What are the audience's first impressions of Macbeth?
The audience is first introduced to Macbeth in Act I Scene I. He is straight away linked with the witches as they state that they are going to meet with him on the heath. While this is only a brief mention and he is not described in any way, this will still be the reference to him that stays in our minds the longest as it is the first we hear of him.
“There to meet with Macbeth.”
Our second impression of Macbeth is more positive than the first. He is very brave and loyal to his king, traits which are to be expected from the finest warriors.
“O valiant cousin, worthy gentleman!”
“For brave Macbeth - well he deserves that name”
Macbeth is a blood-thirsty warrior. Upon meeting with the rebel Macdonwald, he has nothing to say to him. The rebel is given no chance for redemption, no chance to fight back and no last words. Macbeth simply sticks his sword in him and slices him open from stomach to jaw. This is no ordinary murder, it is a vicious, unnecessarily gruesome death, to make a point to the other rebels: not to mess with the king. To strengthen the message further, Macbeth cuts off the rebel’s head and puts it on the battlements - an effective yet slightly over the top statement.
“Till he faced the slave;
Which ne’er shook hands, nor bode farewell to him;
Till he unseamed him from nave to th’chops,
And fixed his head upon our battlements.”
Macbeth is a great captain. He had only just defeated the rebel Macdonwald when the Norwegians, assisted by another rebel, took advantage of Scotland’s supposed weakened state and decided to make yet another attack on the country. However, this did not sway the brave warrior Macbeth. He led his troops into battle once more and, once again, they were victorious. It seems that the rebels’ attacks do not bother or tire Macbeth and his troops in any way, as they just made them more determined. Macbeth’s army fought with such violence and vigour that it seemed as though they were trying to fill the battlefield with blood to bathe in.
“Dismayed not this
Our captains, Macbeth and Banquo?”
“Yes -
As sparrows eagles, or the hare the lion.”
“There to meet with Macbeth.”
Our second impression of Macbeth is more positive than the first. He is very brave and loyal to his king, traits which are to be expected from the finest warriors.
“O valiant cousin, worthy gentleman!”
“For brave Macbeth - well he deserves that name”
Macbeth is a blood-thirsty warrior. Upon meeting with the rebel Macdonwald, he has nothing to say to him. The rebel is given no chance for redemption, no chance to fight back and no last words. Macbeth simply sticks his sword in him and slices him open from stomach to jaw. This is no ordinary murder, it is a vicious, unnecessarily gruesome death, to make a point to the other rebels: not to mess with the king. To strengthen the message further, Macbeth cuts off the rebel’s head and puts it on the battlements - an effective yet slightly over the top statement.
“Till he faced the slave;
Which ne’er shook hands, nor bode farewell to him;
Till he unseamed him from nave to th’chops,
And fixed his head upon our battlements.”
Macbeth is a great captain. He had only just defeated the rebel Macdonwald when the Norwegians, assisted by another rebel, took advantage of Scotland’s supposed weakened state and decided to make yet another attack on the country. However, this did not sway the brave warrior Macbeth. He led his troops into battle once more and, once again, they were victorious. It seems that the rebels’ attacks do not bother or tire Macbeth and his troops in any way, as they just made them more determined. Macbeth’s army fought with such violence and vigour that it seemed as though they were trying to fill the battlefield with blood to bathe in.
“Dismayed not this
Our captains, Macbeth and Banquo?”
“Yes -
As sparrows eagles, or the hare the lion.”
Download:
what_are_the_audiences_first_impressions_of_macbeth.doc | |
File Size: | 27 kb |
File Type: | doc |