Macbeth Act 5
In Act 5, we see how the witches' prophecy comes true and how their second prophecy differs from their first. When the witches tell Macbeth that he will become Thane of Cawdor and king after that, they give him inspiration to make himself king. In Act 4, they give him misleading information that makes him think that he is invincible. The witches foretold the future both times, but it seems that the way in which they tell Macbeth about the future affects the outcome. I do not know whether what happens would have happened even if the witches had not told Macbeth that it would, but Macbeth's reaction to both prophecies causes the prophecies to come true. In Act 5, Macbeth is at the disadvantage in the fight, but he continues to fight people because he thinks, "What's he/That was not born of woman? Such a one/Am I to fear, or none" (5. 7. 2-4). In Act 3, Hecate explains how the witches will "raise such artificial sprites/As by the strength of their illusion/Shall draw him on to his confusion" (3. 5. 27-29). Hecate wants to make Macbeth think he is invincible. She plans this out, so Macbeth will suffer in the end due to his pride. Since Hecate causes this to happen, it makes me wonder how much control the witches have over the future. Hecate accuses the witches of helping Macbeth in Act 3, so I wonder if their power lies solely in their control over whom to tell about the future and how to tell it or if they actually have power over what happens.
On another note, I did not understand the importance of the doctor in Act 4 until I read Act 5. The king of England "visited people/All swoll'n and ulcerous, pitiful to the eye,/The mere despair of surgery, he cures" (4. 3. 172-174). In Act 5, Macbeth hears that Lady Macbeth is not well and commands the doctor to "cure her of that./...Pluck from the memory a rooted sorrow,/Raze out the written troubles of the brain" (5. 3. 49, 51-52). The situations involving these doctors draw a distinction between the two kings. The king of England heals people of disease while Macbeth causes problems for the people. Lady Macbeth is not well because she feels guilt for her actions. Her "disease" is a result of her and Macbeth's actions. This part seems insignificant, but we see more of the type of king Macbeth is. We typically compare Macbeth to Malcolm because Malcolm takes the throne at the end, but with those two, we compare their character traits. Towards the end of the book, Macbeth's people start turning against him. In the play, we do not see any interactions between Macbeth and his subjects, so we do not know why his subjects despise him. However, these scenes with the doctors show us that even though a king is supposed to fix the problems of his people, Macbeth does the opposite. I never understood why everyone starts hating Macbeth all at once because they never find proof that he murdered Duncan and Banquo. All of the sudden everyone starts calling him a tyrant. I see now that these two parts with the doctors show us how Macbeth's relationship with his subjects makes him unfit to be a ruler.
On another note, I did not understand the importance of the doctor in Act 4 until I read Act 5. The king of England "visited people/All swoll'n and ulcerous, pitiful to the eye,/The mere despair of surgery, he cures" (4. 3. 172-174). In Act 5, Macbeth hears that Lady Macbeth is not well and commands the doctor to "cure her of that./...Pluck from the memory a rooted sorrow,/Raze out the written troubles of the brain" (5. 3. 49, 51-52). The situations involving these doctors draw a distinction between the two kings. The king of England heals people of disease while Macbeth causes problems for the people. Lady Macbeth is not well because she feels guilt for her actions. Her "disease" is a result of her and Macbeth's actions. This part seems insignificant, but we see more of the type of king Macbeth is. We typically compare Macbeth to Malcolm because Malcolm takes the throne at the end, but with those two, we compare their character traits. Towards the end of the book, Macbeth's people start turning against him. In the play, we do not see any interactions between Macbeth and his subjects, so we do not know why his subjects despise him. However, these scenes with the doctors show us that even though a king is supposed to fix the problems of his people, Macbeth does the opposite. I never understood why everyone starts hating Macbeth all at once because they never find proof that he murdered Duncan and Banquo. All of the sudden everyone starts calling him a tyrant. I see now that these two parts with the doctors show us how Macbeth's relationship with his subjects makes him unfit to be a ruler.
I like how you point out that the two prophecies had different effects on Macbeth and that it is a mystery what would have happened if the prophecies did not occur. I also was surprised at the idea of the doctor and his role in the play, and I agree that we definitely see the difference between the two kings and how Macbeth is the disease in their land.
ReplyDeleteI like how you compare the role of a doctor to the role of a king. It is interesting how you identified that Macbeth was critical of the doctor for being incapable of of healing Lady Macbeth's mental health issues. Paradoxically, Macbeth is unable to fulfill his responsibilities of being a king. Therefore, it seems strange that he would be quick to point out someone else's shortcomings, when he is not well-liked or popular himself.
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