Macbeth in Act 1 Scene 2 is presented as a valiant war hero PDF

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Macbeth in Act 1 Scene 2 is presented as a valiant war hero. The Captain declares “for brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name” (I.ii line 16), it reveals that Macbeth is a hero on the battle field, moreover the title is not self-proclaimed displaying that it is well deserved and implying that Macbeth is worthy of the praise given to him. The purpose of the captains speech could be that it sets Macbeth up to become the ‘tragic hero’ of the play, once being a dauntless and loyal subject, described by Duncan as “O valiant cousin, worthy gentleman” (I.ii line 24), to one who falls from grace into decite and deception. His fatal flaw is debatable, on one hand it could be his belief in the supernatural yet it could also be his determined ambition to gain power and become King. Moreover Macbeth is displayed to be a violent character, “He unseamed him from the nave to th’chops” (I.ii line 22), it could foreshadow his brutality that he will display towards others. In addition, Shakespeare also uses convoluted syntax and a hyperbolic metaphor during the Captain’s speech, not only to display the greatness of Macbeth but also the high flown rhetoric of the classical messenger, which deteriorates arguably to demonstrate the retrogression of the Captain thus implying that he may be an unreliable source, and not a good test of the nobility of Macbeth, with the loss of his coherence. Religious imagery is used also in Act 1 scene 2, “Except they meant to bathe in reeking wounds, Or memorise another Golgotha”, the reference to the place of the death of Christ would not only highly resonate with a deeply religious audience but also that Macbeth is being likened to Christ, suggesting again his good character. Moreover leading to sympathy at his death because he was once a noble respectable man who succumbed to evil. It could also foreshadow that like Christ who had a sword put in his side, Macbeth will suffer the same death by the sword. Another interesting use of foreshadowing is through the speech of Ross, he declares “disloyal traitor, The Thane of Cawdor”(I.ii line 2-3), in effect the title of The Thane of Cawdor will be bestowed upon Macbeth ( “And with is former title greet Macbeth” I.ii line 6) and much like the current Thane he too will become a traitor to the King. It could suggest a circular structure to the play, that once the divine rights of kings/ nature is disrupted by unnatural events they will rise and then fall from grace. In an sense that although Macbeth kicks against fate (e.g the murder of Banquo) his destiny of death because of treachery will always come back concluding in his death. Duncan rewards and trusts his subjects. This is the opposite of personal ambition. Ironically, though, he replaces one traitor with a much worse traitor.

CAPTAIN Doubtful it stood, As two spent swimmers that do cling together And choke their art. Analysis The battle was very close for a very long time, and the side that would eventually turn up victorious was hard to predict. Men fought like tired swimmers who cling together and wind up making it harder for both to swim. If two swimmers were to cling together they would not be able to swim. If they can’t swim their art is ‘choked’ or halted. The swimmers clinging together is likely more an overall metaphor for the battle, not a direct representation of the individual soldiers. It is also a deft bit of foreshadowing. The captain is obviously saying that the outcome of the conflict between Macbeth and Macdonwald was at first uncertain, but note that the play’s introduction to its main character is to describe Macbeth as physically entangled with – and equally violent as – the rebel that he was sent to dispatch. Further note that the rebel in question is described as paradoxically “worthy” of his epithet and aligned with “Fortune” in a scene where the man bringing good news is introduced as “bloody.” The morally ambiguous fog of the play’s first scene permeates Macbeth, which renders a world where it is not possible to make easy distinctions between notions such as “foul” vs. “fair.”

Worthy to be a rebel: Macdonwald was seen as a great gentleman before he was a traitor. Foreshadows Macbeth will turn into Macdonwald a traitor. Also by pairing ‘worthy’ and ‘rebel’ in the same sentence shows how someone who was once respected can turn into a laughing stock.

For to that: because The multiplying villainies of nature Do swarm upon him

Analysis: When reading this sentence, imagine an increasing crowd little “villains” above Macdownald’s head but it’s constantly multiplying. This implies that his evil is infectious and supernatural (supernatural is a recurring theme in this play). Also, this crowd of evil and power obscures Macdownald’s vision to good and morals (obscurity being another recurring theme in this play). And Fortune, on his damned quarrel smiling,

Analysis: The “fortune” is referring to Macdonwald’s unlikely luck during his rebellion, as it “smiled” upon Macdonwald’s “damned quarrel” (the fortune is personified). His “quarrel” represents his heated argument for committing treason and rebelling, whilst to be “damned” is to be condemned by God to suffer eternal punishment in Hell. When linking this to a societal concept of the Jacobean period, the Great Chain of Being, which presents the king as just below or in the same position as God, we can see that his argument for committing treason (his “quarrel”) is “damned” because it goes against the monarch, meaning that it goes against God. Yes: he had fortune, as it “smiled” by his side , but because his “quarrel” is “damned”, he is destined to be “too weak” in the end, and to be “unseamed” brutally by the blood-soaked Macbeth.

But all's too weak; Analysis: It emphasises Macbeth’s strength because it’s making it seem like Macbeth was on the battlefield alone with just his sword and his bravery and he was able to cause all of this destruction in the name of his king. its also ironic because hes getting all this praise from the sergent and the king when at the end of the play the roles will be reversed. Macbeth will be the traitor and Macduff will be the hero

For brave Macbeth (well he deserves that name), Disdaining Fortune, with his brandished steel, Which smoked with bloody execution,

Analysis: Macbeth deserves to be called brave, given the way he’s just fought. With his destruction, he was basically laughing at the luck (“Disdaining Fortune”) that Macdonwald had on his side. He easily killed him. Additionally, this foreshadows the future murders he commits in which he is also “disdaining fortune” whether one interprets “fortune” to be fate or luck. The reference to Macbeth’s sword, “which smoked with bloody execution,” may be a bit of poetic license on the part of the Captain. Alternatively, it could reflect the dank Scottish air meeting the warm blood of those executed on the battlefield. Either way, it foreshadows the “executions” Macbeth will commit later in the play. Also note the somewhat infernal tint to Macbeth’s actions, since he is here disdaining Fortune, which is often described in battle as being on the side of Providence. Compare his disdain in 5.5 as doom approaches: Hang out our banners on the outward walls; The cry is still ‘They come:’ our castle’s strength Will laugh a siege to scorn…

Like valor's minion, carved out his passage Till he faced the slave;

Analysis: Like the servant of courage itself (“valor’s minion”), Macbeth hacked his way through the battle until he faced Macdonwald (“slave” here means “villain”).

Which ne'er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him, Till he unseamed him from the nave to th' chops, And fixed his head upon our battlements.

Analysis: Macdonwald didn’t even have time to say good-bye or shake Macbeth’s hand, because Macbeth had already cut him open from navel to jaw (“nave to th' chops”). Macbeth then cut his head off and fixed it atop the castle walls (battlements) as a trophy. The Captain gives us our first conflicted characterization of Macbeth: a brave warrior, from his fellow soldiers' perspective, but maybe a little too “disembowelment happy” even for the battle standards of the time. The gruesome description is deliberately unsettling: Shakespeare introduces our “hero” as a blood-soaked killer.

O valiant cousin, worthy gentleman! According to the Oxford World’s Classics edition, “cousin is used for any members of an extended family but also, as here, of a nobleman of his own court”. Duncan is referring to Macbeth, whose valiant efforts against Macdonwald are most worthy. He is also, however, using very similar language to describe Macbeth as the Captain has just used to describe Macdonwald, i.e. “worthy.”

As whence the sun 'gins his reflection Shipwrecking storms and direful thunders [break'], So from that spring whence comfort seemed to come Discomfort swells. Just as placid weather can suddenly bring violent storms, something very sudden happened during the battle. They had won the battle against Macdonwald, but suddenly that created more problems for them. The idea of comfort containing its opposite is another example of paradox in the play, “fair” containing “foul.” CAPTAIN

Yes, as sparrow eagles, or the hare the lion. Sparrows and hares are lower in the food chain than eagles and lions, so they are taken out routinely by their predators.

The Captain means: “this dismayed them about as much as sparrows dismay eagles or hares dismay lions.”

I must they were As cannons overcharged with double cracks, So they doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe

Analysis Captain is being completely honest when he says that they tried even harder against the Norweigians than their previous challenege. “Doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe” They tried twice as hard, and re-loaded the canons with double ammunition. The introduction of the cannon in that area was in the 1300s. The historical King Macbeth lived in the middle of the eleventh century. So the play isn’t strictly historical, but cannons make for a good mental picture at the start of the 1600s, when Shakespeare was writing. Doubles are also one of Shakespeare’s favorite motifs (“double, double, toil and trouble”), and the idea of doubly redoubling is a way not only of emphasizing Macbeth and Banquo’s efforts, but also doubling the word “double.”

Except they meant to bathe in reeking wounds Or memorize another Golgotha,

Analysis Except: Whether. They seemed to want to spill so much of their opponents' blood they could bathe in it, or make the site of the battle as memorable as Golgotha, the place where Jesus was crucified. In other words, it was an incredible scene of slaughter....