drop.' I think that this is just an excuse because Macbeth knows he can't personally kill Banquo because he is his friend.
Things do not go as planned because, although the murderers were told to kill both Banquo and his son Fleance, Fleance manages to escape hearing his fathers bloodied cries behind him 'O treachery! Fly good Fleance fly, fly, fly! Thou mayst revenge. O slave!'

I think this will have strong significance later in the plot, it could possibly lead up to Macbeth's death.
I think that Banquo's words 'fly' have a very strong yet subtle meaning. For instance it could relate back to the old mans words in act two about an owl slaying the hawk. At the time, those words were meant to represent Macbeth, the owl, slaying the King, the mighty hawk. However this time I believe the meaning has slightly differed. Fleance is now the owl and Macbeth has become the Hawk.

The lead witch, Hecat, makes an appearance amongst the other witches. She moans at them for meddling with out consulting her first but other than that accepts what has happened and decides to let things fall in place.

Later there is a dinner scene with Macbeth and guests. Macbeth sees the ghost of Banquo although no one else can see it. I believe this is because the guilt of knowing Banquo is dead because of him becomes to much. It is also the first time Macbeth shows his unwell state of mind in front of someone other than Lady Macbeth.

Act II of Macbeth

II.1
Banquo, Fleance and Macbeth are having a conversation. Banqou mentions that he dreamt of the witches last night, ‘I dreamt last night of the three Weird Sisters’. They leave and Macbeth has a soliloquy whilst he makes his way to Duncan’s chamber. He seems jumpy and frightened about everything including himself. He envisions an imaginary dagger, ‘I have thee not yet I still thee still’ proving how unsound he is.

II.2
Lady Macbeth and Macbeth console each other after Macbeth has murdered the king. Macbeth is deeply disturbed by what he has done although the Lady seems unfazed by it all. She goes to smear the blood over the other slain guards in order to frame them for the murder, yet even after her hands are covered with blood just like Macbeth's she still doesn't care, 'My hands are of your colour: but I shame to wear a heart so white'. They both retire to their chamber as there is a knocking coming from the door. 'I hear a knocking at the south entry: retire we to our chamber'





II.3


A porter enters the room followed by Macduff and Lennox, they have a fairly comical conversation. Macbeth enters. Macduff asks him about his day and then Macbeth shows him to the kings chamber. Lennox and Macbeth continue to have a conversation until Macduff re-enters after finding the King murdered, 'O horror, horror, horror'

Macbeth acts oblivious and ventures to see what is wrong with Lennox who is also horror stricken.

Directors Blog

After acting out act 1 scene 4 I feel I have a much better interpretation of what is happening. Macbeth and Banquo enter the Kings court after Malcolm informs the King of their trials and conquests in battle.
The king entitles Malcom as the Prince of Cumberland which Macbeth does not seem very enthralled about. After he says his farewells he plots aside about how he must 'o'erleap' the Prince because ' In his way it lies'. He tells the audience that he has 'black and deep desires', foreshadowing that something bad is going to happen.

I imagined that the scene took place in the royal palace, the Kings quarters. Every one was well dressed in usual rich old fashion and all of the cast bowed before the king, possibly kissing a ring on his hand whilst doing so.

Notes on Macbeth

One of the most obvious gothic elements throughout Macbeth is the strong sense of death. The surroundings of the play are very dark and dreary which is a classic way of portraying that something bad is going to happen.

I.1
Introduction. Witches set the scene with a song.

I.2
Soldiers return injured from war and tell us of Macbeth and Banquo and their heroic deeds.

I.3
Witches tell Macbeth that they have forseen his future and him as king. Part of their premonition comes true as Macbeth is made Thane of Cawdor.

I.4
Macbeth meets the King who congratulates him on his impressive work on the battle field.

I.5
Lady Macbeth reads a letter that Macbeth has sent about the witches and their proficies. She has a monologue about how she wishes to have more power like the men are recognised to have 'unsex me here'. She plots on how they shall kill King Duncan.

What Is Literature?

I believe that literature is whatever somebody interprets it to be, as long as it's some form of writing. Whether it is a novel, report or diary entry I think that it still counts as literature because someone has put thought or purpose behind the piece of writing and after all, isn't that all that literature is? A thought that has been written down in order for someone to read and think about themselves.