“Knife” Soliloquy
Macbeth always uses a variation language features in his writing, one of the more prominent being personification. “Now o’er the one halfworld Nature seems dead”. This quote talks about how the world feels to Macbeth at that moment. The personification is used to show how the world is seeming asleep or dead. It also expresses how Macbeth is separated from nature, possibly because of the influence of the unnatural Witches. He is not longer a part of the world around him, about to act out on an urge that may not entirely be his own. Before, he asked for the stars to hide their fires. Now, everything seems oblivious to him as he prepares to kill Duncan. It is almost as if he is protected by Natures opposing force, the witches, hiding him from heavens eyes.
Scene 2
In this scene we see both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth after the deed is done. Macbeth is suffering as we see blood on his hands. He reveals that it will take more than water to get rid of the blood, at that he is more likely to infect the water. The blood could be seen as his guilt, something he will live the rest of his life with. Lady Macbeth is the opposite, stating that a little water is all that is needed to wash away the crime. She had to return to the scene to place the knives after Macbeth took them with him. This shows how he is distracted and not at all the hero we started with. The crime and the external forces are already having a massive affect on his well being. If he becomes king then his rule may not be that which he imagines. What he said before about infecting the ocean with his guilt could be talking about how his rule will be bad. Also, Banquo could be a threat to his innocence. He also heard the witches prediction and knows that Macbeth was told he will be king. Unlike Macbeth he has not acted on the information he was given, that his children would be kings. This might indicate that Macbeth is being controlled as he has chosen a much different path to Banquo. Banquo could also be killed as Macbeth doesn’t want any suspicion. Macbeth may end up bring the witches prediction to fruition. In attempting to kill Banquo he will reveal his true self, and with him dead, Banquo’s children will take the mantle of king. By choosing to act, Macbeth could have sealed his own fate.
Scene 4
In this scene we meet MacDuff, Ross and the Old Man talking about the death of the king. They mention how Macbeth killed the supposed murderers. They also talk about how Malcolm and Donalbain left just after Duncan was discovered, putting them under suspicion.