Till Birnam wood remove to Dunsinane,I cannot taint with fear. What's the boy Malcolm?Was he not born of woman? The spirits that knowAll mortal consequences have pronounced me thus:'Fear not, Macbeth; no man that's born of womanShall e'er have power upon thee.
Macbeth references the weird sisters' prophecy. He is confident that he won't be killed and will remain king.
More needs she the divine than the physician.God, God forgive us all!
The doctor says Lady Macbeth's ailment is far beyond his help, and that she needs God to cure her.
Out, damned spot! out, I say!--One: two: why,then, 'tis time to do't.--Hell is murky!--Fie, mylord, fie! a soldier, and afeard? What need wefear who knows it, when none can call our power toaccount?--Yet who would have thought the old manto have had so much blood in him.
For the past 15 minutes, Lady Macbeth has been "washing" her hands from the blood of King Duncan, though her hands are clean.
Bring thou this fiend of Scotland and myself;Within my sword's length set him; if he 'scape,Heaven forgive him too!
Official insite of war from Macduff against Macbeth.
Your castle is surprised; your wife and babesSavagely slaughter'd: to relate the manner,Were, on the quarry of these murder'd deer,To add the death of you.
Ross was a little misleading when he said that when he left, Lady Macduff & the kids were safe. He knew that once he left, death & violence would come after them. I don't understand why he just didn't tell Macduff right away, but just danced around the topic.
But I have none: the king-becoming graces,As justice, verity, temperance, stableness,Bounty, perseverance, mercy, lowliness,Devotion, patience, courage, fortitude,I have no relish of them, but aboundIn the division of each several crime,Acting it many ways. Nay, had I power, I shouldPour the sweet milk of concord into hell,Uproar the universal peace, confoundAll unity on earth.
Prince Malcom should be the rightful heir to the throne. HE believes he would make a better king & he would bring back peace to Scotland.
Wisdom! to leave his wife, to leave his babes,His mansion and his titles in a placeFrom whence himself does fly? He loves us not;
Lady Macduff is angry at her husband after being told he has "died" (she describes him as dead because a traitor is as good as dead; in reality he left to England, leaving them unprotected).
for none of woman bornShall harm Macbeth
Should be good news as everyone is born from a woman, but obviously some loophole was found.
Apparition
A ghostlike image of a person.
How now, you secret, black, and midnight hags!
For someone so desperate and only relying on the prophecies fortold by the witches, he sure is awfully mean to him.
By the pricking of my thumbs,Something wicked this way comes.
When the witch's thumb hurts, it means someone wicked or evil is approaching. That person is Macbeth.
But I must also feel it as a man:I cannot but remember such things were,That were most precious to me. Did heaven look on,And would not take their part? Sinful Macduff,They were all struck for thee! naught that I am,Not for their own demerits, but for mine,
I appreciate that he allows himself to grief, even if it is for only a moment, instead of just "manning up" right away.
He blames himself for the murder of his wife and children because he has left them to go to England. He believes if he had stayed with him, none of this would have happened.
Be call'd our mother, but our grave
Scotland is experiencing intense turmoil and death, moreso sinc Macbeth took throne.
malady
disease or ailment
dolour
Sorrow or great distress
I have done no harm. But I remember nowI am in this earthly world; where to do harmIs often laudable, to do good sometimeAccounted dangerous folly: why then, alas,Do I put up that womanly defence,To say I have done no harm?
Violence is praised and peace comes from danger.
shall Banquo's issue everReign in this kingdom?
Still concerned over Banquo's heir's reign to throne// if Macbeth's deed will affect his future as king.
Liver of blaspheming Jew,Gall of goat, and slips of yewSilver'd in the moon's eclipse,Nose of Turk and Tartar's lips,
During Shakespear's time, there was much tension among different religious groups, especially Christianity. At this time, Jews were banishedd from England so it is safe to assume that Shakespear's audience was anti-simetic.
More info on the ingredience of the potion: https://www.dictionary.com/e/witch-ingredients/
birth-strangled babe
Baby killed right after birth but before baptism.
Source: http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/macbeth/macbethglossary/macbeth1_1/macbethglos_births.html
'Tis safer to be that which we destroyThan by destruction dwell in doubtful joy
Better to be the ones destroying rather than suffering the destruction.
Perform what you command us.
Macbeth hired henchmen to kill his friend, Banquo.
Know Banquo was your enemy.Both MurderersTrue, my lord.MACBETHSo is he mine
Macbeth now views Banquo as an enemy or threat to his kingship!
Sirrah
Refers to a man or boy that is younger or has a lower status.
not confessingTheir cruel parricide
Macbeth is framing Malcolm and Donalbai for his wrongdoings.
twain
Archaic term for two.
There's daggers in men's smiles: the near in blood,The nearer bloody.
Donalbain and Malcolm fear that, since they are the sons of King Duncan, their murder will be next.
These deeds must not be thoughtAfter these ways; so, it will make us mad.
To Macbeth's distraught ramblings, Lady Macbeth said not to worry about the murder, and not to think to much of it; to pretent as though it never happened. If they dwell on it, they'll make themselves go mad, which shows that Lady Macbeth does see that what they did is wrong.
Had he not resembledMy father as he slept, I had done't.
I'd understand if King Duncan would resemble Macbeth's father, because they are related. Kind of odd that he ressembles Lady Macbeth's father.
To feeling as to sight? or art thou butA dagger of the mind, a false creation
He sees a dagger but isn't sure if its real.
strange screams of death
That was not the thunder storm...
Beelzebub
Another name for Satan.
I'll go no more:I am afraid to think what I have done;Look on't again I dare not.
Does Macbeth regret what he has done or does he fear the consequences that may result?
I have done the deed. Didst thou not hear a noise?
How unfortunate. King Duncan had many great things to say about Macbeth, but he ended up betraying him, just like the first Thane of Cowdor.
This diamond he greets your wife withal,By the name of most kind hostess
Lady Macbeth's faux persona has deceived King Duncan.
husbandry in heaven
Heaven has gone to bed (it is dark outside).
https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/explore-shakespeare/blogs/theres-husbandry-heaven/
How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me:I would, while it was smiling in my face,Have pluck'd my nipple from his boneless gums,And dash'd the brains out, had I so sworn as youHave done to this.
It seems the evil has manifested within her as she has asked for...
When you durst do it, then you were a man
Lady Macbeth tells her husband that he is a coward and unmanly if he doesn't go through with the murders.
We will proceed no further in this business:He hath honour'd me of late;
Macbeth tells his wife that they shouldn't proceed with the murder as he has garnered the King's deep respect and honour, so killing him is unjustifiable.
I have no spurTo prick the sides of my intent, but onlyVaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itselfAnd falls on the other.
Macbeth came to the conclusion that he did not have any good reason to kill King Duncan other than that he wants to become king, as the weird witches have prophesied.
First, as I am his kinsman and his subject,Strong both against the deed; then, as his host,Who should against his murderer shut the door,Not bear the knife myself. Besides, this DuncanHath borne his faculties so meek, hath beenSo clear in his great office, that his virtues
Macbeth was contimplating the reasons to justify his plans for murder, however he came up with two reasons not to murder: (1) because King Duncan is a relative and (2) he was a very good king.
Praise the going home to beds unmade
Going back home to unmade beds implies that the accident may have been sudden. This wasn't a regular trip to the ospital, but something spontaneous, where they had to get up and run.
Praise the waiting & then praise the nothing
Usually, we don't give much thought to nothingness. However, in this situation it is a great blessing. Nothing means there is no damage, no pain, no heartbreak. The child is safe an stable and is ready to my discharged.
that helps the helpless sleep
Nights may go sleepless because the parents are anxious over thei child's well being; whether they will be okay or not.
Hotel Near the Children’s Hospital
We can assume that a lot of parents reside in this hotel while they wait for their children to be treated at the hospital.
Inscrutable His ways are, and immune To catechism by a mind too strewn
Narrator feels God's ways are confusing, and questioning His reasonings don't bring any answers to His ways.
If merely brute caprice dooms Sisyphus To struggle up a never-ending stair.
In Greek Mythology, Sisyphus was the first King of Ephyra, AKA Corinth. Though he was excellent at making his kingdom prosperous, he was a tyrant, killing his visitors to show off his power. This angered Zeus, as this violated Xenia, which is the virtue of hospitality to foreigners and travellers. He decided to finally punish him when he told the river God, Asopus, that his daughter was kidnapped by Zeus. Sisyphus was taken by Thanatos, or death, to be chained in the Underworld. He slyly asked Thanatos how the chains worked, and he explained. He freed himself and locked up Thanatos, which sparked immense chaos. Without Death, wars continued to prevail. Bored by the lack of killing, Ares freed Thanatos. Knowing he was in big trouble, Sisyphus told his wife, Merope, to throw him into the city square, where he would be washed up on the shores of Styx, which is a river that brings people to the underworld. He then approached Persephone, lying to her about how his wife dishonored him by giving him an improper burial. Persephone allowed Sisyphus to go back to Merope as long as he promised to return to the underworld. Sisyphus managed to not only escape death twice, but also tricked the gods twice. Zeus, even more angry, ordered Hermes to grab him and bring him to Hades. He punished Sisyphus, to push a huge boulder up a hill. As Sisyphus was about to push the boulder to the top, it would roll back down, erasing his progress. He would have to do this over and over again for the rest of eternity.
Article: https://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Mortals/Sisyphus/sisyphus.html
Make plain the reason tortured Tantalus Is baited by the fickle fruit, declare
Tantulus is a Greek mythology character. He was the son of Zeus and Princess Plouto. He was the king of Phrygia. Being both a king and the son of Zeus, he was able to sit with the rest of the gods at the table, a great priviledge that no other mortal, Demi-god or not, had. However, he continuously broke rules. He would listen in to the gods' plans at the table, and would repeat it to the mortals. He also would steal nectar and ambrosia, which is strictly only for the gods, and give them away to mortals. However the last straw was when he decided to serve the gods his very own son, Pelops, as a human sacrifice. The gods found this a detestible act and punished him. He was sent to Tartarus where he would stay in a lake that was neck deep, and fruit branches right above his head. Every time Tantulus would bend his head to drink, the water levels would lower. Every time he would rase his arms for a piece of fruit, the wind would blow it out of reach: hence the phrase tantalizingly close.
I doubt not God is good, well-meaning, kind, And did He stoop to quibble could tell why
Narrator believes God is good, but can't help question why he allows for disadvantages to happen to His creation.
The Brain—is wider than the Sky—
This reminds me of a picture I saw a while ago, where a brain neuron and a galaxy were put side by side. They looked almost identical.
Scorn becomes him well, and appetite and defiance become him well, The wildest largest passions, bliss that is utmost, sorrow that is utmost become him well, pride is for him, The full-spread pride of man is calming and excellent to the soul, Knowledge becomes him, he likes it always, he brings every thing to the test of himself, Whatever the survey, whatever the sea and the sail he strikes soundings at last only here,
I wanted to point out the contrast in which the narrator describes men and women. The majority of the stanzas under 5 describes women physically. The female form is a "divine nimbus" who has "fierce undeniable attraction." He mentions hair, legs, breasts, etc. He mentions how a woman is priviledged because "she is to conceive daughters as well as sons." However, when describing men, he uses words like "action", "power", "knowledge", etc. A man likes taking up challenges, and how "knowledge becomes him."
Limitless limpid jets of love hot and enormous, quivering jelly of love, white-blow and delirious juice, Bridegroom night of love working surely and softly into the prostrate dawn, Undulating into the willing and yielding day, Lost in the cleave of the clasping and sweet-flesh’d day.
I feel the narrator is using women empowerment to disguise innuendos. He uses very particular and purposeful language.
There is something in staying close to men and women and looking on them, and in the contact and odor of them, that pleases the soul well,
The narrator so far has continuously mentioned details of the human body, moreso then details of the human personality.
I have perceiv’d that to be with those I like is enough, To stop in company with the rest at evening is enough, To be surrounded by beautiful, curious, breathing, laughing flesh is enough, To pass among them or touch any one, or rest my arm ever so lightly round his or her neck for a moment, what is this then? I do not ask any more delight, I swim in it as in a sea.
The narrator appreciates human interactions. He cherishes laughter, which typical. However, he also adores touch, such as resting his hand on someone, or perhaps even slightly bumping into them (evident in second stanza under 3, when he states "you would wish to sit by him in the boat that you and he might touch each other").
balks
I didn’t know the definition to this word. “Balk” means to be hesitant of an idea.