Friday, February 22, 2013

What effect does Macbeths behavior have on the feast?How does this reflect the situation of scotland

The feast that Macbeth disrupts in Shakespeare's Macbeth occurs in Act 4.3.  Macbeth puts an abrupt end to the feast and once again brings his wife's wrath down on himself.


Macbeth in lines 41-45 continues his strategy of giving the appearance to others that he doesn't know Banquo is probably dead by now, by announcing that he wishes all of the "country's honor [were] roofed" at the feast:  all the honorable men in Scotland were together at this feast.  He specifically mentions Banquo, saying that he will rebuke Banquo for his unkindness in not being present. 


Unknown to Macbeth, Banquo is present, in the form of a ghost, having entered according to the stage directions between the split parts of line 38.  When Macbeth does notice him a few lines after his speech, the ghost's presence, in effect, rebukes Macbeth. 


Macbeth shouts and shrieks and the honors that are present--in bodily form--"start to rise" according to the stage direction between lines 54-55. 


Lady Macbeth tries to calm the men by lying to them, saying that her husband is often this way, and has been since his youth.  It is just an illness, she claims.


Lady Macbeth chastises her husband--telling him his vision is nonsense, and that it's just like the bloody dagger he saw just before he killed Duncan (imaginary)--and the feast settles down once the ghost disappears.


When the ghost reappears, however, Macbeth panics again, and in Lady Macbeth's words:



You have displaced the mirth, broke the good meeting




With most admired [amazing] disorder.  (Act 4.3.110-111)



Lady Macbeth then dismisses the men, telling them to exit quickly and not to worry about exiting in an orderly manner--just to go. 


Once again, Macbeth has behaved in a way his wife keeps warning him against--in a way that draws attention to their guilt.

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