Act 3, Scene 4 of Macbeth

Act 3, Scene 4 of Macbeth

  • Submitted By: kalod15
  • Date Submitted: 04/19/2010 8:21 AM
  • Category: English
  • Words: 423
  • Page: 2
  • Views: 3

Macbeth essay on Act 3, Scene 4
The impressions of Macbeth in lines 123-146 of Act 3, Scene 4 are that of an uneasy man. He had just seen the ghost of Banquo at his royal celebratory banquet and it had severely disturbed him. When he and Lady Macbeth talk in lines 126-127 they talk about murder. “What is the night?” “Almost at odds with the morning, which is which?” This exchange between them seems to suggest that there is an ongoing struggle between good and evil happening in Scotland. Also, in lines 128 and 129, Macbeth says, “How sayst thou that Macduff denies his person at our great bidding?”. This suggest that Macbeth is getting worried about Macduff because he wasn’t at the feast. This shows that Macbeth is growing more and more paranoid. He also shows signs of paranoia in line 123 when he says, “It will have blood they say: blood will have blood”. This shows that he is worried about someone trying to avenge Banquo’s death. But at this point in time, Lady Macbeth knows nothing of Banquo’s murder; so she might have thought that he was speaking of Duncan.
He also proves to be a very suspicious man in lines 131-132 where he reveals, “There’s not a one of them but in his house I keep a servant feed”. This reveals that he has a kind of spy in the castle of every major lord and thane except in Macduff’s castle. The problem he seems to have with this is that it is Macduff he feels most threatened by. He also says in lines 135-136, “For now I am bent to know by the worst means, the worst; for mine own good, all causes shall give way”. He says that he is bent to know his future and that he will do any act, no matter how evil, that is in his own interest. In lines 136-138, he states, “I am in blood stepped in so far that should I wade no more, returning were as tedious as go o’er”.
This shows that Macbeth feels that the murdering has now become like an arduous task that he has to endure to get his way. Finally, Lady Macbeth says only a few lines during the...

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