Macbeth's Soliloquy

I thought I heard a voice say “you can sleep no more, Macbeth is murdering sleep”

How does the 1.7 Soliloquy deepen the audience’s understanding of Macbeth’s conflicted state of mind?

I consider Macbeth’s dagger soliloquy from Act Two, Scene One to be one of the most revealing speeches in Shakespeare’s Macbeth. This is because it demonstrates the effect that a character’s actions have on the way they think about moral issues. The speech takes place while Macbeth is on his way to kill King Duncan. At the beginning of the speech, Macbeth is feeling guilty about what he is about to do. This is shown by the fact that he is seeing a dagger that is not there. His use of rhetoric in the statement “Is this a dagger I see before me, / the handle towards my hand?” shows the reader that Macbeth is uncertain about the substantiality of the dagger. Macbeth has clearly been thinking about the effects of the murder so much his conscience has presented him with an image of that which he is dreading. His statement “heat-oppressed brain” also tells the reader he has been so wrought up about the murder, he is hallucinating

“Keep your friends close and your enemies closer,” is a universal truism throughout our society, that has been said an infinity amount of times. Every single person in your life is there for a certain reason. If they aren’t getting want they want from you then they have no reason for sticking around. They’re always around when they need something from you, but when you need them, “BAM!” they are gone!

Shakespeare’s play ‘Macbeth’ is about the leading male protagonist succumbing to his ambition and need for power. Though Macbeth is liable for his own actions, he is not solely responsible for the events that eventually result in his downfall. Macbeth is corrupted by his wife, Lady Macbeth, as well as the three weird sisters. Macbeth’s contribution towards his downfall is his strong ambitious nature. Lady Macbeth is the person who induces Macbeth to assassinate King Duncan. The three weird sisters (witches) play with Macbeth’s ambitious nature and sense of security. Macbeth’s downfall is due to himself and two external factors.

Visualize being in MacBeth’s place, you are announced Thane of Cawdor after your heroic leadership on the battlefield, why would you thirst for a higher rank? Although you may be content with your position, there are many reasons why you would want more power. Your rank becomes very close to that of a king, so you decide to go for it, after all, all you have to do to be king is to kill Duncan. As your sight of kingship would become realistic, your rapacity grows, and you start making nefarious decisions that would affect your disposition. As an effect of your changed mindset, your nobles start to become suspicious that you are deranged. Little do they know they are all pawns in your game of life and your scheme to become king is going impeccably

I,Malcolm, let Macbeth do anything to be king. While I watch him ruin his legacy.Macbeth proves his loyalty to Duncan by serving him. Macbeth states, " the service and the loyalty I owe in doing it pays itself(I.iv.25) To avoid being taken advantage of, Macbeth must demonstrate that he is not weak. He fulfills this by taking the cowardly way out and murdering Duncan King of Scotland. He acts out because he is jealous and feels as if he deserves to be king. At this point once Macbeth displays that he is no longer loyal to his once King of Scotland, who said " for brave Macbeth-well he deserves that name"(I.ii.95). A disloyal Macbeth cannot accept the promotion to thane of Cawdor, so he get greedy and does the unthinkable. Macbeth says, "Let not light see my black and deep desires: the eye wink at the hand yet let that be which the eye fears, when it is done to see"(I.ii.50-53). These words reveal Macbeth's deep desire to be king, after King Duncan announces that his son Malcolm will be the one to take the throne after him.

Everyone learns to memorize, in some ways it is what the majority of schools teach to their students, especially when dealing with younger ages. Memorization is key to tests all over: SATS, MEAS, NECAPS etc. When learning Macbeth’s soliloquy Is This A Dagger Which I See Before Me I used the same techniques that I use to memorize anything. When I was younger I quickly came to realize math was a strong point, with the exception of memorizing the formulas. I would go into a test read a problem and know the basics behind it, although I would be unable to complete the question without a specific equation. From this I created a process to memorize anything.

(Sitting on a chair, feet up, side table beside her, playing with a knife/dagger, unaware of audience)

BANQUO: [Tentatively] Why, upon what jury this murder just? Not long ago you and I were allies Macbeth, fighting in a war for our country against the corrupt Norwegian’s. Now, I lie here, surrounded by mere nature, betrayed. What justification could Macbeth find in order to seal the fate of my beloved family? You are no longer the man I once knew. Lately I have come to know a new man, one motivated by power, one motivated by supremacy. It’s almost as if my dear friend Macbeth is now foreign to me. It’s almost as if he also ran off to England like poor Macduff did not long ago. O, betrayal! Here I see the face of a

Macbeth’s second soliloquy in Act 1.7 reveals the emotional and mental turmoil he suffers while contemplating the act of murdering King Duncan. It is here that Shakespeare first offers his judgement on the harsh effect rampant ambition has on even the most virtuous of characters. The beginning of the play depicts “brave Macbeth” (1.2) as a valiant general and devoted subject of the king, all words that were spoken about Macbeth characterise him as only an honourable man and nothing less. However, is it because of his “vaulting ambition” (1.7) that Macbeth abandons his morals and makes the decision to murder King Duncan. Macbeth’s thoughts, at the beginning of the soliloquy, focus on the consequences that may result from killing the King.

The purpose of this soliloquy is to provide depth into Macbeth’s character and his character development. In analysis option number four, the focus of the passage is that Macbeth’s conscience is making him second guess his intentions to kill King Duncan. Primarily the text “…still have judgement here, we but teach/ Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return/ To plague the inventor”. From this portion of the passage, judgement symbolizes Macbeth’s conscience, Bloody instructions embodies his thoughts of killing the king. Shakespeare wrote this because he wanted to display that Macbeth still has good ethics. Secondly, “Besides, this Duncan/ Hath born his faculties so meek, hath been/ So clear in his great office”.

Macbeths soliloquy is “to be thus is nothing, but be safely thus”. It contributes to the story because it reveals new information that he is nervous to be king. he is worried that he is not safe because of what he has done to the previous king. He is especially scared of Banquo because of what the witches told him. Yes, it is what I expected the character to be thinking because right after he killed the king he was very paranoid. The soliloquy is about himself.

The play ‘Macbeth’ uses soliloquies with great effect to express the thoughts of individual characters, particularly in the case of the protagonist, Macbeth. In Act V Scene V, strong words from Macbeth convey to the reader two themes of the play.  This soliloquy demonstrates the play's use of irony and the use of the disparity between the great opposition of light and darkness as symbols for both life and death.  This soliloquy is quite significant to the play as a whole since it demonstrates two very important themes as well as leading to a better understanding of Macbeth.

Throughout the beginning play, Lady Macbeth is viewed more as a mastermind. She has control of what happens, and will do whatever it takes for her personal interests to be satisfied. I believe that she is more responsible for the death of Duncan.