Understanding of Macbeth Throughout

Understanding Of Macbeth Throughout

Our professor Dr .  Dilip Barad Sir, Head of the English Department, M K Bhavnagar University is always active in enriching students’ aptitude through (Google) classroom activities. One of such activities is Movie Screening activity where we, the students majoring in English Literature have to read points to ponder on Sir’s blog and submit our responses by writing blog. So this blog is a response to the task assigned by Prof. Dr . Dilip Barad Sir on ThAct: Macbeth.

CHARACTER STUDY:

                                 Macbeth

Here is the video that gives brief introduction to the main character MACBETH:

Macbeth, Thane of Glamis, is a brave Scottish general in King Duncan’s army. However, upon hearing the three witches’ prophecy that he would become King of Scotland, he becomes tyrannical. With his wife’s help and encouragement he kills King Duncan, but this fills him with deep regret and guilt. Plagued by insecurities and the witches’ prophecy that Banquo’s descendants would be kings, he keeps spies on all the noblemen and arranges for Banquo and his son to be murdered, although he hides this from his wife. Banquo's ghost haunts him and he suffers from insanity and insomnia. He seeks out the witches again, who still affirm the prophecy, and he goes on a murderous rampage. He mourns his wife’s death and contemplates killing himself too as Malcolm’s army approaches him. However, Macduff challenges him and he decides to die fighting.

Macbeth – The Hero-Villain

At the opening of the play, Shakespeare paints Macbeth in the colours of epic heroism. He is the battlefield’s thunderbolt, earning titles like “brave Macbeth” and “noble Macbeth.” This early portrayal is crucial: the higher the starting point, the greater the fall. His heroism is not just physical courage  it is bound with loyalty, duty, and honour. Yet even in these opening moments, Shakespeare sows the first shadow the witches’ prophecy. Their ambiguous words do not force Macbeth’s hand; instead, they illuminate a path his ambition has secretly longed to tread. This makes him a hero-villain: a figure whose villainy is born from the corruption of heroic potential, not from innate evil. The tragedy lies in the transformation, not the starting point.

The Valiant Villain

The oxymoron “valiant villain” is not an insult but a critical lens through which Shakespeare invites us to see Macbeth. His valour never deserts him  indeed, it intensifies his villainy. The courage that once guarded Duncan’s throne now defends the blood-stained seat he has usurped. This moral inversion is deliberate: Shakespeare turns the tools of herois  fearlessness, tactical brilliance, endurance   into weapons of tyranny. Even in Act V, when all hope is gone, Macbeth clings to the warrior’s code: “I will not yield.” This is not empty bravado; it is a final reminder that the same steel in his character that wins battles also makes him incapable of retreat   whether from war or from the path of murder.

The Milk of Human Kindness Wasted on the Altar of Ambition

Lady Macbeth’s fear that her husband is “too full o’ the milk of human kindness” captures an essential early truth: Macbeth is not naturally bloodthirsty. He is capable of moral hesitation, imagining Duncan’s virtues and the eternal damnation that regicide brings. This “milk” symbolises innocence, compassion, and humanity  all of which are progressively drained from him. Shakespeare makes this loss gradual but irreversible:

First, Duncan’s murder silences his conscience with horror.

Next, Banquo’s murder silences it with paranoia.

Finally, the slaughter of Macduff’s family silences it entirely with cruelty.

The altar upon which these qualities are sacrificed is not religion but the false idol of ambition. Ambition here functions like a consuming fire  it gives light (the crown) but also destroys the vessel (Macbeth’s soul).

The Tragic Hero

In Aristotelian terms, Macbeth is the perfect tragic hero:

Noble stature  a thane, warrior, and national saviour.

Hamartia  ambition so unchecked it blinds him to morality and consequence.

Peripeteia -

Duncan’s murder shifts him from a beloved subject to a hated tyrant.

Anagnorisis -

 In Act V, his “Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow” speech recognises the emptiness of his achievements. This is the philosophical climax of the tragedy: Macbeth sees that life is “a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing,” yet he fights on.

Catharsis -

 We pity him for his wasted potential, and we fear the universality of his flaw: who among us, given the prophecy and the temptation, might not fall?

Additional Layers of Analysis

Dramatic Irony -

Early in the play, Duncan calls Macbeth “O valiant cousin! worthy gentleman!” The audience, aware of the prophecy, senses the shadow of betrayal. This tension makes Macbeth’s eventual crimes more tragic than shocking.

Symbolism of Blood -

 Blood shifts from a symbol of heroic sacrifice (battlefield wounds) to one of guilt and irreversible sin (Duncan’s blood on his hands) to one of desensitised cruelty (the slaughter of innocents).

Witchcraft and Fate -

 The witches are catalysts, not controllers. Macbeth’s villainy grows from his own choices; Shakespeare thus preserves moral responsibility.

Masculinity and Power -

 Lady Macbeth manipulates his sense of manhood, equating masculinity with ruthless action. This distortion pushes him further from the “milk of human kindness” into the hardened shell of tyranny.

Structure of the Fall -

 Shakespeare mirrors Macbeth’s rise and fall: the play begins with him returning from victorious battle and ends with him dying in defeat, still fighting  but for a cause stripped of honour.

Final Synthesis

Macbeth is not a villain who pretends to be a hero  he is a hero who becomes a villain. Shakespeare’s genius lies in showing that the two identities are not opposites but stages of the same man’s journey. His valour makes his crimes possible; his ambition turns his virtues into weapons; his humanity is sacrificed in small, deliberate acts until nothing remains but a hollow crown and a weary sword arm. He dies as he lived  fighting  but the cause for which he fights is no longer Scotland’s safety but the preservation of his own doomed reign. And in that lies the tragedy: the milk of human kindness could have nourished a great king, but instead, it was poured out on the altar of ambition, staining the earth with blood that could never be washed away.

                                       LADY MACBETH

1. Context

Lady Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s most complex female characters. She enters Macbeth as a figure of extraordinary ambition and manipulative power, but her arc ends in psychological collapse and death. Whether she is a “witch” or a “victim” depends on how we interpret her agency, intentions, and downfall.

2. Lady Macbeth as a “Witch” (Symbolic, not literal)

Shakespeare never explicitly calls Lady Macbeth a witch — but certain traits and the Jacobean audience’s beliefs could have led to the association:

Connection to the Supernatural in Language

Her invocation to “spirits that tend on mortal thoughts” (“Come, you spirits… unsex me here…”) resembles the witches’ spells in tone and imagery.

She calls on darkness to hide her deeds echoing the witches’ preference for operating in “fog and filthy air.”

Influence Over Macbeth

Like the Weird Sisters, she manipulates Macbeth’s future, planting the idea of murder and pushing him to act quickly.

She questions his manhood  much as the witches provoke his ambition indirectly.

Defiance of Traditional Female Role

In Jacobean ideology, women were expected to be nurturing. Lady Macbeth rejects this by saying she would “dash the brains out” of her own child if necessary.

This unnatural rejection of maternal instinct could have been linked with witchcraft in the audience’s mind.

Parallels with the Witches

Both she and the witches use persuasive, cryptic, and tempting language to steer Macbeth towards regicide.

Both are agents of chaos in the early acts.

Conclusion for “Witch” Side:

In symbolic terms, Lady Macbeth’s ambition, her rejection of femininity, and her use of dark imagery align her with the thematic role of the witches — as a catalyst of evil.

3. Lady Macbeth as a “Victim”

Looking deeper, Lady Macbeth can also be seen as a tragic victim — of societal expectations, her own ambition, and the uncontrollable consequences of her actions.

Victim of Gender Constraints

She lives in a patriarchal world where women cannot openly pursue power; she must work through her husband. Her desire to be “unsexed” reveals frustration at her limited role.

Victim of Ambition

Her ambition is initially empowering but ultimately self-destructive.

She believes achieving the crown will bring satisfaction, but instead, it brings isolation, guilt, and mental disintegration.

Emotional Breakdown

By Act 5, she suffers from severe guilt, hallucinations (“Out, damned spot!”), and sleepwalking — suggesting psychological torment rather than supernatural evil.

Her death (likely suicide) shows that she is crushed by the moral and emotional consequences of the regicide.

Victim of the Same Forces as Macbeth

Just like Macbeth, she is tempted by the promise of power and manipulated by fate-like forces (the witches indirectly influence her through Macbeth’s news).

She too is trapped in the cycle of violence and paranoia that follows Duncan’s murder.

 Conclusion for “Victim” Side:

Lady Macbeth begins as a driving force but ends as a casualty of her own ambition, societal limitations, and overwhelming guilt.

4. Balanced Analytical View

Early Acts → She plays a witch-like role, conjuring courage, dismissing morality, and urging Macbeth into action.

Later Acts → She becomes a victim of psychological collapse, losing control over Macbeth and over herself.

Jacobean Audience → Might see her as a dangerous woman linked to witchcraft.

Modern Audience → More likely to view her as a tragic victim of patriarchy, ambition, and mental illness.

Final Thesis

Lady Macbeth is not a literal witch, but Shakespeare crafts her as a figure who embodies both the seductive danger associated with witches in Jacobean culture and the vulnerability of a victim destroyed by the very ambition she unleashed. Her transformation from a commanding manipulator to a broken soul mirrors Macbeth’s tragic trajectory, making her both a catalyst of evil and a casualty of it.

                                          MACDUFF

1. Context in Macbeth

In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Macduff is more than just another nobleman — he becomes the moral and dramatic counterforce to Macbeth. He is driven by loyalty to Scotland, personal grief, and a deep sense of justice. His journey from loyal thane to determined avenger is what earns him the title of “the ultimate avenger”.

2. Macduff’s Role as the Ultimate Avenger

(a) Loyal to the True Order

Macduff represents moral order in contrast to Macbeth’s chaos.

Early in the play, he shows distrust of Macbeth  refusing to attend his coronation at Scone (Act 2, Scene 4).

His loyalty lies with the rightful king and the welfare of Scotland, not personal ambition.

(b) Personal Tragedy as Fuel for Revenge

Macbeth sends murderers to kill Macduff’s wife, children, and household (Act 4, Scene 2).

This atrocity turns Macduff’s personal grief into a righteous cause.

His emotional reaction - 

“O, I could play the woman with mine eyes…” -

 shows his humanity, but he immediately channels his pain into action against Macbeth.

(c) Moral Contrast with Macbeth

Macbeth kills for ambition; Macduff fights for justice.

Macbeth is driven by prophecy and manipulation; Macduff acts from free moral choice.

Macduff’s revenge is not selfish - it’s tied to restoring peace to Scotland and avenging the innocent.

(d) The Prophecy Twist – “None of woman born”

The witches’ prophecy gives Macbeth false confidence: “None of woman born shall harm Macbeth.”

The revelation that Macduff was “from his mother’s womb untimely ripped” (born by Caesarean section) fulfills the prophecy and makes him the destined avenger.

Shakespeare uses this as a dramatic payoff - Macduff becomes the only man capable of defeating Macbeth.

(e) Restorer of Order

Macduff kills Macbeth in Act 5, Scene 8  physically ending the tyrant’s reign.

He then hails Malcolm as king, symbolizing the restoration of rightful rule.

His final act is not about seizing power for himself, but ensuring Scotland’s safety and stability.

3. Thematic Significance

Justice vs. Tyranny →

 Macduff embodies justice; Macbeth embodies tyranny.

Fate vs. Free Will →

 Macbeth misinterprets fate; Macduff acts by choice but fulfills fate unknowingly.

Masculinity and Emotion →

 Macduff shows that a man can grieve and still act decisively he balances feeling and duty.

Divine Retribution →

 In a Jacobean worldview, Macduff is the instrument of God’s justice, punishing the king who violated the Great Chain of Being.

4. Why He Is “The Ultimate Avenger”

1. Righteous Motive – His revenge is driven by justice, not greed.

2. Personal Sacrifice – He risks his life and loses his family in the fight against tyranny.

3. Prophecy Fulfillment – He is the only one who can defeat Macbeth according to supernatural law.

4. Restoration of Order – His victory leads to peace, not further bloodshed.

5. Moral Integrity – He never compromises his principles for personal gain.

Final Thesis

Macduff earns the title “the ultimate avenger” because his revenge is both personal and political, sanctioned by moral law and fate alike. Shakespeare crafts him as the antidote to Macbeth’s corruption a man whose grief sharpens his sense of justice, whose courage fulfills prophecy, and whose final act restores the natural order of Scotland.

                                      KING DUNCAN

1. Context in the Play

King Duncan is the lawful ruler of Scotland when Macbeth begins. Shakespeare presents him as a noble, generous, and benevolent monarch, embodying the ideal of a rightful king under the Great Chain of Being. His murder becomes the central crime that disrupts the moral and political order of the kingdom.

2. Character Traits

(a) Noble and Virtuous

Duncan is a model king — he rules with justice, fairness, and care for his subjects.

His speeches are full of warmth and gratitude, especially toward Macbeth and Banquo after their victory over Norway.

(b) Trusting to a Fault

He rewards loyalty generously — naming Macbeth Thane of Cawdor after the previous thane’s betrayal.

This trust, however, makes him vulnerable. He calls Macbeth’s castle “pleasant” and doesn’t suspect the danger awaiting him.

(c) Benevolent Leader

Rewards service with honours (“More is thy due than more than all can pay”).

Seeks to maintain peace and stability in Scotland.

(d) Symbol of Order

Represents the natural and divine right of kings.

His assassination violates both moral law and the political hierarchy, causing chaos in nature and society.

3. Dramatic Function in the Play

The Catalyst → His murder sets the tragic events into motion.

Foil to Macbeth → Duncan rules selflessly, while Macbeth rules selfishly and violently.

Victim of Treachery → His trusting nature contrasts with Macbeth’s ambition and deceit.

Martyr Figure → In death, Duncan becomes a symbol of goodness and stability lost.

4. Thematic Importance

The Great Chain of Being → Killing a divinely appointed king is a crime against God, leading to disorder in nature (storms, darkness, strange animal behaviour).

Loyalty vs. Betrayal → His faith in Macbeth highlights the theme of deceptive appearances (“There’s no art to find the mind’s construction in the face”).

Justice and Reward → He is fair and generous, contrasting sharply with Macbeth’s later tyranny.

                        

Research:

A) Shakespeare based Macbeth very loosely on historical figures and events. Research the true story of Macbeth. Explain the differences between history and Shakespeare's version. Explain the effects that Shakespeare's changes have on the overall story.

True History vs. Shakespeare’s Macbeth

1. How Duncan Died

Historical fact: Duncan I died in battle at Pitgaveny (1040), defeated by Macbeth’s forces in a military confrontation .

Shakespeare’s version: Duncan is portrayed as a venerable, elderly king, murdered stealthily in his own castle by Macbeth—with deep betrayal emphasized for dramatic effect .

2. Character of Macbeth

True profile: Macbeth ruled successfully for 17 years (1040–1057), earning respect for law-and-order, generosity, Christian patronage, and even making a pilgrimage to Rome .

Shakespeare’s portrayal: A tragically ambitious tyrant driven by prophecy and his wife’s manipulation—haunted and increasingly unhinged .

3. Lady Macbeth (Gruoch)

Historically: Gruoch was Macbeth’s wife, of noble birth, with a son from a previous marriage. Little is known about her personality or influence .

On stage: Shakespeare crafts her as a power-hungry, coldly manipulative character—driving Macbeth toward murder and later consumed by guilt .

4. Banquo’s Role

In Holinshed and historical lore: Banquo is complicit in Duncan’s murder—far from the hero Shakespeare later depicts. He was even used by Shakespeare to flatter King James I, who claimed descent from Banquo .

In the play: Banquo is noble, refuses immoral actions, becomes victim, and haunts Macbeth’s guilt-ridden mind .

5. Macbeth’s Demise

Historically: After a defeat at Dunsinane (1054) by Malcolm (with English support), Macbeth was eventually killed at Lumphanan (1057); his stepson Lulach briefly reigned before Malcolm III took power .

Shakespeare’s dramatization: Macbeth is ultimately slain in single combat by Macduff; the so-called “Birnam Wood” prophecy plays out in theatrical fashion .

The Effects of Shakespeare’s Changes—Structured in Points

1. Heightened Moral Shock:

Duncan’s murder in Macbeth’s own home underlines betrayal, intensifying the moral gravity and emotional stakes of the crime.

2. Tragic Architecture of Ambition:

Transforming Macbeth into a guilt-riddled, prophetic-driven villain enriches the psychological complexity and invites audiences to ponder the corrupting nature of unchecked ambition.

3. Political Flattery and Propaganda:

Adjusting Banquo’s character and ensuring Macbeth’s usurpation lands more sympathetically aligns the play with King James I’s lineage and royal tastes.

4. Supernatural Emphasis:

The witches, omens, and prophecy imbue the play with a chilling mysticism, enhancing theatrical spectacle and aligning with Jacobean-era beliefs and intrigue .

5. Condensed, Dramatic Timelines:

Compressing 17 years of historical events into a rapid succession of betrayal, murder, and downfall makes for relentless tragic pacing—ideal for the stage.

6. Simplification for Emotional Clarity:

By stripping away political nuance and portraying Macbeth as fundamentally flawed, Shakespeare ensures the story resonates powerfully with universal themes of guilt, fate, and ambition.

B) Research the Great Chain of Being in Elizabethan times. Explain the Great Chain of Being and develop a thesis about its effects on Macbeth. How is this way of viewing the world evident in Macbeth? Provide examples from the play

1. The Great Chain of Being in Elizabethan Times

Definition:

The Great Chain of Being was a hierarchical structure of all matter and life, believed to have been decreed by God. Everything had a fixed place:

1. God (highest)

2. Angels

3. Humans (kings above nobles, nobles above commoners)

4. Animals

5. Plants

6. Inanimate objects

Core Belief:

Social and cosmic order were divinely ordained.

The king was God’s appointed ruler on Earth—disturbing the monarch’s position was a direct violation of God’s will.

If the chain was broken or disturbed, chaos would ripple through nature and society.

Elizabethan Context:

This belief reinforced political stability—obedience to rulers was seen as obedience to God. It also provided an explanation for natural disasters or strange phenomena: these were signs of divine displeasure at a disturbance in the order.

2. Thesis Linking the Great Chain of Being to Macbeth

Thesis:

In Macbeth, Shakespeare dramatizes the violation of the Great Chain of Being through the murder of King Duncan, showing how regicide disrupts both the moral and natural order. The play portrays the collapse of hierarchy as unleashing chaos in nature, in society, and in the human mind, illustrating Elizabethan anxieties about cosmic disorder when divine authority is challenged.

3. How the Great Chain of Being is Evident in Macbeth

a) Duncan’s Murder as Cosmic Violation

In the Great Chain, the king’s authority comes directly from God. By killing Duncan, Macbeth not only commits treason but tears the divine order apart.

Example: After Duncan’s murder, Lennox describes unnatural events—chimneys blown down, owls killing falcons, Duncan’s horses turning wild and eating each other (Act 2, Scene 4).

These events symbolize the natural world reacting violently to the breach of divine law.

b) The Supernatural and Moral Inversion

The witches, positioned outside the chain (agents of chaos), tempt Macbeth to overreach his position in the order.

Their chant “Fair is foul, and foul is fair” reflects the inversion of moral hierarchy—evil appears good, and good appears evil.

This moral reversal signals that the natural order is being overturned.

c) Disorder in the Human Mind

The Great Chain also implies order within the self: reason should rule over ambition and desire. Macbeth’s ambition overtakes reason, breaking the inner hierarchy of the soul.

Example: In Act 1, Scene 7, Macbeth acknowledges Duncan’s virtues and the moral law against killing him, but lets ambition “o’erleap itself,” leading to self-destruction.

d) Restoration of Order

The play ends with Malcolm taking the throne—symbolically restoring the rightful place in the chain.

The re-establishment of legitimate kingship re-aligns Scotland with divine will, a resolution that would reassure Elizabethan audiences of cosmic justice.

Analytical Conclusion

By framing Duncan’s murder as an assault on the divine hierarchy, Macbeth reflects Elizabethan belief in the Great Chain of Being. Shakespeare uses supernatural signs, unnatural events, and moral disintegration to illustrate how breaking the chain leads to chaos. The tragedy becomes not only the downfall of an ambitious man but also a cautionary tale about the cosmic consequences of defying God’s appointed order.

The Study of Scenes from the play ‘Macbeth’:

A) Scenes of Three Witches

1. Act 1, Scene 1 — Opening

The play begins with thunder, lightning, and the Three Witches on a lonely heath. They speak in riddles and paradoxes — “Fair is foul, and foul is fair” — setting a tone of moral confusion and supernatural menace. They plan to meet Macbeth after the battle, hinting that fate and dark forces will soon shape events.

2. Act 1, Scene 3 — The Prophecy

On the heath, the witches greet Macbeth with three titles: Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and “King hereafter.” They tell Banquo he will be “lesser than Macbeth and greater,” and father a line of kings. When Ross and Angus arrive confirming Macbeth is now Thane of Cawdor, the first prophecy seems true. Banquo warns that evil often tells partial truths to lure victims, but Macbeth begins to imagine the crown.

3. Act 4, Scene 1 — The Cauldron Scene

The witches mix a grotesque potion and summon apparitions for Macbeth. An armed head warns him of Macduff, a bloody child tells him no man born of a woman can harm him, and a crowned child says he will be safe until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane. Finally, Banquo’s ghost appears with a line of kings, confirming Banquo’s heirs will rule. Macbeth leaves overconfident, misreading the cryptic warnings.

Overall

The witches create the eerie atmosphere, plant the seeds of ambition, and mislead Macbeth through equivocation. They never directly tell him to act, but their half-truths tempt him into moral downfall, reflecting Elizabethan fears of witchcraft and the supernatural.

B)Lady Macbeth’s Night-Walking Scene 

Act 5, Scene 1

Summary:

A gentlewoman tells a doctor she has seen Lady Macbeth sleepwalking and talking about terrible deeds.

Lady Macbeth enters carrying a candle, moving in a trance-like state.

She rubs her hands repeatedly, as if trying to wash them, and mutters about Duncan’s murder, Banquo’s death, and the killing of Lady Macduff.

She says, “Out, damned spot!” and “All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand,” showing her deep guilt.

The doctor observes that she needs spiritual, not medical, help.

Analysis & Significance:

Guilt and Madness: This scene shows the reversal of Lady Macbeth’s earlier boldness — from calling on spirits to “unsex” her in Act 1, she is now broken and haunted.

Sleepwalking as Symbol: Reveals her subconscious torment; she cannot escape her conscience even in sleep.

Imagery: References to blood and smell (“damned spot,” “perfumes of Arabia”) emphasise her inability to cleanse herself of guilt.

Foreshadowing: Her mental disintegration here foreshadows her offstage death in Act 5, Scene 5.

Dramatic Purpose: Builds tension before Macbeth’s downfall by showing that the crimes have corroded the minds of both husband and wife.

The Study of Quotations:

A) Macbeth’s soliloquy in Act 2, Scene 1: Is this a dagger which I see before me,

This handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee.

1. Immediate Context

Setting: Macbeth is alone, late at night, in a tense and eerie atmosphere. Duncan is sleeping in Macbeth’s castle. Lady Macbeth has already urged him to commit the murder.

Purpose of the Soliloquy: To reveal Macbeth’s mental state just before killing Duncan. It shows hesitation, temptation, and a blurring of reality and hallucination.

2. Meaning of the Lines

“Is this a dagger which I see before me”

Macbeth sees a dagger floating in the air. It might be a supernatural vision, a hallucination from guilt and anxiety, or a projection of his murderous intent.

“The handle toward my hand?”

The dagger appears positioned for him to grab—symbolically inviting him to commit the murder.

“Come, let me clutch thee.”

Macbeth reaches out to grasp the dagger, as if testing whether it’s real or just in his imagination.

3. Dramatic Significance

Hallucination as a turning point: The vision confirms Macbeth’s descent into moral corruption.

Ambiguity: Shakespeare leaves unclear whether the dagger is supernatural (like the witches) or a psychological manifestation. This keeps the audience engaged.

Heightened tension: The scene is silent except for Macbeth’s words, increasing suspense before the murder.

4. Themes Reflected

Ambition vs. conscience: Macbeth is torn between his desire for the crown and his awareness of the moral consequences.

Appearance vs. reality: The dagger may not be real, symbolising how ambition distorts perception.

Supernatural influence: Fits with the witches’ earlier prophecies and the eerie tone of the play.

5. Symbolism of the Dagger

Instrument of fate: The dagger could represent destiny leading Macbeth toward the murder.

Manifestation of guilt: It foreshadows the psychological torment he will suffer after the deed.

Bloodshed: The dagger is soon imagined as covered in blood, symbolising the irreversible violence to come.

B) Macbeth in Act 5, Scence 5: Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow

Macbeth’s Journey from “Is this a dagger…” to “Tomorrow…”

In Act 2, Scene 1, the “Is this a dagger which I see before me” soliloquy shows Macbeth at the height of his inner conflict, standing on the threshold of murder. His mind is feverish with ambition but still weighed down by moral hesitation. The vision of the dagger — whether supernatural or a hallucination born of anxiety — symbolises both his temptation and the violent act that will follow. He is still emotionally alive here: full of tension, uncertainty, and an almost hypnotic pull toward the crown. His imagination is active, his senses heightened, and he is wrestling with the choice before him.

By Act 5, Scene 5, in the “Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow” speech, the man who once burned with ambition is hollowed out. Lady Macbeth’s death leaves him strangely unmoved; instead of grief, he speaks in a flat, weary tone about the meaninglessness of life. Time, once an urgent force pushing him toward the throne, is now a slow, pointless crawl to death. The imagery has shifted from vivid and bloody visions to metaphors of emptiness: a brief candle, a walking shadow, a poor player, a meaningless tale. Where the earlier Macbeth was torn between conscience and desire, the later Macbeth has no conscience left to trouble him — only a numb awareness that nothing matters.

Conclusion:

Together, the two speeches trace a tragic arc: in the first, ambition overpowers morality; in the second, ambition itself proves hollow, leaving only despair. The dagger points him toward the act that will make him king, but “Tomorrow” shows him that the crown has given him neither joy nor purpose, only the realisation that life itself “signifies nothing.”

References:

1. Dilip sir Barad's research article on MACBETH: ThAct

2. Macbeth: Character Analysis

Thank you!!!!!!