The Text

Plot summary.

We have here another short scene (58 lines) but one of great significance. Duncan, his two sons, Lennox, and some attendants enter. In the first two speeches we learn that the rebellious Thane of Cawdor has been executed. Malcolm tells us that a witness of the execution has reported that Cawdor confessed his treason and repented of it. He therefore died well:

Duncan says that he will proceed to Inverness,to Macbeth's castle. By becoming Macbeth's guest, he tells his host-to-be, he will put himself in even greater debt to Macbeth. Macbeth replies to Duncan, that he, Macbeth, will now put forth an effort which is not for Duncan's pleasure but for Macbeth's. Macbeth will hurry forth and he himself will be the messenger who will announce the news of Duncan's arrival, which will make Lady Macbeth, Macbeth's wife, "joyful." "My worthy Cawdor," says Duncan, thus at once thanking Macbeth and giving him permission to leave.

But before Macbeth exits, he has an aside. Once again he shows his great desire for the throne. After Malcolm is instated, Macbeth says,

After the speech Macbeth exits. During the speech Duncan had been talking with Banquo, and we hear the last part of their conversation. They have been apparently discussing and praising Macbeth, for Duncan agrees with Banquo that "he" is extremely brave. Duncan also says that when Macbeth is praised, Duncan is "fed." Commendations of Macbeth are "a banquet to me." And they exeunt to follow Macbeth. Duncan's last words are that Macbeth "is a peerless kinsman."

1. What is reported as having happened to the old Cawdor?

3. What is now preoccupying Macbeth?

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The Text

The scene takes place at Macbeth's castle at Inverness. Lady Macbeth enters reading a letter from Macbeth. The letter itself is the first piece of prose in the play. Lady Macbeth's comments following the letter and the ensuing dialogue return to poetry.

Lady Macbeth is reading, apparently the last part of the letter. Macbeth has been writing her about the Witches, who, he says, met him on "the day of success," that is, the day of victory. He has learned dependably that they have more knowledge than ordinary mortals. Macbeth wanted very much to question them further, but they dissolved into air. As he "stood rapt in the wonder of it," the news came that he was the Thane of Cawdor, by which title the Witches had previously greeted him, and they also greeted him with "Hail, King that shalt be!" that is, hail, future king.

Lady Macbeth shows great ambition, saying

"[you (Macbeth)] shalt be

What though art promised" (lines 16 - 17).

She goes on though, to question the strength of Macbeth's character:

The entrance of Macbeth brings us to the first dialogue between the play's two main characters.

Macbeth answers only, "We will speak further."

She tells him again to keep a face that indicates an undisturbed mind, "Only look up clear...." To change one's face (an indication of disturbance in the mind) is always to be afraid. Lady Macbeth ends by saying, "Leave all the rest to me."

Questions

1. How does Lady Macbeth react to the news in the letter?

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The Text

The scene occurs in front of the castle at Inverness. The scene is a formal one consisting in large part of the elaborate and courteous language used in ceremony, in this case the ceremony of greeting the arrival of a guest. Here, of course, it is a special guest, the king.

Lady Macbeth enters, and Duncan greets her in an elaborate and complicated way. Lady Macbeth replies as elaborately as Duncan has spoken.

King Duncan praises Macbeth to the end! He says,

"We love him [Macbeth] highly,

And shall continue our graces toward him" (lines 29 - 30).

The reader must concede the ironic qualities of the King's praises and trust going towards the man who is part of a plan to murder him.

1. How does Lady Macbeth appear to act toward Duncan in this scene?

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The Text

In this scene, Macbeth goes through some ethical transformations.

The scene opens with servants serving the dinner in honour of Duncan's visit. Macbeth enters and speaks a soliloquy, which begins,

"If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well

It were done quickly...."

It, of course, refers to the murder. He continues in a series of images the essence of which is: If the murder should be successful here on this earth and have no dangerous consequences, the risk of punishment in the next world would be worth it. But in cases such as the murder of Duncan, Macbeth goes on to say, we are sentenced for our crime in this life. The sentence is this: when we commit an assassination, we in effect teach others to commit the same act. It is "even-handed justice."

Macbeth now turns from the practical reasons why he should not kill Duncan to the moral reasons. He says that Duncan is in his house "in double trust." First, Macbeth is both Duncan's relative and Duncan's subject. Both of these ties to Duncan make the murder reprehensible. Second, Macbeth is Duncan's host; as Duncan's host Macbeth should shut the door against Duncan's murderer, not carry the murder knife himself. Macbeth goes on to a political reason why he should not murder Duncan. Duncan, he says, has been so mild and guiltless as king that Duncan's virtues will cry out like a trumpet against his murder ("taking-off"). And pity, as though it were "a naked new-born babe," or some member of an order of angels ("heaven's cherubins") riding the wind, "Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye"; there will then be a tremendous amount of weeping ("tears shall drown the wind"). Macbeth continues with an image from horsemanship, which says he has no reason to murder Duncan except ambition.

Lady Macbeth interrupts Macbeth's thoughts with her entrance. We learn that Duncan has almost finished supper and that he has wondered why Macbeth has disappeared from the table. Macbeth then says that he and his wife will no longer continue with the business of killing Duncan. The reason is that Duncan has recently honoured Macbeth, and Macbeth has

"...bought

Golden opinions from all sorts of people,

Which would be worn now in their newest gloss,

Not cast aside so soon."

At Macbeth's remarks Lady Macbeth pours out a torrent of contempt, the main idea of which is this; you do not really love me when you are not man enough to go out and get what you want. Macbeth replies,

"I dare do all that may become [is appropriate to being] a man...."

To this his wife says,

"What beast was't, then,

That made you break this enterprise to me?"

That is, as she explains in the next line, when you dared to plan the murder, you were a man; so that if you dare do all that is appropriate to being a man, you would dare do the murder. By breaking the promise to commit the deed you are behaving like a creature lower than a man, which is a beast.

She goes on to say that when Macbeth promised her to kill Duncan the best possible occasion for the murder had not presented itself ("Nor time, nor place,/ Did then adhere") and in fact he had said that he would have created a good occasion for the deed. But now that the best possible occasion has presented itself, he is unmanned. She then follows with one of the most blood-curdling images the of play. She knows, she says, "How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me [feeds at my breast]." But rather than break the kind of promise that Macbeth wants to break now, she would, while the baby at her breast was smiling up at her, pull her nipple from the baby's mouth and crush out the baby's brains.

Macbeth has no answer to this and turns to the practical problem of possible failure. Lady Macbeth tells him that as long as he has courage, they will not fail.

She then recounts the plan for the murder. When Duncan is sound asleep, as he will be after his hard day of travel, she will so fill with drink his bedroom attendants that they will sleep as though they were dead. Then Macbeth and his wife can do anything they wish to Duncan, who will be unwatched. And they can put the guilt upon the drunken ("spongy") guards. Macbeth says that his wife ought to bear only boys because her courageous spirit should go into the making of men. He then turns back to the murder plan and, as though he had not heard his wife's last words, he repeats in the form of a question what she had said about the guilt being put upon Duncan's drunken attendants. She replies that since she and Macbeth would be loudly grief-stricken over Duncan's death, no one would dare put the blame anywhere but on the drunken attendants.

Macbeth says that he has decided to go through with the deed. And now Macbeth repeats his wife's advice of a previous scene: the expression on the face must be innocent although the heart intends murder.

1. Macbeth has three types of reason for not killing Duncan at the opening of the scene. What are they and how does he express them?

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