Macbeth: Contrasts Of Nature Essay, Research Paper

Macbeth: Contrasts of Nature

Georganne Hampton

In the drama, Macbeth, Shakespeare uses contrasts of nature in assorted

ways. He systematically shows us that Macbeth and his married woman & # 8217 ; s actions go against

nature.

The first lines of the drama are a condensed version of the unnaturalness

of things to come. & # 8220 ; In boom, lightning or in rain? & # 8221 ; ( I, i, 2 ) . In nature,

boom, buoy uping and rain occur together, but Shakespeare & # 8217 ; s usage of the word

& # 8220 ; or & # 8221 ; infers the unnatural happening of one without the others. & # 8220 ; When conflicts

lost and won & # 8221 ; ( I, i, 4 ) , is besides non a natural happening. Battles are either

lost or won. Shakespeare is connoting the hereafter opposites of nature in the

forthcoming drama. & # 8220 ; Fair is disgusting, and foul is just & # 8221 ; ( I, i, 11 ) , farther shows

the usage of inversions and paradoxs in nature that Shakespeare will utilize

throughout the drama.

One of the chief contentions of nature for the reader is that in malice

of Macbeth & # 8217 ; s evil workss, we still find him sympathetic. We see him in the same manner

that the King does when he welcomes him by stating, & # 8220 ; O valiant cousin! Worthy

gentleman & # 8221 ; ( I, ii, 24 ) . We perceive him as valiant, because he is afraid of

giving his humanity. & # 8220 ; My idea, whose slaying yet is but fantasticle. /

Shingles so my individual province of adult male that map / Is smothered in guess and

nil is / But what is non & # 8221 ; ( I, iii, 139-41 ) . Macbeth has doubts about the

anticipations of the enchantresss. He knows that it could be a fast one and his

scruples make him look to be a better individual.

Another thing that makes Macbeth sympathetic to the reader is the contrast

with his married woman. It is clear from her beginning that she is evil. She has

reserves about Macbeth non being evil plenty. & # 8220 ; Yet do I fear thy nature & # 8221 ; ( I,

V, 14 ) . She fears he is excessively good to make the sort of evil workss that she is

planning.

After Macbeth murders the King, he realizes the extent of immorality that he

has committed, but besides realizes that the title is done and there is nil that

he can make to rectify it. & # 8220 ; As they had seen me with these hangman & # 8217 ; s custodies /

List & # 8217 ; ning their fright. I could non state? Amen! & # 8217 ; / When they did state? God bless

us! & # 8217 ; & # 8221 ; ( II, two, 27-29 ) . The fact that Macbeth is really troubled, and continues

his philippic, & # 8220 ; Will all great Neptune & # 8217 ; s ocean wash this blood / Clean from my

manus? No, this my manus will instead / the countless seas incarnadine, /

Making the green one ruddy & # 8221 ; ( II, two, 59-62 ) , evokes compassion for him from the

reader. He seems more human, particularly when compared to his married woman. & # 8220 ; Retire we

to our chamber. / A small H2O clears us of this title. / How easy it is so! & # 8221 ;

( II, two, 65- 67 ) . Her unconcern over the affair shows her unnaturalness

and magnifies the contrast between Macbeth and herself.

Lady Mac

beth is unnatural throughout. She fails as a adult female when she

shows her inhuman, unnaturalness. & # 8220 ; I have given suctions, and cognize / How

stamp? Ti to love the baby that milks me: / I would, while it was smiling in

my face, / Have plucked my mammilla from his boneless gums / And dashed the encephalons

out, had I sworn as you / Have done to this & # 8221 ; ( I, vii, 54-9 ) . As a married woman she is

besides a failure. & # 8220 ; Wouldst 1000s have that / Which thou esteem & # 8217 ; st the decoration of

life, / And live a coward in thine ain regard, / Leting? I dare non & # 8217 ; delay

upon? I would & # 8217 ; / Like the hapless cat I & # 8217 ; th & # 8217 ; proverb? & # 8221 ; ( I, vii, 41-5 ) . She shows

Macbeth disdain alternatively of support, which is supposed to be the natural function

of a married woman. And as a human being, she besides falls short. & # 8220 ; Come, you spirits /

That tend on mortal ideas, unsex me here, / and make full me from the Crown to

the toe top-full / Of direst inhuman treatment. Make thick my blood ; / Stop up the entree

and transition to remorse, / That no compunctious visiting of nature / Shake my

fell purpose nor maintain peace between / Th & # 8217 ; consequence and it. & # 8220 ; Come to my adult female & # 8217 ; s

chest / And take my milk for saddle sore, your slaying curates & # 8230 ; .. & # 8221 ; ( I, V, 38-46 ) .

This pledge to evil commits her as wholly unnatural.

Shakespear & # 8217 ; s usage of garments or vesture can be seen to indicate out things

that are contrary to nature. When Macbeth receives the rubric of Thane of Cawdor,

he does non experience comfy with it. & # 8220 ; Why do you dress me in borrowed robes & # 8221 ;

( I, iii, 8-9 ) ? He wants the place, but is afraid that he did non come by it

of course since it was predicted by the enchantresss. & # 8220 ; This supernatural soliciting

/ can non be badly, can non be good & # 8230 ; . and do my sitting bosom knock at my ribs /

Against the usage of nature & # 8221 ; ( I, ii, 131,136-7 ) . Shakespear uses garments to

demo the facets of visual aspect versus world. Even when Macbeth becomes male monarch,

he does non experience like a male monarch because he came by it unnaturally. A liquidator

calls him by name and he allows it. If he had become king of course, he would

non hold allowed being addressed without his rubric by so common a individual.

To get down the terminal of Macbeth and the drama. Shakespear uses nature. & # 8220 ; For

none of adult female born shall harm Macbeth & # 8221 ; ( IV, I, 80 ) . No natural individual is non

born by a adult female. & # 8220 ; Macbeth shall ne’er vanquished be until / Great Birnam Wood to

high Dunsinane Hill / Shall come against him & # 8221 ; ( IV, i,93-5 ) . This is nature

itself. Macbeth feels secure in cognizing that nature could non travel against him.

& # 8220 ; That will ne’er be & # 8221 ; ( IV, I, 94 ) . But the fact that he went so far against

nature in his evil workss, allows nature, in this instance, to do its reprisal with

the ruin of Macbeth.

The drama starts with unnatural Acts of the Apostless and terminals with unnatural Acts of the Apostless.

Shakespear uses this beginning and stop to environ the unnatural contents in

between ; the unnatural Acts of the Apostless of Macbeth and his married woman.