Macbeth has boarded the crazy train

Macbeth sure has changed a lot from the beginning...

"Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair"

We are first introduced to him indirectly through praise from the captain: "For brave Macbeth (well he deserves that name), / Disdaining Fortune, with his brandished steel, / Which smoked with bloody execution, / like Valor's minion" (A1.S2.L18-21). He seems like a Beowulf-esque kind of dude; he's obviously fearless if he's just hacking his way through battle without any worries, and probably for a good cause (the defense of Scotland). And when faced with his first struggle of the play (realizing that the witches speak the truth), he appears distraught and seems confused why something seemingly good would make him nervous.

As we dive further into the play, we see Macbeth transformed into a different person, moved by the guilt of his actions. Murdering Duncan really pushed Macbeth into a darker version of himself that he doesn't appear to have control of...

Beginning when Macbeth is resolved to kill the king (and is on his way to do the deed), he starts to go a little wonky and loses his senses. He starts to see things: "Is this a dagger which I see before me, / The handle toward my hand?" (A2.S1.L44-45). And then he starts to hear voices: "Methought I heard a voice cry "Sleep no more! / Macbeth does murder sleep." And even further into the play (after the murder of Banquo), Macbeth begins to see the ghost of his friend who he just had killed. However, even though his mind has betrayed him with false images to inspire his guilty feelings, he remains on his path of destruction and slaughters everyone threatening his power.

P.S. I also want to point out that Macbeth begins as a warrior who kills and kills without really caring if he's the one doing the actual stabbing. But, after he kills Duncan (with his own hand), he doesn't kill any of his other victims himself (Banquo and Macduff's family alike are killed by hired murderers). weird.

Something Wicked This Way Comes Indeed

Macbeth seems to be spiraling out of control. For some reason he just needs to kill EVERYBODY! Banquo saw it coming and hopes that at least Fleance can esacape to stop Macbeth's horrible motives.
I'm not sure I really understand why Macbeth decided to kill Lady Macduff and her children. Maybe just to be thorough? At this point I think he might just be killing to kill....or at least that's what it seems like. Perhaps he's just super paranoid because he couldn't just stay away from the witches. His power has definitely gone to his head.

I really liked how the witches described Macbeth before he entered. "Something wicked this way comes," is definitely accurate. I kind of see Macbeth as Voldemort in the sense that everyone that might compromise his power must die. Also, whenever I read that line that the witches say, I can't help but think what goes around comes around and "No one mourns the wicked."

Macbeth, you mad?

When I started reading Act 3, I got a feeling that the rest of the play might center around this idea that Macbeth's throne is not secure, which got me wondering - why doesn't he think about this before he murders Duncan? I guess Duncan's murder is so rushed on purpose; if it wasn't rushed, maybe somebody would have had the common sense to dissect the witches' riddles. The witches' original prophecy claims that Macbeth will be king and Banquo's family will eventually take the throne. Macbeth must only pay attention to his side of the prophecy. He reasons that the only way he can become king is if he kills the current one. If that's so true, how does he not reason that Banquo or someone must eventually kill him for the throne as well? I don't know how this tragedy ends, but if I had to make a guess...

I think Macbeth is going to die.

Buuut I'm not here to make prophecies. That's what the witches are for! Macbeth goes back to the witches in Act 4 to seek more guidance, and I've got to admit, I really like Shakespeare's version of traditional witches here.

"Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf,

Witches' mummy, maw and gulf

Of the ravined salt-sea shark,

Root of hemlock digged i' th' dark,

Liver of blaspheming Jew,

Gall of goat and slips of yew

Slivered in the moon’s eclipse,

Nose of Turk and Tartar’s lips,

Finger of birth-strangled babe

Ditch-delivered by a drab,

Make the gruel thick and slab.

Add thereto a tiger’s chaudron,

For the ingredients of our cauldron."

(Act 4, Scene 1, Lines 22-34)

Double, double, toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble indeed. I mean, these bitches throw a Jewish person's liver and the finger of a baby who was born in a ditch to a prostitute and strangled to death into their stew. Shakespeare...what kind of sick were you...

Anyways, the witches show Macbeth a floating head, a bloody child, a crowned child, and a procession of eight kings where one holds a mirror and is followed by Banquo's ghost. I'm not too sure that I could unravel the meanings behind these apparitions accurately, but I'm curious to see how they play out. I'm especially curious as to how Macbeth is expected to fear Macduff yet "none of woman born shall harm [him]" (Lines 82-83). I think the witches ordered the prophecies that way on purpose so that Macbeth dismisses the first prophecy by understanding the second and concluding that he must kill Macduff: "Then live, Macduff. What need I fear of thee? But yet I’ll make assurance double sure, And take a bond of fate. Thou shalt not live..." (Lines 85-87). Gosh, these witches really are good at mind games. I like it.

Macbeth. William Shakespeare.

Double, double toil and trouble

First off, what could be more appropriate than reading about witches a week before Halloween? Now, Shakespeare was definitely a fan of incorporating supernatural elements into his plays, but for some reason, the witches and the presence of Hecate in act three of Macbeth, seem a little odd to me. It could be because they are in the context of a tragedy and we typically do not associate these kinds of gimmicky devices in that type of genre, right? Supernatural forces are also at play in Hamlet, but yet, the ghost does not come off as gimmicky (sorry, can’t think of another word to use.) There is a believable component to him. One thing that makes the witches seem kind of silly is their language. They speak in rhymes, which I always have a hard time taking seriously.

  

“Double, double toil and trouble.” How does this line not take you back to your childhood? I did not even know that line was from Macbeth, which I thought was pretty cool, but somehow it got turned into a children’s Halloween movie.

 

Don’t get me wrong, I love the incorporation of the supernatural elements. It is much more entertaining than a very dry tragedy, but I still take the play slightly less serious when the witches come into play. In spite of it, Macbeth definitely take the witches and their apparitions very seriously. In fact, their prophesies are what cause his murderous, downward spiral in the first place. So what exactly is the intended reaction of the audience supposed to be? Am I the only one who feels that the presence of the witches makes the play slightly less serious? Or is what is supposed to be the tragedy, that something like the words of a witch, are what prompts such tragic events to unfold?

MVPs of Acts 3 & 4

The tragedy continues to unfold!

            I do have to say that my favorite moment from last night’s reading is when Fleance escapes the murderers in Act 3 Scene 3.  I’m sure it’s much more convincing when performed onstage, but I read the murderers’ lines after Fleance fled to be just kind of mildly disappointed in the whole situation.

“Aww, nuts. He got away.”

I’m also a big fan of Lady Macduff. She is NOT shy about her feelings towards her husband after he fled! I was definitely expecting her to be distraught and weepy after her husband left, and I was so glad to be proven wrong. I love the boldness of the women in this story. It’s so refreshing to see them asserting their opinions and beliefs. I think if the whole murdery thing never went down, Lady Macbeth and Lady Macduff could have been Co-Queens and brushed all of the men aside.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrLequ6dUdM

Of course I need to give a quick shout-out to the little Egg. He was so positive about everything and knew that life would go on and God would provide! Even his mother was taken aback by his can-do attitude. Major Tiny Tim vibes! (Of A Christmas Carol fame. Not the creepy tulip guy.)

http://www.magichcs.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/cracked-egg.jpg

RIP Little Buddy

             Lastly, I think it’s pretty amusing that Malcolm starts hyping Macduff to kill Macbeth the moment they find out Lady Macduff and the rest of the household were murdered.  There’s no “hey I’m really sorry that your family is dead” from Malcolm, it’s just Killing Time. While I can respect that he has the courage to immediately act upon his desires, I still think Malcolm would be the guy to shout commands from behind the camera while shakily filming schoolyard brawls in portrait mode.

Overall, I’m really excited to keep reading this, because I’m certainly enjoying it more than I ever did in previous readings.  I think my new appreciation for the women in the story majorly contributes to my enjoyment, because I remember being thoroughly annoyed by Lady Macbeth while reading this in middle school. What an egg I was.

Macbeth Plans a Murder II: Electric BOOgaloo

The Macbeths are finally facing consequences for their actions! Rather than feel secure in his seat as King, Macbeth is paranoid because his "fears in Banquo stick deep..." (III.i.53-54). The witches' words to him were true, so their prophecy that Banquo will be "father to a line of kings" (III.i.65) must also be true. Macbeth is now convinced that Banquo and his heirs will uproot his place on the throne. Even the strong-willed Lady Macbeth is feeling anxious and is "without content" (III.ii.7). The solution? Homicide. Preferably double homicide.

Rather than dirty his own hands and risk losing the support of "certain friends" (III.i.137), Macbeth has hired three men to do the murdering for him. Macbeth has promised these men a handsome payment for killing Banquo and his son, Fleance, but he has also taken the time to convince them that Banquo has personally wronged each of these random miscreants. Why bother? These are hardly moral men. I'm sure money alone would have been enough to convince them to kill someone.

Plus, he doesn't go that extra mile with their feelings on Fleance, even though killing Banquo's son is equally if not more important than killing Banquo if the witches' prediction is to be prevented. Macbeth and the murderers have had at least two conversations about how terrible Banquo is and how much he needs to die, but Fleance was barely more an afterthought in the conversation we witnessed because everyone was so focused on Banquo. Young Fleance is lucky enough to escape the ambush the murderers set for him and his father. Could that have happened because Macbeth incited the men's hatred of Banquo but did not encourage any particularly negative feelings for Fleance? I guess it doesn't really matter because Fleance is able to escape regardless.

After hearing of Banquo's death and Fleance's flight, Macbeth makes the best of the situation. I would've thought he'd been angrier about the escape son, who the witches imply stands a chance of taking the throne from Macbeth. Nonetheless, Macbeth returns to his feast among friends, all of whom mark Banquo's absence, only to find that his party has been crashed by none other than the late Banquo.

Banquo, in the flesh (sort of).

Macbeth is distressed to say the least. Lady Macbeth makes the inspired decision to convince the guests that her husband is having a "fit" (III.iv.66) and will be fine momentarily. Spoiler alert: Macbeth is not fine momentarily. The feast is ruined and the guests leave convinced that their new king is coo coo for cocoa puffs. Not a great day for Macbeth. The solution? Go talk to the witches! Will they make things better or worse? Tune in next time to find out!!

I have to kill him, him and him…looks like I will be busy

So Macbeth is going a little crazy and the paranoia is setting in. Once he realizes that since the witches were right about his future and that they will most likely be right about Banquo’s future he plans to kill his friend and his friend’s kid.

 Maybe if he isn’t know that Banquo’s line would take over the throne after him he wouldn’t have plotted to kill them. However his plan doesn’t exactly go as planned. Everything is set up correctly, hired the murders...check, invite Banquo and his son to the castle...check, tell wife about my nefarious plan...check. All the steps are in motion it’s just the action did not reflect what Macbeth wanted. The guys he hired killed Banquo...but Banquo’s son escaped.

The news of Banquo’s death reaches Macduff and people are blaming his son because he ran away. He was just listening to his dad and actually wanted to live. After part of his plan failed Macbeth goes to the witches and wants a quick fix to know how to stay king. Of course he sees apparitions that tell him exactly what he needs to feel secure about being king. He has to beware Macduff, and learns that no man born from a woman can kill him...hmm sounds sketchy, we will see how that plays out. And that he won’t be overthrown until Birnam Wood is moved to Dunsiane. Of course he starts feeling himself a little bit. That is until he sees Banquo’s line of kings and Banquo as a ghost.

Macbeth plans another murder, and decides to kill Macduff’s family after Macduff flees to England. Cuz it’s not like when you kill his family that he won’t be mad. But obviously according to Macbeth’s logic: if I kill his family he will be too sad with grief to try and retaliate.

  Malcolm says he will return to Scotland once the English king lends him 10,000 soldiers to get Macbeth off the throne after Macduff earns his trust. Macduff eventually learns that his family was murdered by Macbeth, vows to get his revenge. 

  

The Return of Banquo

Okay, so let's just get this out in the open from the very beginning: Shakespeare loves his paranormal characters, doesn't he? I mean, I'm not complaining because the return of Banquo is pretty badass. Yeah, of course, he doesn't do much but sit in a chair and scare the crap out of Macbeth, but honestly, that was just enough to me. Oh, did I mention that he's a ghost and that no one other than Macbeth can see him? Because that's even better.

So yeah, Lady Macbeth is trying to save her husband's reputation by telling his guests that he's really just messing with them... Right. Whatever you say, Mrs. M. 

Anyway, in the meantime, Macduff gets word that Banquo is dead and even though most people are saying that Fleance is the murderer, old Macduff knows better. He's all like, "I know that jerk Macbeth is behind this, and I'm gonna make him pay for it." Pretty cool of him to take it upon himself to right the wrongs that Macbeth has inflicted on Scotland, and eventually, on his own family. But hey, I mean, that's cool Macduff. You go, man. You get that revenge. 

Basically at the end of our reading for the night, Macbeth is visited by even more apparitions (as if he didn't sound crazy before) and one of them told him that he could not be harmed of any man who was woman-born. Hmm... (Insert obvious foreshadowing sign here) I wonder what's going to happen next.