Essay: Honour and Dishonour in Macbeth (notes)

Macbeth:
Honourable Actions:
Macbeth’s loyalty towards King Duncan pre-murder
Dishonourable Actions:
Murdering King Duncan who greatly admired Macbeth and looked at him like a son
Macbeth sending Mercenaries to kill Banquo and Fleance
Macbeth sending Mercenaries to kill Macduff’s wife and children
Macbeth’s constant disregard of the life and feelings of others
Macbeth is a self declared dictator, and not a relative to the throne
Unable to identify right from wrong – murder etc.
Macbeth’s inability to constrain his ambition/evil deeds
Being sworn into Kingship incorrectly
Consequences of dishonorable actions:
The armies from England came to overthrow Macbeth
Lady Macbeth suffered from the guilt of killing of King Duncan and eventually killed herself
Macbeth’s ambition got the better of him when he put all his faith into the witches’ prophecies leading him to fall due to his stubbornness.
Macduff:
Honourable Actions:
Although his wife and children have been slain he vowed to himself that he shall keep his humanity when killing Macbeth, and not kill him out of pure revenge.
Able to identify right from wrong.
What choices do the powerful characters make that could influence or change their society?
Macbeth:
By Macbeth constantly attempting to protect himself – this is through sending mercenaries – but in turn making himself look like a bigger threat to England.
After Macbeth killed Duncan, the morale for Scotland had greatly dropped, as the people of Scotland thought Duncan was a ‘god-send’, as he fought for the protection of his people
Are the consequences always deserved?
Features of Honour in Macbeth:
Honour and dishonour is gained mostly through killing or loyalty towards to the person above you.
When Macduff kills Macbeth, Macbeth has to be stopped and pulled off the high horse and Macduff was the only one that could do that. Macbeth had already had all of Macduff’s family murdered. Macduff did not kill Macbeth for revenge, he killed him because it was the right thing to do.
Macduff has a strong view on Macbeth, being that if he doesn’t stop him more families alike his will die. “Of horrid Hell can come a devil more damned, In evils to top Macbeth.”
Macduff mourns for the rescuing of Scotland that Macbeth had cursed. “Fit to govern? No, not to live. – O nation miserable, With an untitled tyrant bloody-sceptered
Features of Dishonour in Macbeth:
He believed in the witches’ prophecies and not in God. This was seen as dishonourable at the time.
Macbeth Murdered many people to keep his title of King.
Macbeth killing King Duncan was dishonorable as it was done out of greed
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth frame the dead guards that they also killed for the murder of King Duncan
Shakespeare Uncovered:
The name Macbeth can cause major disaster if called out
Shakespeare was trying to explore the darker side of the human psyche
Macbeth isn’t a monster he is a man, and alike him anyone could become him
Even actors were scared to play Macbeth’s part
Evil inspiration came from the witches
The witches planted the idea of Macbeth becoming King
The one characteristic of Macbeth that drives him to his eventual downfall
Was the darkness in Macbeth always there? Or did the forces of evil trigger him to cause his violent acts?
The play question if honour is externally given, or earned by one’s self
Did Lady Macbeth push Macbeth over the edge of honour and dishonour
Script:
1: Zach Hello and welcome back to another episode of Men of Honour in Life and Literature. Today with me today is Tom and Jordan, and the topic we will be discussing is ‘Honour and Dishonour in Macbeth’. First of all, if you haven’t read Shakespeare’s Macbeth I highly recommend that you do before viewing this episode, as there will be many spoilers ahead, you have been warned. Now Tom do you mind telling me a key character that shows either honour or dishonour in Macbeth, and how they represent and use the functions of honour or dishonour?
2: Tom First of all thank you for inviting me to the show tonight. I find that Macbeth in Macbeth has a strong connection to honour and dishonour although he doesn’t pay too much attention to how honour would affect him, and how great of an impact the path of either honour or dishonour has. This can be seen in the character of Macbeth, who was once seen as a man of honour and respect – to a point where the King adored him as seen here “What he hath lost noble Macbeth hath won”, as well as the Captain working under Duncan, “For brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name” Due to Macbeth’s great show of honour he had a lot of perks, including becoming the ‘Thane of Glamis’ and ‘Thane of Cawdor’. The Witches also said that in the future he shall become king hereafter.
3: Jordan Although this didn’t last long of course?
2: Tom Yes, you’re right. Macbeth began to lose control over his actions and slowly throughout the transcript, Macbeth slowly started to lose his grasp of honour, loyalty and pride. He lost these emotions at a rather rapid rate after Duncan had been murdered. If Macbeth had really thought through his actions properly he would have realised that Duncan was loved and accepted by all in Scotland. By murdering Duncan, this puts Macbeth in the public eye. Jordan, Can you elaborate on the issues with Macbeth being in the public eye?
3: Jordan The public should have a feeling of suspicion surrounding him. By him having this suspicion, this would degrade his honour, respect, and remorse, all combining together to become his one fatal flaw.
1: Zach That couldn’t have been all? I believe the story of Macbeth was a slow but powerful spiral into insanity, this can be seen in Macbeth’s “Is this a dagger?” soliloquy. When Macbeth says “The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. I have thee not, and yet I still see thee.” it is a big indicator that he has lost grip of what made him the ‘brave Macbeth’, and is forgetting what is real and not real, allowing ambition to ‘take the wheel’ and rule his consciousness. This is especially seen here “Thou marshall’st me the way that I was going; And such an instrument I was to use.” this shows that ambition is driving him to do what not thought possible, this also comes as another one of Macbeth’s fatal flaws. And I don’t think the people of Scotland want an insane tyrant to rule their country.
3: Jordan You’re right I should have put that feature of Macbeth into perspective. In the later acts Macbeth has lost all sense of remorse and has resorted to any measures to keep himself in power whilst ruining the trust and honour he had tried so hard to build from the ground up throughout his life.
New edited script:
1: Zach Hello and welcome back to another episode of Men of Honour in Life and Literature. Today I am joined by Tom and Jordan, and the topic of discussion is ‘Honour and Dishonour in Macbeth’. Firstly, if you haven’t read Shakespeare’s tragedy, Macbeth, it would be highly recommended to do so prior to viewing today’s episode, as there will be many references to the play, including some discussions that may spoil the story. Now, Tom, tell our audience about one of the many key characters from the play that demonstrates either honour or dishonour, and how they embody these notions throughout the course of Macbeth.
2: Tom First of all, thank you for inviting me to the show tonight. I find that Macbeth in the play has a strong connection to honour and dishonour, although he doesn’t pay too much attention to how honour would affect him, and how great of an impact the path of either honour or dishonour has. This can be seen in the character of Macbeth, who was once seen as a man of honour and respect – to a point where the King adored him as seen here “What he hath lost noble Macbeth hath won”, as well as the Captain working under Duncan, “For brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name” Due to Macbeth’s great show of honour he had a lot of perks, including becoming the ‘Thane of Glamis’ and ‘Thane of Cawdor’. The Witches also said that in the future he shall become king hereafter.
3: Jordan Does he maintain this reputation of honour and respect throughout the whole play?
2: Tom No, he doesn’t. Macbeth began to lose control over his actions and slowly throughout the play, Macbeth slowly started to lose his grasp of honour, loyalty and pride. He lost these emotions at a rather rapid rate after Duncan had been murdered. If Macbeth had really thought through his actions properly he would have realised that Duncan was loved and accepted by all in Scotland. By murdering Duncan, this puts Macbeth in the public eye. Jordan, can you elaborate on Macbeth’s transformation from honourable to dishonourable?
3: Jordan
Indeed, the turning point in Shakespeare’s tragedy that ultimately detriments Macbeth’s reputation as honourable and respectable is embedded in the murder of King Duncan. Shakespeare articulates the multifaceted nature of murder as both an honourable act and a dishonourable act through the medium of Macbeth. In Act 1 Scene 2, Macbeth is praised for the murder of Macdonwald, who is the king of the rebellion forces opposing the King of Scotland, illustrated through King Duncan’s appraisal of Macbeth’s murder in “But all’s too weak for Brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name – disdaining fortune with his brandished steel, which smoked with bloody execution.” Shakespeare utilises the metaphor of his brandished steel “smoking” with bloody execution to express Duncan’s tribute to Macbeth’s for his murder of Macdonwald, which has earned him an honourable reputation in the eyes of the most noble King Duncan. This is further reinforced through the high modality of ‘brave Macbeth’ which ensures the audience understands how certain Duncan is of Macbeth’s bravery and honourability. This is starkly contrasted with the murder of Duncan in Act 2 Scene 2, which highlights that murder will not always lead to honour and respect, especially when used as a catalyst to usurp the throne. This contrast is evidenced in Act 4 Scene 3 when Malcolm warns Macduff of Macbeth’s true tyrannic nature after the killing of Duncan; “This tyrant, whose sole name blisters our tongues, Was once thought honest. Shakespeare employs the hyperbole of a name ‘blistering’ the tongue further demonstrates the change in Macbeth’s reputation in public, and the dishonour he has earnt through his evil actions.
1: Zach That couldn’t have been all? I believe the story of Macbeth was a slow but powerful spiral into insanity, this can be seen in Macbeth’s “Is this a dagger?” soliloquy. When Macbeth says “The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. I have thee not, and yet I still see thee.” it is a big indicator that he has lost grip of what made him the ‘brave Macbeth’, and is forgetting what is real and not real, allowing ambition to ‘take the wheel’ and rule his consciousness. This is especially seen here “Thou marshall’st me the way that I was going; And such an instrument I was to use.” this shows that ambition is driving him to do what not thought possible, this also comes as another one of Macbeth’s fatal flaws. And I don’t think the people of Scotland want an insane tyrant to rule their country.
Now moving on, is there any other character that gives a different side of honour, and if so, how?
3: Jordan Through my second read through Macbeth I came to realise that Macduff wasn’t just a pin-up for ‘justice’, but instead the other side of the spectrum of honour.