Macbeth Act V Scene 1 Watching Lady Macbeth

Macbeth Act V

Scene 1

Watching Lady Macbeth n A lady-in-waiting and a doctor discuss Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking n Lady Macbeth enters walking in her sleep

“Out, Out Damned Spot” n Lady Macbeth rubs her hands repeatedly n She is trying to rid them of the blood she imagines stains them

Suspicions Aroused n From Lady Macbeth’s words, the onlooker infer that she and Macbeth murdered Duncan n The doctor is afraid to speak about his suspicions

Sleepwalking n Theme: Link between unnatural acts and unusual events in nature n Doctor calls Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking a “perturbation of nature” n She is sleepwalking because she is disturbed inside

Motif: Sleeplessness n Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking illustrates the motif of sleeplessness n Represents her guilty conscious in Duncan’s murder

Revealing Murders n Lady Macbeth reveals the following in her speech n “Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him? ” n n “The Thane of Fife had a wife, where is she now? ” n n Duncan’s murder Murder of Lady Macduff and family “I tell you yet again, Banquo’s buried” n Banquo’s murder

Scene 2

Waiting in the Woods n In Birnam Wood, the Scottish lords prepare to join forces with the approaching English army n They will fight Macbeth n The Lord’s discuss Macbeth’s state of mind

Scene 3

Feeling Invincible n Macbeth feels confident that he is invincible n Due to witches’ prophecies n Servant brings him news of the approaching army

Witches Prophecies n Macbeth refers to two of the witches’ prophecies n n No man born of woman can kill him Safe until Birnam Wood comes to high Dunsinane Hill n Forgets about first prophecy n Beware Macduff, the Thane of Fife

Imagery n After King Duncan’s murder, Lady Macbeth chided her husband for wearing a “heart so white” n Macbeth rebukes his servant with similar imagery n Cream-faced loon n Whey face n Lily-livered boy n Linen cheeks n Masks his own fears n Reveals his estrangement from his nobles

Irony n Lines 46 -54 refer to n n “disease” Macbeth is referring to his rebellious thanes and England He recommends purging the land Irony: Macbeth is the disease that plagues the land He is calling for his own death

Scene 4

Prediction Number Three n Malcolm orders the soldiers gathered near Birnam Wood to camouflage themselves n They break off tree branches to hold in front of them n It appears as if Birnam Wood is moving toward Dunsinane Castle

Scene 5

Death of Lady Macbeth n Seyton enters with the news Lady Macbeth is dead n “The queen, my lord, is dead. ” n Macbeth replies: n She should have died hereafter; /There would have been a time for such a word n n Death is inevitable He is too self-absorbed at the moment to grieve her death

Soliloquy n Tomorrow, and tomorrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day, To the last syllable of recorded time; And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing. " (lines 19 -28)

Realization n Macbeth now realizes the pointlessness of his ambition n He realizes the insignificance of his struggles n Uses metaphors for life n Walking shadow n A poor player n Tale told by an idiot n Relates to theme of appearances can be deceiving

Tricked by the Witches n A messenger brings news that Birnam Wood is approaching Dunsinane Castle n Macbeth realizes that the witches have tricked him n He took the prophecies literally n He is likely to be defeated

Admirable Qualities n Macbeth knows he is doomed n He remains a courageous soldier n Ready to die in battle

Scene 6

Attacking the Castle n Upon reaching the front of Macbeth’s castle, Malcolm orders his troops to throw down their camouflage n They attack n n Siward and his son are in the lead Followed by Malcolm and Macduff

Scene 7

The Battle Begins n On the field of battle, Macbeth kills young Siward n Macbeth exits with Macduff in pursuit n Old Siward informs Malcolm that Macbeth’s castle has fallen n Barely defended by dissatisfied subjects

Imagery n “They have tied me to a stake; I cannot fly, /But bear-like I must fight the course. ” (lines 1 -2) n Bear Baiting imagery n Macbeth feels trapped like the bear

Believing in the Prophecy n Macbeth still believes the prophecy that no man born of woman can harm him n n n False hope All men are born of women Again takes the prophecy literally

Scene 8

Confrontation n Macduff confronts Macbeth n Macbeth refuses to fight him at first n Warns Macduff that no man born of woman can harm him n Macduff reveals he was not “born of woman” n He was untimely ripped from his mother’s womb n Caesarian section

Final Battle n Macbeth still refuses to fight n Macduff goads him by vowing to place him in a cage and display him as a tyrant n The fight begins n Continues off stage