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Tone Of Macbeth's Soliloquy

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As one of Shakespeare's most famous works, Macbeth tells the story of a young Scottish general’s rise to power spurred by the actions of his wife. When Macbeth receives a prophecy from three witches stating that he will eventually become the King of Scotland, Macbeth, with the help of his wife, murders King Duncan of Scotland and gets what he wants. However, as the play proceeds, Shakespeare makes it evident to the reader that Macbeth was happier as a person prior to this incident. There are many lines in the play where Shakespeare uses fantastic language and tone to emphasis Macbeth’s predicament when contemplating if he should kill the King; however, there is one soliloquy performed by Macbeth and one soliloquy performed by Lady Macbeth that …show more content…

In these lines, Shakespeare’s use of two different tones makes it clear to the reader that Macbeth is experiencing internal conflict. One side of Macbeth is saying that he should kill the King while the other side of him is saying no. “This supernatural soliciting /Cannot be ill, cannot be good. If ill,/ Why hath it given me earnest of success,/ Commencing in a truth? I am thane of Cawdor./ If good, why do I yield to that suggestion/ Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair/ And make my seated heart knock at my ribs,/ Against the use of nature?” (Act 1 Scene 3) At this point, Macbeth doesn’t know if the intentions of the witches are to produce evil or if their predictions are a sign of positive things to come for Macbeth. Later on, Macbeth states what he knows is true in the moment. When the witches predicted that he would become the Thane of Cawdor, this prediction was accurate. Because of this, Macbeth feels that if the witches were truthful about one prediction, then it would show that they would be correct about the rest of their statements. In this speech, Shakespeare does such a fine job of creating two different sides of this character. One simple decision can either make or break the rest of Macbeth’s life and that is extremely suspenseful for a reader to witness …show more content…

Because of Macbeth’s uncertainty of killing the King, Shakespeare uses this problem as the rise of Lady Macbeth’s role in the Scottish play. “Come, you spirits/ That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,/ And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full/ Of direst cruelty. Make thick my blood./ Stop up the access and passage to remorse,/ That no compunctious visitings of nature/ Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between/ The effect and it! Come to my woman’s breasts,/ And take my milk for gall, you murd'ring ministers,/ Wherever in your sightless substances/ You wait on nature’s mischief.” (Act 1 Scene 5) This soliloquy said by Lady Macbeth is right before the arrival of King Duncan at her castle. As stated earlier, the reader has noticed the uncertainty of Macbeth in whether he should kill King Duncan to seize the crown. In total contrast to her husband, Lady Macbeth is undoubtedly willing to do anything in order to end the King’s life and be the Queen of Scotland. Shakespeare writes these lines in the play as if Macbeth and Lady Macbeth switched gender roles due to the fact Lady Macbeth’s strength of purpose goes against Macbeth’s hesitancy. In addition to this, Shakespeare's language of this speech supports the theme of virility. When Lady Macbeth states, “unsex me here...Come to my

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