Macbeth Themes Essay, Research Paper

Peasants of the early sixteenth century are often pictured carrying a bundle of

limbs tied with vines on their backs. This is a perfect metaphor for the events

in Macbeth. Macbeth is one of many thanes, or limbs, bundled together. The

thanes are united by the king, or the vine. Scotland, or the peasant, carries

the bundle by the sweat of his brow. They carry the bundle for fires on cold

nights, or wars, and to build homes, or castles, to protect them from the

elements, or invaders. If the limbs are tied improperly, one limb may slip to

the side and cause the peasant, or nation, to stumble or fall. If the limb

slides completely out, the rest of the limbs may follow because the bundle is

loose. Marriage is like a triangle. Each spouse makes up one of the leaning

sides, and marriage the lower side. The three together are very strong, but to

stand they all must be united. The longer a marriage is held the longer the

bottom stretches, and the more dependent each person becomes on the other. If

one side tries to stand on its own then the second will fall on the first as it

tries to stand. This metaphor also excellently exemplifies the catastrophe that

occurs in Macbeth as both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth try to separate. Macbeth is a

eighteenth century play written by William Shakespeare. Using these two

metaphors, the breakdown in the relationship between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth

and between the king and the thanes and how they perfectly parallel each other

because each is caused by Macbeth?s will to be independent. According to

Webster?s dictionary, the archaic definition of independence is

?competence? (1148). To be independent is not to be ?subject to control by

others? (Gove 1148). This means that independence is to be in control of ones

decisions and to feel they are good decisions. Macbeth, on the other hand, feels

independence is to not be subordinate to others like the king. To be

independent, one must be strong. Inner strength, not physical strength, is

needed. Inner strength is only accomplished by having a high self-esteem.

Macbeth does not and must use others to reach for independence. Macbeth needs

this strength: It [Macbeth] hurls a universe against a man, and if the universe

that strikes is more impressive than the man who is stricken, as great as his

size and gaunt as his soul may be he will fall. (Van Doren 217) According to

Macbeth?s ideas of independence and of strength, he is neither independent nor

strong. He feels the need for both and thus allows nothing, including murder, to

get into his way. Shakespeare opens Macbeth with the disorder being stabilized

by the king and thanes. The thanes fought ?rebellious arm ?gainst arm? to

curb ?his lavish spirit? (I, ii, 56- 7). Macbeth?s stature increased to

fill the space in the bundle of limbs opened by the death of the Thane of Cawdor

for ?what he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won? (I, ii, 67). ?When we

first see him [Macbeth] he is already invaded by those fears which are to render

him vicious and which are finally to make him abominable? (Van Doren 216).At

the end of Act I, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are discussing whether or not to

assassinate the king (I, ii). Macbeth has not committed himself to this sin and

to independence, he has not broken the commitatus bond that exists between the

king and thane. Likewise, Macbeth?s marriage is unstable as they argue, but

their triangle is still together as they depend on one another. Lady Macbeth and

Macbeth each experiment with external forces to gain independence from their

spouse. Macbeth uses the witches, on which he becomes increasingly dependent.

Lady Macbeth uses alcohol and Satan to ?unsex? her and make her strong (II,

ii, 1; I, v, 42). Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth deny their dependence on their

aid, and still require their spouse. Their self denial of their dependence makes

them weak, and the more self denial the weaker they get. As a married couple,

they are splitting away from each other: they are trying to turn their triangle

of dependence into a open square of independence. The split between Macbeth and

Lady Macbeth becomes apparent with the assassination of king Duncan. By the end

of their arguing in the beginning of Act II, the two had not come to a final

decision as to whether to kill the king or not (I, v, 72). Without the consent

of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth tries to kill Duncan but fails, because she lacks

strength and covers her ineptitude with the lame excuse that he ?resembled my

father as he slept? (II, ii, 12-3). Lady Macbeth lacks strength, because she

only has conscience strength formed by extreme self denial. Unlike Lady Macbeth,

Macbeth is almost strong enough to complete the task without Lady Macbeth. ?He

is driven to the murder of Duncan partly by the constant goading of Lady Macbeth

and partly by his own will to be in control of Scotland:? he feels power is

strength (Watkins 29). His strength comes from multiple places. It comes from

his strength as a warrior, from the witches? revelations, and from self denial

of his dependence on the first two (I, iii, 49-50). Macbeth is still not

completely independent from his wife in that he is unable to complete the task

and ?carry them [the daggers], and smear the sleepy grooms with blood? (II,

ii, 48-56). The scene is painful in the way it separates husband and wife. Crime

had at first brought them closely and eagerly together, but now they discover

how the execution of the crime separates them?In fact, after the murder they

can only speak in short sentences, not communicating or even answering

questions. (Jorgensen 67) Although he blames his rage on the grooms for killing

Duncan, he was actually mad at himself for committing the murder. Not until he

kills the grooms with his regret does Macbeth become totally independent from

the thanes and slide from the bundle of limbs (II, iii, 108-19). The action of

killing the chamber servants was the first action which Macbeth does totally

independent of Lady Macbeth: he does not even mention killing the chamber

servants to her: A stranger to himself and to others, he is on his way to

isolation?but what he sees cannot really be shared with others for it is the

uniquely appropriate and lonely torment that cannot be felt by others. Even for

his wife there will be a torment of a different kind, one that likewise

separates her from others. (Jorgensen 178) This reaction to his regret is the

strongest divider between him and his wife: it ends their relationship of

dependence for their temporal existence. Tree?s limbs do not tie very well,

because they break. Likewise Macbeth incapable of being king, because he is

unfit for the job. He tries to replace Duncan, because he is so filled with self

denial that he can not see the truth: he will never be a good king. Macbeth

wants to be strong and independent at the same time but is very unsuccessful.

Macbeth must use external support to stand and not to lean on Lady Macbeth so he

turns to killing. He has Banquo killed, because he poses a threat. Macbeth can

not do it himself, because they were once friends which shows his lack of

strength to stand erect (II, i, 11). A soon as the deed is done, Macbeth falls:

his control and independence falls. His plan to use Banquo?s death to restore

order and give him strength did not work. Before all the thanes except for

Macduff, Macbeth has a brief moment of insanity, in which he loses all control

and reveals his true strength which has been hidden by self denial. For her own

safety, Lady Macbeth tries to calm the situation and to make it excusable: Sit,

worthy friends. My lord is often thus, And hath been from his youth. Pray you,

keep seat. The fit is momentary; upon a thought he will again be well. If you

much note him, You shall offend him and extend his passion. Feed, and regard him

not. . . (III, iv, 54-9) With little effect, she struggles to keep order but

gives up and has the thanes ?stand not upon the order of your going? (III,

iv, 120-1). Macbeth?s strength from self denial fails, because he is losing

his sanity. To make up for the loss of support, he returns to the witches. ?He

may concievably be under the spell of the witches, may even be possessed?

(Jorgenson 64). He is very uncertain of himself and asks many questions of the

witches in search of answers on which he can be strengthened: ?Then live

Macduff: what need I fear of thee??, ?Who can impress the forest, bid the

tree unfix his earth bound root?? (IV, i, 82; IV, I, 95-6). His answers do not

give him sufficient strength for he vows to make ?assurance double sure and

take a bond of fate? (IV, i, 83-4). Again his will is greater than his

ability, and Macbeth must have someone else kill Macduff and his family. As if

trying to keep all the marbles together, each time one slips Macbeth has them

killed. Unfortunately for Macbeth, he is not too successful for Fleance and

Macduff get away. Quickly Macbeth is overwhelmed with his independence. Lady

Macbeth is ?troubled with thick-coming fancies that keep her from rest? (V,

iii, 38-9). She is no longer ?unsexed? and strong so she can not sleep. She

remains sane and strong longer than Macbeth, because her strength came from one

source, Satan, that would never leave, but ultimately fell, because her

sub-conscience fought against evil and kept her without rest. She also began to

realize the wickedness of her sin for she said, ?all the perfumes of Arabia

will not [could not] sweeten this hand? (V, I, 53-5). The fight in her mind is

too hard so she kills herself. She leaves Macbeth with the rest of his subjects.

Many of Macbeth?s soldiers are deserting him, and he gets his wish: to be

independent of others (V, iii, 1). He thinks he is independent, but, in reality,

he supports himself on the revelations of the apparitions for he frequently

repeats ?until Birnam Wood come to Dunsinane? and ?was he not born of

woman?? (V, iv, 60; V, iii, 3). In the end, Macbeth dies because everything he

used for strength was gone. As soon as Macbeth dies and reunites with Lady

Macbeth, the thanes are reunited by Malcolm who has the qualities to make a good

leader and to keep the thanes together. The suffering that Scotland had endured

ended because ?All Hail, king of Scotland? (V, viii, 59). ?The passions

are directed in their true end. Lady Macbeth is merely detested; and though the

courage of Macbeth preserves some esteem, yet every reader rejoices at his

fall? (Johnson 484). In the end, Macbeth is independent, because he does not

rely on his wife and he does not rely on the witches. Since the nation was

restored to order, his death was for the better. ?The universe that struck was

more impressive? so he crumbled with lack of strength.