The Coming Age: Macbeth and the Birth of the Modern World
an online essay by Ashok Karra
for Jill Jeffrey, Teresa Sapp, and Nancy Ruggeri, all of whom understand Shakespeare far, far better than I do.
Note: References in parentheses are to act, scene and line, in that order.
2. Compare Duncan’s first line with Macbeth’s first line and even Malcolm’s first words.
Duncan (1:2, 13-5):
What bloody man is that? He can report,
As seemeth by his plight, of the revolt
The newest state.
Macbeth (1:3, 38):
So fair and foul a day I have not seen.
Malcolm: (1:2, 16-20, in response to Duncan, above):
This is the sergeant
Who like a good and hardy soldier fought
‘Gainst my captivity. Hail, brave friend!
Say to the king the knowledge of the broil
As thou didst leave it.
This is the order of the kings of Scotland that are presented to us in the play. Note Duncan’s ability to see, and his condescension towards those who are fighting for him. “The revolt [of] the newest state” seems to imply that revolts are quite a frequent thing in Duncan’s kingdom, and the fact he was invaded twice in such a short period of time should cast doubt on any assumption that Duncan’s rule is good. Later on, we will compare Duncan’s speech which awards honors, etc. after the battles in Act 1 have been concluded with Malcolm’s closing speech of the play, and there will be much to be gained from that comparison.
What is key to Macbeth’s statement is that he can see, but what he sees is confused. Whatever he sees is both good and bad at once, and good and bad both at extremes. Wellington said the only thing worse than winning a battle was losing it, and one wonders if the only thing worse than creation (which brings forth disorder as much as order) is destruction, if the only thing worse than the light we see with is the darkness that prevents even that. I should say now that it is doubtful whether Shakespeare is attempting to establish a hierarchy in this play as much as explore the ironies involved; sleep will turn out to not be the worst thing for several characters, and speech will overthrow the ability to see the truth clearly.
Malcolm’s first statement echoes his last, in the sense that in both statements, he seems to give gratitude for his restoration. This is not his second coming, but his first coming, and in his first coming, he does what his father does not, he treats a part of “rabble” (that Macbeth admits to despising later) with both thankfulness and authority (Macbeth’s statement is at 5:8, 29). He may speak falsely or confusingly later, but no matter what, his speech is always appropriate, as it is here.
The connection that is critical to draw is between seeing, speaking, and rule. Duncan may see all, but he speaks inappropriately, and rules badly. Macbeth is the ambiguous case; his seeing is problematic – it’s like he’s peering into chaos, and we will tease out the full implications of that shortly. We also spend most of the play wondering not so much about what Macbeth says, but what he has been told. His rule could be the worst that could be conceived. Beyond Duncan and Macbeth is Malcolm, who has seen more fully than Duncan, in one sense, because of his self-interest, and speaks humbly although commandingly, and comes to rule by play’s end, although it is a rule potentially threatened by Fleance. Still, Malcolm represents a point of rest of a sort, and we have to see what he does “right” compared to Duncan and Macbeth.
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