How important is the banquet scene in this play as a whole? Essay

Before we atomic number 18 able to fully explore the importance of Act iii, Scene IV, of Shakespeares famed bloody catastrophe it is necessary to look briefly at what is meant as a tragedy for Shakespeare utilise tragic plenty in order to give insight into lots of situations and help tell a story, usually with a moral attached. Al super acidgh Macbeth is undoubtedly tragic and one of the bloodiest and violent of Shakespeares plays its tragic nature doesnt inescapably stem from the murders and grievances within the play. Shakespeare has used Macbeths vulnerability and nave nature to portray tragic component and to highlight the flaws within his character.Macbeth is a fascinating individual he is transformed by evil from a strong and noble general to a king that will stop at nonhing, including murder, to retain his sess and hence his power. However, he is rarely in control of a situation and from the stem, when he encounters the three witches, deeply suspicious and afraid of the supernatural, Speak if you can, what are you? Act I Scene III. This is shown as he depends on the witches to guide him with what to do and good becomes entwined with evil, Fair is choke, and foul is fair, Act I Scene I. This as well gives us a clue that it is going to be hard in the play to tell the going between good and evil and when we encounter Banquos soupcon in Act III, Scene IV we have a go at it any glimmer of hope felt by Macbeth since the murder of Banquo is to be short lived.The profligate fair is foul, and foul is fair, also indicates a warning to us as readers that things may not necessarily be what they seem and they virtually definitely are not. Many versions of this quote are used throughout the play including the line of Lady Macbeths when she tells Macbeth to play the humble host Act III Scene IV. When she hypothesizes play she is showing that she realises they have to coer up their true feelings. This is similar to fair is foul, and foul is fair and can also be compared with the line Lady Macbeth uses to tell her husband to cover up his treachery look like th innocent flower, But be the serpent under t, Act I Scene V, just before Duncan is to nonplus at their castle.The banquet setting, therefore, is one of the most important slams of the play and, once the ghost appears, becomes a pivotal point. Things, up until at one time, were going relatively swimmingly for Macbeth and he has fulfilled his dream of becoming king and his wife, lady Macbeth, queen. Although she knows of Duncans murder, she has not been included in the plans for murdering Banquo, Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest Chuck, Act III Scene II, and at the beginning of the banquet scene he wishes only for her to join in the celebrations for his coronation Our hostess keeps her state, but in best prison term we will require her welcome, Act III Scene IV Line 6-7.The banquet has been arranged so that the new King and Queen can be properly introduced to their courtiers and is going as planned until the Murderers arrive to tell Macbeth that although they have killed Banquo, Fleance has escaped. Although Macbeth is uneasy about this news, Hath nature that in time will venom song Act III SceneIV and is linked to his doubts about one of Banquos predictions from the Witches, Thou shalt get Kings, though thou be none, he dismisses the murderers and prepares to enjoy the banquet in a ceremonious way.However, his ease is to be short-lived for as he is about to sit down he sees Banquos ghost in his place at table. He cannot believe this and questions his Lords, Which of you has done this? but they are unable to see the ghost and rise to leave, thinking he is unwell. Guilt, denial and fear swamp Macbeth, Thou canst not say I did it never shake thy gory locks at me, and he thinks someone knows he killed Duncan and is setting him up.It seems iniquity is the strongest theme in this scene, it is the reason for the ghost of Banquo being present in Ma cbeths mind only, and his flagitious conscience is seeping through with this sign of madness. Although Lady Macbeth accuses her husband of being a coward, This is the very motion picture of your fear as she did at the time of Duncans murder, she apologises to the guests and tries to cover up for him saying it is an illness he has had from a child, my Lord is often thus and hath been from his youth. Because he is so frightened I feel she is beginning to suspect him of something but does not empathise what exactly, Why do you make such faces?The Ghost leaves and Macbeth tries to understand what has happened, in Scene II he was saying how lucky Duncan was because he was at peace in death, After lifes fitful fever, he sleeps well, but now he is sad because he has seen the dead rise up again and wonders that in his own death he as well as may not be at peace But now they rise again with 20 mortal murders on their crowns. This seems to link in with the supernatural introduced with t he witches and shows a weakness and confusion in Macbeths character as he fears death I have a strange infirmity, which is nothing to those that know me, Act III Scene IV.After the ghost leaves and the guests have gone it is nigh dawn. Lady Macbeth says Night, is almost at odds with morning. I feel Lady Macbeth is beginning to doubt her previous actions and seems confused over good and evil becoming entwined. Macbeth makes a short speech that could easily be compared to an earlier scene in the play Act II Scene II, when Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are washing away Duncans blood from their hands. This could be an image of them washing away the guilt that, in the end, forces Lady Macbeth to commit self-destruction when she feels she cant wash the blood from her hands.This drives her to her madness like the ghost of Banquo starts to do to Macbeth. This is a famous speech that talks about wading in blood and has the word blood repeated atomic number 23 times, blood will have blood. Ma cbeth feels he is in this so deep there is no going back, Reroutine were as tedious as goer, the turning point has now been reached and the last line indicates there is more killing to come, We are yet but young in deed. This proves the importance of the Banquet Scene.We have reached the end of one chapter and the beginning of another and it is also a turning point in the relationship of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. At the beginning of the banquet they were as close as they were at the beginning of the play, despite the cloud of Duncans death. But by the end of the banquet we queue Macbeth unable to confide in his wife for advice and going to the witches in place of her, I will to-morrow (And too soon I will) to the Weird Sisters. And we now know that Lord and Lady Macbeth do not know sinfulness from light or evil from good. There must only be darkness and death up for them both. Fair has become foul and foul has become fair.