Monday, October 17, 2011

Macbeth Reading Response

"If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well it were done quickly.  If th'assasination could trammel up the consequence and catch with his surcease success-that but this blow might be the be-all and the end-all!" (Shakespeare 1.7 1-5)

At this point of the play Macbeth is speaking to himself and contemplating all that he has heard from the three witches regarding his future.  He feels that in order for him to become king he needs to kill the present king.  In this quote Macbeth thinks that if killing the king will make him king then he should just get it done with quickly.  All though out Act one Macbeth is struggling with this recent news that he is has been given about becoming king.  After hearing this news he plans to take matters into his own hands instead of letting fate run its path.  This aside that Macbeth has seems like it may become an important foreshadowing of what is to come later in the play.  For Macbeth it seems that he is becoming his own worst enemy because he always seems to over think things and is becoming to eager about gaining the title as King.    From the moment that he finished talking to the three witches he began questioning how he is going to successfully accomplish these future predictions.  The witches have planted this seed inside his mind and he will not stop until he has becomes King.  I wonder why Macbeth is trying to take action so quickly at becoming King, why not just wait and see if King Duncan is going to give him the title.    

2 comments:

  1. Yea I agree that MacBeth is confused on how he is to become king. It kind of raises the question of whether the "prophecy" that witches had same made it come to past or was it already destined. I believe it kind of makes the theme of when fate is intervened with mankind. Also do you believe that Lady MacBeth is also a reason behind MacBeth's decision making process?

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  2. Macbeth would do almost anything to become king, including killing the current one to fulfill his dreams and the views of the witches. Sometimes it is easier to suffer consequences from your actions than wait and possibly never get what you've always wanted.

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