Chaos and Destruction/Duncan Flashcards
“The night has been unruly […] Lamentings heard i’th’air, strange screams of death / And prophesying with accents terrible / Of dire combustion and confused events, / New hatched to th’woeful time. The obscure bird / Clamoured the livelong night. Some say, the earth / Was feverous and did shake,” (2.3).
Duncan’s death seems to bring about a sort of apocalyptic chaos, showing how atrocious and distressing his murder is. The way the atmosphere is described even before Duncan’s death has been discovered implies that even the nature is affected by his murder. Lennox reports, “The night has been unruly […] Lamentings heard i’th’air, strange screams of death / And prophesying with accents terrible / Of dire combustion and confused events, / New hatched to th’woeful time. The obscure bird / Clamoured the livelong night. Some say, the earth / Was feverous and did shake,” (2.3). Lexis from the semantic field of chaos and destruction, such as “dire combustion”, “clamoured”, and “shake”, reflects how Duncan’s murder has gone against nature. It may also symbolise God’s anger and wrath at being defied by Macbeth. Moreover, “feverous” connotes disease, suggesting Macbeth’s deed has brought sickness to the land. “Lamentings”, “strange screams of death”, and “prophesying” are references to the murder and the Witches, echoing the grief and “tears” Macbeth predicted in 1.7.
“By th’clock ‘tis day / And yet dark night strangles the travelling lamp. / Is’t night’s predominance, or the day’s shame, / That darkness does the face of earth entomb / When living light should kiss it?” (2.4)
Once the king’s body is discovered, Ross observes, “By th’clock ‘tis day / And yet dark night strangles the travelling lamp. / Is’t night’s predominance, or the day’s shame, / That darkness does the face of earth entomb / When living light should kiss it?” (2.4). Duncan’s death has had a
permanent effect on the weather and the daylight. The “dark night” symbolises the wickedness that now dominates the world. The reference to “th’clock”, “day” and “night” implies time itself has stopped. The semantic field of death and murder, “strangles”, “entomb”, “living”, proves Duncan’s death has impacted the whole world, so that everything is murderous or tainted by decay.
“Tis unnatural, / Even like the deed that’s done. On Tuesday last, / A falcon tow’ring in her pride of place / Was by a mousing owl hawked at and killed,” (2.4). “Like the deed that’s done”
Shakespeare suggests that Duncan’s death disrupts the whole natural order. The Old Man remarks to Ross, “Tis unnatural, / Even like the deed that’s done. On Tuesday last, / A falcon tow’ring in her pride of place / Was by a mousing owl hawked at and killed,” (2.4). “Like the deed that’s done” implies the state of the world has altered to mirror the murder. Just as a good monarch improves the health of his whole country, the death of a good monarch takes the whole country into decay and disrepair. The “falcon” is a mighty bird of prey, symbolising Duncan, while a “mousing owl” is a less impressive predator who would normally be inferior to the falcon. The incident is therefore an omen of what was to come, with Macbeth wrongfully killing the king, who is above him in the natural Divine Order.
“bleed, bleed”
The phrase “bleed, bleed” personifies Scotland, portraying it as a wounded body. This reinforces the idea that the way a monarch rules a country impacts the whole land to its core. The image of blood contrasts with the living, nurtured “harvest” Duncan created.
“There’s husbandry in heaven, / Their candles are all out,” (2.1)
The distress Duncan’s murder welcomes into the world is symbolised by Shakespeare’s use of darkness and nightfall. The pathetic fallacy, with furious thunderstorms and thick layers of fog and darkness that the sun can’t get through, creates an atmosphere of obscurity and fear. Before the murder takes place, Banquo observes, “There’s husbandry in heaven, / Their candles are all out,” (2.1). The night is dark and starless, an omen for the hopeless, devastating future to come. He suggests that even heaven is acting suspicious and secretive, so that the whole world is against him. Furthermore, it seems Macbeth’s wish has come true: the “stars” have extinguished their “fires”. This is significant because it suggests Macbeth has a supernatural ability to control his environment and reality, provoking fear from the audience.
