essay on act 1 scene 7 macbeth

William Shakespeare

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Macbeth - Act 1, scene 7

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Act 1, scene 7.

Macbeth contemplates the reasons why it is a terrible thing to kill Duncan. Lady Macbeth mocks his fears and offers a plan for Duncan’s murder, which Macbeth accepts.

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William Shakespeare

• Literature Notes
• Macbeth at a Glance
• Play Summary
• About Macbeth
• Character List
• Summary and Analysis
• Act I: Scene 1
• Act I: Scene 2
• Act I: Scene 3
• Act I: Scene 4
• Act I: Scene 5
• Act I: Scene 6
• Act I: Scene 7
• Act II: Scene 1
• Act II: Scene 2
• Act II: Scene 3
• Act II: Scene 4
• Act III: Scene 1
• Act III: Scene 2
• Act III: Scene 3
• Act III: Scene 4
• Act III: Scene 5
• Act III: Scene 6
• Act IV: Scene 1
• Act IV: Scene 2
• Act IV: Scene 3
• Act V: Scene 1
• Act V: Scene 2
• Act V: Scene 3
• Act V: Scene 4
• Act V: Scene 5
• Act V: Scene 6
• Act V: Scene 7
• Act V: Scene 8
• Act V: Scene 9
• Character Analysis
• Lady Macbeth
• Character Map
• William Shakespeare Biography
• Critical Essays
• Major Themes
• Major Symbols and Motifs
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Summary and Analysis Act I: Scene 7

Alone, Macbeth ponders the deed that he is about to perform. He is aware of the powerful reasons for murdering the king, but is nagged by self-doubt arising from his fear of retribution both in heaven and on earth and by his likely loss of reputation. However, any such fears are dismissed by his wife in the same practical tone that she used in Act I. Her taunting of her husband's weakness, coupled with the efficiency of her own plan, convince Macbeth that he should take on the "horrid deed."

The imagery of Macbeth's soliloquy reveals the intentions he would like to achieve ("assassination," "success"), but its construction shows the workings of a mind still very much in confusion. Notice the insistent repetition of individual words — if, were, done, be, but, and here — each repeated two or three times within the first few lines. Within the fluid construction of this soliloquy, words and sounds constantly attract and suggest each other, giving the impression of a train of thought. All this begs the question of whether Macbeth, able to rationalize and express his thoughts, is thereby revealed as an intelligent, poetic soul. And if that's the case, does he appear more human, more or less capable of sinning, and, worrysome for the audience, more or less capable of winning their sympathy?

It is the thought of something after death that puzzles Macbeth. Throughout the speech, his words recall those of Shakespeare 's earlier tragic hero, Hamlet. In paraphrase, Macbeth wonders whether the act of murder itself must, by necessity, carry consequences in "the life to come" or whether judgment will await him in this life. Macbeth is simultaneously aware of the duplicity and imbalance of the proposed murder (he is Duncan 's relative, subject, and host, yet he is to be his killer) and of the equality and balance of earthly and heavenly law: "this even-handed Justice / Commends the ingredients of our poison'd chalice / To our own lips" (11-12).

Of further concern to Macbeth is the disparity between his own reputation and the world's perception of Duncan as a good and virtuous king. The final section of the speech contains an apocalyptic vision in which he imagines Duncan's virtue and pity proclaimed as if by angels and cherubim from a storm-filled sky. This doom-laden vision, whose imagery (for example, "trumpet-tongued") reflects that of the biblical Day of Judgment, gives way in turn to a nagging self-doubt. Whereas he pictures the angels and cherubim "horsed upon the sightless couriers of the air," Macbeth admits that he himself has "no spur / to prick the sides of my intent but only / Vaulting ambition which o'erleaps itself / And falls on the other [side]" (25-28).

Lady Macbeth must immediately detect Macbeth's self-doubt. When Macbeth admits to her that his golden reputation might lose its "gloss," she sets out to strengthen his resolve by mocking his perceived weakness. Her questions drive further the wedge between daring and doing, between courage and action, between desire and fulfillment. To these, she adds a distinction between masculinity and femininity: In contrast to her own self-proclaimed manliness, she pours scorn upon her husband's lack of courage. She tells him he is "green," "a coward," and that he resembles the proverbial "poor cat" who wanted the fish but would not get its paws wet. Finally, and most damningly, she tells him that her own lack of pity would extend to murdering her own child as it suckled at her breast. With this one terrifying example, she confirms that "the milk of human kindness" is absent in her.

The next paragraph commences with a shift in tone — no less pragmatic but even more ruthlessly efficient — as Lady Macbeth switches her attention to the details of the murder itself. Her plan to drug the guards with alcohol is couched in metaphorical language derived from the ancient science of alchemy. The words "receipt," "fume," and "limbeck" specifically refer to this process, whose purpose was to turn base metal (such as lead) into gold. It is heavily ironic that, in the Macbeths' experiment, that which is gold — the king himself — will become base and doubly ironic that Macbeth's golden reputation will be reduced to worthlessness.

Macbeth has been convinced. In words that uncannily recall his wife's, he now puts on the mantle of murderer: the monosyllabic "False face must hide what the false heart doth know" has a certainty to it that completely overturns his earlier vacillation.

trammel up (3) obstruct, prevent

surcease (4) death

shoal (6) sandbank

faculties (17) kingly powers

taking-off (20) murder

sightless couriers (23) invisible winds

ornament of life (42) the crown

adage (44) proverb

fitness (53) appropriateness

sticking-place (61) its limit

wassail (65) entertainment

receipt . . . limbeck (68)container for an alchemist's solution; here, Macbeth's plan

mettle (74) courage

corporal agent (81) physical part of myself

Previous Scene 6

Next Scene 1

[ A note: When was that "when"? Lady Macbeth refers to a previous time when Macbeth did not have the opportunity to kill the King, but was thinking about ways to create such an opportunity. But there is no previous scene which matches her description. It's possible that Shakespeare wrote such a scene, but it was lost.]

[ A note on their children: They have no children, but Lady Macbeth has nursed a child. This does not mean that they are in late middle age, as they are often portrayed in movies. In Shakespeare's time the child mortality rate was very high, so that it was quite common for a young woman to have given birth, and nursed an infant, without having any living children.]

Macbeth Original Text: Act 1, Scene 7

This page contains the original text of Macbeth Act 1, Scene 7 . Shakespeare’s complete original Macbeth text is extremely long, so we’ve split the text into one scene per page. All Acts and scenes are listed on the Macbeth text page, or linked to from the bottom of this page.

ACT 1, SCENE 7. Macbeth’s castle.

Hautboys and torches. Enter a Sewer, and divers Servants with dishes and service, and pass over the stage. Then enter MACBETH

If it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere well It were done quickly: if the assassination Could trammel up the consequence, and catch With his surcease success; that but this blow Might be the be-all and the end-all here, But here, upon this bank and shoal of time, We’ld jump the life to come. But in these cases We still have judgment here; that we but teach Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return To plague the inventor: this even-handed justice Commends the ingredients of our poison’d chalice To our own lips. He’s here in double trust; 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 Duncan Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been So clear in his great office, that his virtues Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against The deep damnation of his taking-off; And pity, like a naked new-born babe, Striding the blast, or heaven’s cherubim, horsed Upon the sightless couriers of the air, Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye, That tears shall drown the wind. I have no spur To prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself And falls on the other.

Enter LADY MACBETH

How now! what news?

LADY MACBETH

He has almost supp’d: why have you left the chamber?

Hath he ask’d for me?

Know you not he has?

We will proceed no further in this business: He hath honour’d me of late; and I have bought Golden opinions from all sorts of people, Which would be worn now in their newest gloss, Not cast aside so soon.

Was the hope drunk Wherein you dress’d yourself? hath it slept since? And wakes it now, to look so green and pale At what it did so freely? From this time Such I account thy love. Art thou afeard To be the same in thine own act and valour As thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that Which thou esteem’st the ornament of life, And live a coward in thine own esteem, Letting ‘I dare not’ wait upon ‘I would,’ Like the poor cat i’ the adage?

Prithee, peace: I dare do all that may become a man; Who dares do more is none.

What beast was’t, then, That made you break this enterprise to me? When you durst do it, then you were a man; And, to be more than what you were, you would Be so much more the man. Nor time nor place Did then adhere, and yet you would make both: They have made themselves, and that their fitness now Does unmake you. I have given suck, and know 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 you Have done to this.

If we should fail?

We fail! But screw your courage to the sticking-place, And we’ll not fail. When Duncan is asleep– Whereto the rather shall his day’s hard journey Soundly invite him–his two chamberlains Will I with wine and wassail so convince That memory, the warder of the brain, Shall be a fume, and the receipt of reason A limbeck only: when in swinish sleep Their drenched natures lie as in a death, What cannot you and I perform upon The unguarded Duncan? what not put upon His spongy officers, who shall bear the guilt Of our great quell?

Bring forth men-children only; For thy undaunted mettle should compose Nothing but males. Will it not be received, When we have mark’d with blood those sleepy two Of his own chamber and used their very daggers, That they have done’t?

Who dares receive it other, As we shall make our griefs and clamour roar Upon his death?

I am settled, and bend up Each corporal agent to this terrible feat. Away, and mock the time with fairest show: False face must hide what the false heart doth know.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Macbeth:Act 1,scene 7

Macbeth was written by William Shakespeare telling the audience the importance of king and at the same time defines the right “King”. This is the main theme about the extract where Macbeth is outpouring of confusion and conscience about killing Duncan– “with his surcease, success”, he is not sure about what he wants or whether this is the kind of success he wants. He is concerned that the consequences he would face would be vast, and that there are many reasons why he should not carry “the deed” of murdering Duncan. This is Macbeth’s first soliloquy exploring his character on the basis of the judgments but through out the soliloquy he is very undeceive. Shakespeare depicts the moral decline of Macbeth. We know his first thoughts on the matter, because of the haphazard way in which they are expressed. I will show how the language used provides imagery and detailed analysis of Macbeth’s state of mind.

After listening to witches prophecies and realizing that they come true, Macbeth’s ambition of becoming a king tries to overshadow his morals. He starts having thoughts of achieving his ambition by killing King Duncan. He thinks that if there would be no problems or consequence of killing Duncan then it was the right time to kill him and he needs to it quickly. However, Macbeth is not sure about doing it and says “ if it were done” which is a strong euphemism for murder that is different from what he has been doing on the battlefield. This euphemism shows that the “horrid deed” abhors him, as he knows that regicide is a sin. He wants to “trammel up the consequences” along with Duncan’s death and get the glory of becoming the king. The mere obstacle he faces in making a decision about “the deed” is the fact that he is familiar with the consequences. He wants to “trammel up” which is a metaphor for entangling in a net or killing the consequences along with King Duncan. Macbeth just wants to avoid the consequences of murdering the king, but he is then reminded by his conscience that although he might succeed in getting away with want he wants “here” on Earth but he will have to pay the cost in “ the life to come”.  Macbeth says that afterlife is like an ocean whereas compared to it life is merely a “bank” or “shoal”. Metaphors like “bank and shoal” and euphemism of afterlife through “jump the life to come” show the presence of Macbeth’s conscience and fears. Macbeth finds himself in dilemma where he has to choose between his ambitions of becoming a king and his morals which tells him that a regicide is a sin. He thinks that if chooses to kill Duncan and favors violence than it might come back “to plague” him, so that he who kills a king to gain the throne teaches his “bloody instructions” to others -- a method that will return to hurt the one who first decided to commit regicide. He realizes that if he kills King Duncan to fulfill his greed for power and becoming a king than someone else might do the same with him while he governs the throne. He understands that by poisoning Duncan he would poison himself indirectly. He refers to a “chalice” which is an image for life, light, good. However, Macbeth talks about a “poisoned chalice,” which leads to the opposite connotations: death as opposed to life, darkness as compared to light, evil instead of good.

Another reason for Macbeth to not murder Duncan is because Duncan double trusts Macbeth- as “his kinsman and his subject” and as a host it is his duty to “shut the door” against murderers and protect Duncan, not to “bear the knife [him] self.” He struggles in particular with the idea of murdering a man—a relative, no less—who trusts and loves him.

This is a preview of the whole essay

 During Macbeth’s battle with his conscience and morals, we come across one of the important themes of the play that is what and who makes a right king. Macbeth tells the audience that Duncan is born with “faculties” indicating his qualities of being kind, gentle, and honest and a dedicated king. He gives the audience a strong image of Duncan by stating that he is a gentleman strong as a king, full of  “virtues” which makes it hard for him to kill him. Macbeth also uses spiritual reasoning against the murder. He claims that heaven will cry out “trumpet-tongued” against the deep damnation of Duncan’s “taking off”- euphemism for Duncan’s death and everyone would know about the “horrid deed”. This also indicates that Macbeth believes that such a horrifying deed would result in him “jumping the life to come,” that he would face punishment for eternity in hell. He thinks that Duncan’s virtue would take a revenge of his death whereas the slaughter of such a deserving King will make the whole nation grieve and the tears of all will come as a downpour. Macbeth shows that he still has a conscience through the way he delivers this soliloquy. His use of euphemisms shows his anguish at the thought of murder.

Macbeth finally decides that his mere motivation of doing “the deed” is his ambition which he compares to a horse. A horse despite being very strong and powerful can still “overleap itself” or be over ambitious leading to its downfall. At the end of this soliloquy, Macbeth is still indecisive. He wants to be king, but does not want the unavoidable consequences of regicide. Throughout the soliloquy, Macbeth’s conscience is permanent.

Lady Macbeth interrupts him and he says that “[they] will proceed no further in this business”. Macbeth tells her that he is happy with his new honor of being the Thane of Cawdor and wants to enjoy the honor of serving Duncan and “Not cast aside so soon.” However, Lady Macbeth gets outraged and says to Macbeth that he can only dream about being a king when he is drunk. He tells him that he is going back on his words and not “account[ing] thy love.” She accuses him of being “afeard” and insults him by calling him a “coward.” She says that Macbeth is “like the poor cat i’th’adage” who wants to get the fish but doesn’t want to get wet and spends the time thinking and not doesn’t jump into the water. She wants Macbeth to kill Duncan and not spend time thinking about it.

Shakespeare shows that Macbeth’s state of mind is changing, his conscience is pre-eminent, showing that he still has reason in his thoughts. However, in the end he is overcome by his ambition with Lady Macbeth’s influence. This shows the effects that this constant goading and degradation has had on Macbeth since the first soliloquy as he then decides to carry on “the deed.” This is what makes Macbeth one of the most tragic character in English Literature.

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Macbeth is talking to himself again. He hems and haws over the consequences he’ll face if he decides to commit murder. He knows that killing Duncan could mean bad news for him and just about everyone else in Scotland. When Lady Macbeth enters, he tells her he can’t go through with this sordid plan. But she’s got other ideas. Trying to psych her husband up for some regicide, she tells him he’s not much of a man if he can’t find the courage to kill the king. Then she hatches a plan: they’ll wait until Duncan’s asleep, get his servants drunk, kill the king in his bed, and blame it on the servants. Sounds good to Macbeth—he commits to the plan.

If it would be over once the deed is done, then it would be best to do it quickly. If the murder could somehow gather up and control its own consequences, and Duncan’s death would grant me the success I look for, then right now I would risk whatever happens to me in the afterlife. But for deeds like these, there are repercussions here in this life. We set an example by our bloody deeds, and that teaches others to do the same to us. This type of justice would have us drink our own poison.

The king trusts me in two ways. First, I am his relative and his subject – two good reasons not to do the deed. Secondly, I am his host and should protect him against murderers, not wield the murderer’s knife myself. Besides, Duncan has handled his royal responsibilities so humbly and ethically that his virtues would plead like angels blowing trumpets against his murder. Pity, like baby angels riding the blasts from the angels’ trumpet, will blow the vision of the horrid murder into everyone’s eyes. Everyone will weep so much that they will drown the wind in tears. My only motivation is the kind of soaring ambition which can easily miss its jump and land improperly…

What is it? What’s going on?

Lady Macbeth

He’s almost started dinner. Why did you leave the dining room?

Did he ask for me?

Don’t you know he did?

We’ll go no further with this business. He has given me a lot of honors recently, and all sorts of people have high opinions of me. I should be bathing in this glow now instead of throwing it away so soon.

Was it drunken confidence you felt earlier?  Did this drunken confidence sleep it off and does it now feel hungover and sick thinking back on what it eagerly said before? From now on this is how I’ll measure your love to me. Are you afraid to act as brave as you talk? Are you going to want the crown more than anything else in life but live considering yourself a coward, letting that voice which says, “I dare not” overrule the voice that says, “I will do it”? Are you like the proverbial cat that wants the fish but is afraid to get her feet wet?

Please, stop it!  I am willing to do everything fitting for a man. Anyone who dares to do more is not a man.

Then what kind of animal were you when told me about this plan? When you dare to do it, then you will be a man. And by becoming more than what you are, you will be so much more of a man! Then, when you made these plans, the time and place weren’t yet right, but you would have made them work. Now, when they’ve fallen into place by themselves, you’ve lost your nerve by being provided with the perfect situation. I have nursed a child, so I know how it feels to love the baby who drinks my milk. I would take that baby while it was smiling at me, pull my nipple out of its mouth, and smash its brains out, if I had sworn to kill it as you have sworn to do this deed.

And if we fail?

If we fail! You need to resolve to be courageous, then we won’t fail. When Duncan is soundly asleep –  which should be soon after his hard day’s journey – I’ll get his two servants so drunk with wine and toasting that their minds will be in a fog. Their memories will turn to vapor and their reasoning brains will lose control.  When they’re drunk as pigs, and dead to the world, we can do whatever we want to the defenseless Duncan. What can’t we blame on his drunk servants, who will take the blame for the murder?

You should only have sons so that your fearless genes would only be passed along to male offspring. Once we’ve used the sleeping servants’ daggers for the murder and smeared them with Duncan’s blood, won’t everyone assume they’ve done it?

Who would dare interpret it otherwise? Especially after we have expressed our grief and shock so loudly upon hearing of his death?

I’ve decided. I’ll give it everything I’ve got to see this terrible thing through. Let’s go, and let’s put on a pleasant show. Our lying faces must hide what our lying hearts are about to do.

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