Macbeth: Act One-Analysis and discussion.
‘Fair is foul, and foul is fair..’
The contaminating motivation of the witches is succinctly captured in this subversive paradox. Here, the evident pleasure of the witches in collapsing the ethical differences between ‘fair‘ and ‘foul’ demonstrates their intention to corrupt the moral universe of the play. This paradox foreshadows the smiling hypocrisy of the Macbeths once they fixate upon the murder of King Duncan. Ironically, the paradox proves the undoing of both Macbeth and his wife because, despite their attempts to destroy all signs of their humanity, their consciences do separate them ultimately from the world of the evil supernatural. Indeed such a differentiation leads to Lady Macbeth’s eventual suicide and Macbeth’s isolation and downfall culminating in his justified execution at the hands of Macduff.
‘ What bloody man is that? ‘
Duncan’s first speech in the play is an ironic question about the location of violence. Malcolm replies by introducing a Sergeant who reports on the recent battle identifying Macbeth as ‘brave Macbeth’ which serves to recommend him in his King’s eyes and contrasts with our unease about the witches’ declaration that they are waiting to ‘meet with Macbeth’. Thus the audience may temporarily forget the contaminating effect of the witches and join in the appreciation of the courage of Macbeth with Duncan. ‘ O, valiant cousin! Worthy gentleman!‘ Ignoring also the extreme capacity for violence evidenced by Macbeth’s prowess (and Banquo’s) on the battlefield. ‘ or memorize another Golgotha’. The dangerous link between Macbeth and savage slaughter gives representation to the historical context as well as his predilection for ‘reeking’ execution. If Christ was executed on Calvary(Golgotha) then surely Shakespeare is foreshadowing the murder of Duncan, a King the audience would believe was God’s representative on earth?
The betrayal of the Thane of Cawdor and his subsequent death is seized upon as an opportunity for Macbeth’s promotion. This elevation of Macbeth validates the prediction of the witches which the audience will hear in the next scene. It is symptomatic of the dangerous, violent times that ruination and promotion coincide immediately. Interestingly, Duncan fails to notice the irony of passing on a traitor’s title to Macbeth. Of course, Duncan’s enthusiasm for Macbeth reveals the former’s capacity for spontaneous trust and affection.
This trusting mentality is contrasted, perhaps understandably, by his son, Malcolm, whose cynicism is marked particularly in the scene where Ross announces the murder of Macduff’s family and Malcolm seizes the chance to cajole Macduff into revenge. Macduff’s resistance to Malcolm’s opportunism centres around his opposition to Malcolm’s imposition of behaving like a ‘man’ which unnerving reminds the audience of Lady Macbeth’s manipulative strategy to convince Macbeth that murdering his cousin and King would constitute manly behaviour. The degradation of manliness is halted by Macduff’s reminder that he must feel his grief like a’ man’ which reconnects manliness to humanity rather than violence and represents a pivotal metaphysical moment in the play. Perhaps the repetition of ideas in the play, like the unnerving repetition of ‘man’ in different situations and spoken by different voices reveals not only the contaminating effect of the witches but also the coexistence of good and evil in all beings.
‘So foul and fair a day I have not seen’
Macbeth’s first lines in the play represent an uneasy echo of the witches’ paradox expressed in the opening scene. In noticing this connection between Macbeth and the witches, the audience would most likely attribute the echo to the contaminating power of the supernatural in the play. It might feel as if the witches have already poisoned Macbeth before they even physically meet him and reveals the possibility that their powers extend beyond the visible and the rational. Perhaps Shakespeare is also hinting that the witches have the ability to ‘ know’ Macbeth in a way that grants them access to his mind.
Banquo’s astute observation that his friend is agitated by the witch’s salutation that ‘Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter‘ underlines the possibility that the witches recognise the secret, traitorous ambition of Macbeth even before they properly speak to him. Banquo’s recognition of Macbeth’s ‘rapt’ reaction ironically also acknowledges his own exclusion and foreshadows his precipitate fate on the orders of his so-called friend. ‘ To me, you speak not…who neither beg nor fear Your favours nor your fate.‘ Banquo’s fate is inextricably connected to Macbeth and his reaction to the witches reveals his moral compass, even when he is astounded by the accuracy of the witch’s prediction.’ What, can the devil speak true?‘ This question expresses the paradoxical relationship between the witches and truth. ‘ Fate’ seems enmeshed within the linguistic snares of the three sisters on the heath.
‘The instruments of darkness tell us truths…to betray’s.’
The intellectual and spiritual clarity of Banquo’s declaration recommends him to the audience and contrasts pointedly to the mounting fascination of Macbeth. Banquo’s is capable of detachment and his sense of loyalty prevents him from being seduced by the corrupting promises of the witches.
(Aside) this supernatural soliciting cannot be ill; cannot be good…and nothing is But what is not.’
Macbeth s secretive, ‘rapt’ asides explore the tumultuous processing of his thoughts. He appears torn between patience and reckless impetuosity, between respectful obedience and thoughts of (murderous) ‘ horrible imaginings’. Significantly, Banquo’s proximity to Macbeth condemn him to death because the latter recognises Banquo’s living reflects badly on his murderous pursuit of power and if the witches are correct, also represents a royal inheritance that excludes the childless Macbeth.
There no art
to find the mind’s construction in the face.
He was a gentleman on whom I built
An absolute trust.
(Enter Macbeth….)
O worthiest cousin!
Ironically, Duncan appears to be a poor judge of character. His execution of Cawdor segues immediately into his promotion of Macbeth. There is no question as to the potential irony of bestowing a traitor’s title on a new favourite. Duncan seems impetuous and trusting. If Macbeth’s brilliance as a soldier is unquestionable, then this skill as a warrior or licensed killer could also represent a future threat to Duncan’s own power: yet the King trusts his ostensibly loyal new favourite because he is reactive rather than reflective, spontaneous rather than circumspect.
When Duncan again addresses Macbeth passionately, ‘ My worthy Cawdor’ underlining the unworthiness of the old Cawdor, then the audience hears again Macbeth’s secret desires through the confidentiality of his conspiratorial asides.’ The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step on which I must fall down or else o’er leap..‘ the ruminations of Macbeth involve the audience in his burgeoning corruption, reminding his listeners of the witches earlier pleasure in the subversion of good and bad-‘ fair’ and ‘foul’. We are aware of the competing thoughts of Macbeth and of the hypocritical mask that he is wearing as he performs the loyal, noble servant to Duncan.
In scene v of the first act, we meet Lady Macbeth ‘alone, reading a letter.’
This first encounter defines Lady Macbeth as she reacts to her husband’s news through the confidential and conspiratorial device of the letter. Why we might ask ourselves is Macbeth so keen to inform his wife of his meeting with the witches when he is already on his way home? Surely the passionate connection between husband and wife has underlined as well as their mutual and dangerous dependency? If Macbeth is bursting with excitement about his favour with Duncan, then what is he preparing or even priming his wife to say? The hectic, rapid pace of the play makes the furtive, murderous ambitions of Macbeth lead straight into the next scene where his wife is evaluating the possibilities of the witches’ prediction. Surely this literal coincidence must alert the audience to the Macbeths’ terrible intimacy?
The savouring of each title by Lady Macbeth as she reads the letter reveals her mounting desire for greater status; her fate seems inextricably bound to her husband’s. If she can refer to the goodness of her husband as an impediment, ‘ milk of human kindness’ then we are aware of her intimate knowledge of Macbeth and her negative attitude towards moral constraint and rectitude. Lady Macbeth believes she can embrace the corruption of the fair is foul witches and yet remain personally unscathed. She lacks the imagination to admit consequence and refuses to tolerate its existence in her husband.
Of course, we suspect that Macbeth is actually informing Lady Macbeth of the witches in order to guarantee that he will be persuaded to destroy Duncan. The dyadic union that exists between husband and wife is terrible to witness and we recognise their combined power renders them both evil and dangerous. Their love is consummated by their acts of violence. Perhaps their childlessness involves unspoken grief that can only be assuaged by the violent catharsis of murder.
When Lady Macbeth speaks here in the aside she still maintains secrecy and codes her thoughts. She refers ironically to the murder of Duncan as ‘ The nearest way.’ The veiling of the act of murder reveals her depraved depths. Yet, ironically, she cannot admit what she is contemplating even to herself. This shows she knows the murder is profoundly wrong. Killing the King involved God’s elected representative. Her thoughts are treasonous. Therefore she is choosing evil despite the existence of a conscience(even if barely felt until her madness in Act V. The substitution of the noun ‘way’ for conscience also explores the metaphysical relationship between direction or choice and morality.
When the messenger brings the heady, unsettling news that ‘ The king comes here tonight’ Lady Macbeth is dangerously excited.‘ thou art mad to say it!’ She can’t believe that her secret desires have been gifted the perfect opportunity for Duncan’s slaughter. It feels destined, fated and the haste of the ‘Thane’ returning home subtly suggests he is also eager to reunite with his wife and perhaps her secret plan encouraged by his cunningly devised letter. Neither seems to recognise how much they owe to Duncan and even that the title of Thane depends on their favour with their trusting King.
The disturbing declaration of Lady Macbeth that ‘ the raven himself is hoarse that crow’s the fatal entrance of Duncan under my battlements’ gives Gothic expression to the ill-fated approach of Duncan. Instead of recognising the honour and trust involved, Lady Macbeth arrogantly derides any portent or sign that might attempt to protect her King. She appears highly selective in what she chooses to believe, underlining her moral blindness and depravity. Yet when she appears to invite evil into her soul, ‘Come, you spirits…unsex me here..’ she fails to realise that if the evil she is beckoning exists, then it could be just ruinous for herself as well as others. Her arrogance and pride foreshadow her hubristic downfall and her dismissal of femininity and maternal nurture are horrifying and would have severely alarmed the Jacobean audience who would condemn her adopted masculinity as well as her demonic affiliations.
Look at Lady Macbeth’s pointed greeting to her husband when he arrives home.’ My dearest love, Duncan comes here tonight.’ On the surface, this is a conventional, affectionate greeting delivered to Macbeth. But the audience(and Macbeth) are attuned to the subtext of the greeting. Lady Macbeth is informing her devious husband that they have the perfect opportunity to kill their monarch as he will be staying with them. She is speaking in code to Macbeth. It even seems as if she enjoys revelling in the subtext of her communication with her husband. It excites her and the endearment ‘dearest’ underlines the ironic eroticisation of murder as she ‘tells’ Macbeth what is about to happen. She reads her husband’s face ‘ as a book where men may read strange matters’ suggesting his evil conspiracy is transparent on his face. This underlines her understanding of her husband and again connects their passionate intimacy to murder. She commands him ‘ be the serpent’ which explicitly links Macbeth to the fall of man. It emphasises her immersion in demonic evil and demonstrates her power over Macbeth at this point in the play, though as I have said it does seem as if Macbeth has primed his wife to persuade him to kill Duncan through the device of the letter.
After such intensity, we enjoy a temporary lull, ironically with the doomed Duncan and Banquo’s, both of whom are beguiled by the apparent hospitality of the Macbeths. ‘ This castle hath a pleasant seat’ says Duncan and Banquo’s agrees to say,’ The air is delicate’. Neither doubt the sincerity of their welcome. This deepens our sense of their betrayal.
Yet the audience’s fears are briefly assuaged in the final scene(Act One scene 7) when Macbeth expresses his doubts about murdering Duncan. This oscillation in his decision making renders him a more complex character than his fanatical wife. We are made explicitly aware that he is aware of the possible spiritual damnation involved in killing Duncan if there is a consequence to his action in the afterlife. He attempts to examine his situation rationally and decides that if his current ‘shoal of time’ was all that was involved metaphysically, then he would risk killing Duncan and would ‘jump the life to come’ if he would face no consequences except oblivion in the afterlife. The oscillating mind of Macbeth reveals the conflict between his fair and foul selves. He is torn between what he knows he enjoys with his King and society because he is favoured and highly regarded and that which he craves because of his insatiable ambition.
Only when he flatly declares, ‘we will proceed no further in this business’ does his terrible dependency on Lady Macbeth reassert itself. For Lady Macbeth’s thwarted ambition turns to loathing as she humiliates her husband verbally, an attack that would appal the Jacobean audience as it is so aggressive and disrespectful. She belittles him as a coward and Macbeth retaliates by exclaiming ‘ I dare do all that may become a man..’ The audience recognises Macbeth’s pride in his courage, a characteristic already applauded by Duncan and other soldiers earlier in the first Act. Yet Lady Macbeth ‘s humiliation seems more affecting than we might anticipate, perhaps because of his erotic connection with her. She appears calculating and manipulative in her choice of words rendering her husband vulnerable to her accusations of manliness which seem linked to his potency. Lady Macbeth s appalling translation of manliness links being a man to violence and betrayal, ignoring the humanity of being a man. Only at the end of the play (with Macduff’s grief ) do we encounter any challenge to this degraded version of masculinity. Its persistence in the play reflects the dangerous context and subject matter of the play.
When Lady Macbeth exhibits her depraved bravado and commitment to murder through the image of the ‘ smiling’ babe having its ‘brains out’ whilst suckling we know she is probably insane with ambition. Her language is depraved and utterly destructive of the feminine. We feel repulsed and tainted by her words. Yet Macbeth is not horrified in fact he appears breathless with admiration, luxuriating in her degradation and relying on her for reassurance, ‘ ‘ if we should fail? ‘ and then flattering his monstrous wife with his command to ‘ Bring forth men-children only.’ The horrific irony of Macbeth s admiration for his wife and her capacity for motherhood appears lost on him. His need for her intimacy overwhelms and the last residue of decency in his character and he declares ‘ I am settled’ suggesting he is obedient to her will again and will murder Duncan. Interestingly the language of stability ‘settled ‘ appears incongruous when we think of the context. Once again the contaminating power of the witches is evident and we suspect that Lady Macbeth is another witch or has been as ruined as his husband by their intervention. Fair is foul indeed!