Macbeth act 5 - Grade: 98 PDF

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Mac Beth act 5 Journal essay...

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As Act 5 opens, two new characters are introduced. A doctor and a gentle woman who is Lady Macbeth’s assistant. The gentlewoman observes Lady Macbeth sleepwalking, and she wants the doctor to hear it for himself. Lady Macbeth keeps trying to wash her hands from the “blood” that is on them. Lady Macbeth states “here’s the smell of blood still. All perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand” (Act 5 scene 1 lines 50-51). Lady Macbeth was trying to say that even if she tried to cover up the smell of blood with perfume it would not over it. Lady Macbeth then states “what’s done cannot be undone” (Act 5 Scene 1 Line 68). Which is ironic, because in the beginning acts she kept stating to Macbeth “what’s done is done.” The doctor feels the Lady Macbeth needs God more then she needs medicine and that her problems are not physical, they are spiritual and moral.The doctor believed that Lady Macbeth is somehow involved in a murder. He tells the Gentlewoman to take away anything Lady Macbeth could use to kill herself. In Scene 2, a group of Scottish soldiers was marching towards Macbeth's castle. They appear to be talking about who is coming from England to defeat Macbeth. Malcolm King Duncan's eldest son, Old Siward Malcolm's uncle, Young Siward (Old Siward's son), and Macduff. The soldiers were planning to meet up with the people who were coming from England at a forest called Burnam wood. This brings us back to Act 4 when Macbeth was shown the third apparition of a child wearing a crown, and holding a tree in his hand. He told Macbeth then he will never be defeated until Birnam wood moves up to Dunsinane Castle. The soldiers call Macbeth a Tyrant. In scene 3, Macbeth seems to fully believe in the witches prophecies, and he is overly confident that no one can defeat him. Macbeth is being extremely ignorant to fully believe in the witches prophecies. He is overly confident that he will always be king. Macbeth asks his servant

for his armor even though it is too early to get ready for battle he feels like he will be better prepared for battle, Macbeth states “I’ll fight till from my bones my flesh be hack’d" (Act 5 Scene 3 line 32). Macbeth then asks the doctor on an update on Lady Macbeth's health. The doctor feels that Lady Macbeth is suffering from Hallucinations, Macbeth ordered the doctor to cure his wife, and also to cure the land of Scotland of its disease. The doctor said he will never return to the castle, not for any amount of money. In Act 5 scene 5 Macbeth is told that Lady Mcbeth is dead, although the play does not state how she died, it is implied that she jumped to her death. The stress and guilt that Lady Macbeth had about being part of the murders truly played a toll on her, so she committed suicide. Macbeth compares life in his speech (Tomorrow, Tomorrow) to a candle losing its flame, a walking shadow, a poor actor, and a tale told by an idiot. These all signify that Macbeth feels that life is meaningless. In scene 7, Macbeth kills Young Siward and states “you were born from a woman.” which means he is still hanging on to the witches prophecies. In Scene 8 Macbeth admits to Macduff that he does not want to see him because he already killed Macduff's family. Macduff's only plan in this scene is to kill Macbeth, he states “I have no words. My voice is in my sword”(Act 5 Scene 8 line 7). Macbeth then states “I bear a charmed life, which must not yield to one of a woman borned” (act 5 Scene 8 line 12-13). Afterward, Macduff tells Macbeth that his mother had a c-section so he was not “woman borned.” Macduff then kills Macbeth which proves that the prophecy was wrong. Macduff holds Macbeth's head on the sword and announces that Malcolm is the new king. Macbeth's excessive pride was his dominant trait towards the end of the play. His boldness and his personal invincibility mark him out for a tragic fall.

1. Do you think Macbeth’s excessive pride and personal invincibility is what killed him? 2. Why was Lady Macbeth saying “what’s done, cannot be undone,” when in the first few Acts she kept saying to Macbeth “what’s done is done.” -

Was it Personal guilt or do you think that she realized that she and Macbeth were going to lose the throne?...