Is Macbeth a dead Butcher Essay Example For Students

Is Macbeth a dead Butcher? Essay A dead butcher and his fiend-like queen is spoken by Malcolm on line 98 in Act 5 Scene 7 as Malcolm announces the beginning of a new reign, he uses this phrase to describe Macbeth and Lady Macbeth at the end of the play. The true definition of a butcher is someone that slaughters and dresses meat. Though a butcher is a ruthless, fearless, murdering person whose job it is to kill and slice up animals, a butcher is also a highly skilled tradesman. Macbeth on the other hand, has almost none of these characteristics, thus it can be argued that he is not a butcher in any sense. But his wife, Lady Macbeth is a cruel, wicked and inhuman person, a person motivated by an irrational enthusiasm to cause harm or pain to another living thing. She shares these evil characteristics with the fiends and demons of hell. Thus it can be argued that she is in fact a fiend or demon from hell. Through the course of this essay I will be studying the darker sides of these two characters and judging if these characters really are a Dead Butcher and His Fiend Like Queen We will write a custom essay on Is Macbeth a dead Butcher? specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Macbeths fear and moral compass are both factors that disassociate him with a butcher. For at the start of Act 1 Scene 7 Macbeth divulges his deepest and darkest thoughts and emotions with the audience, he shows fear, for he uses powerful and emotive words such as bloody and he constantly refers to heaven and hell, showing that he is scared of being trapped in Deepest damnation. This emotion of fear is an emotion seldom associated with a butcher or harbinger of death. During this soliloquy Macbeth cannot decide whether to kill Duncan or not. Macbeth would prefer if the murder could be done quickly and without consequences. He says, If it were done then twere well it were done quickly, trammel up the consequences, Macbeth uses these phrases to show his want for the deed to be done quickly and without consequence. He knows that the murder would be wrong and he believes in judgement, for he says we still have judgement, still shows that he believes he has yet to be judged. Bloody Instructions shows he doesnt want to spoil his clean record with the stain of murder. Macbeth shows that he would end up suffering for his crimes, by saying Bloody instructions plague the inventor, bloody and plague are powerful words that show that Macbeth has knowledge that he will be plagued by his bloody sins. The term even-handed justice shows that Macbeth believes in even and fair justice, thus by killing the King, justice will be served and he will be punished. By saying commends thingredience of our poisond chalice to our own lips Macbeth acknowledges that if he kills Duncan, it will be his own end. He knows Duncan is his kinsman and that he is Duncans host and subject, and these are strong both against the deed. He should therefore protect Duncan, not kill him. He then goes on to say that I have no spur, to prick the sides of my intent, he is slowly loosing interest in killing Duncan because he feels that to do the murder would prick him rather than help him. At the start of the play, a man is publicly executed for his treachery, thus Macbeth knows the price of treason. This is a moral dilemma for Macbeth, though he is a decisive man, for he is the leader of Duncans army, it makes him hesitate. If Macbeth truly were a butcher as the statement says, he would not be having the doubts and the hesitations that he is experiencing; a true butcher is a man with no fear or hesitation when killing other animal. .u47d6ce20227e44e62250c29acf3b2538 , .u47d6ce20227e44e62250c29acf3b2538 .postImageUrl , .u47d6ce20227e44e62250c29acf3b2538 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u47d6ce20227e44e62250c29acf3b2538 , .u47d6ce20227e44e62250c29acf3b2538:hover , .u47d6ce20227e44e62250c29acf3b2538:visited , .u47d6ce20227e44e62250c29acf3b2538:active { border:0!important; } .u47d6ce20227e44e62250c29acf3b2538 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u47d6ce20227e44e62250c29acf3b2538 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u47d6ce20227e44e62250c29acf3b2538:active , .u47d6ce20227e44e62250c29acf3b2538:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u47d6ce20227e44e62250c29acf3b2538 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u47d6ce20227e44e62250c29acf3b2538 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u47d6ce20227e44e62250c29acf3b2538 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u47d6ce20227e44e62250c29acf3b2538 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u47d6ce20227e44e62250c29acf3b2538:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u47d6ce20227e44e62250c29acf3b2538 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u47d6ce20227e44e62250c29acf3b2538 .u47d6ce20227e44e62250c29acf3b2538-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u47d6ce20227e44e62250c29acf3b2538:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Discussion Of Waiting For Godot EssaySimply from hearing Macbeth express his doubts and worries, and seeing the reluctance that Macbeth shows when faced with the act of murder, serious doubts are raised whether Macbeth is capable of such a thing as to kill another man and keep a sane mind, let alone killing a man that has befriended him and respects him. Thus it can be argued that this is another reason why it would be difficult to brand Macbeth as a Butcher After Macbeth battles with his conscience, he persuades himself not to kill Duncan because of Duncans kindness and good will towards him. He feels Duncan Hath borne his faculties so meek, meaning he has exercised his royal powers so modestly. Macbeth knows he would be condemned to deep damnation if he kills the king. Macbeth admits that it is only his selfish ambition driving him. By this he acknowledges that he has been using the witches as his security and his mental aid. Their predictions that he is to be king make him feel safe, and lay his mind to rest, as if nothing can get in the way. Although he knows he is going to be king, he does not want to wait all of his life for the honour. He wishes the crown upon himself prematurely, and this selfish drive pushes him toward his goal. By realizing his shortcomings, he once again shows an emotion and drive that is not possessed by a Butcher. A skilled tradesman does not acknowledge his shortcomings and then resign because of them, he uses them in a way to further benefit his cause and goal. Macbeth fails to do this, thus a further reason is born to contribute to the argument against Macbeth label of a butcher When Lady Macbeth enters, he tells her; We will proceed no further in this business he says that he will not murder Duncan. He does not however tell her the true reasons for his reluctance for murdering Duncan or share with her his doubts and concerns surrounding the murderous deed, but says instead, that Duncan has given him new honours and that he wants to enjoy the golden opinion of his fellows. He uses this tactic of evasion because he does not want to admit to Lady Macbeth that he has been battling with his conscience and is unhappy about doing the deed of evil, he does not want to be seen as a weak or cowardly man. Lady Macbeth gives a strong and powerful combating speech to him, accusing him of being a coward and bringing into question his manhood. She says Was the hope drunk and And live a coward in thine own esteem, Drunk and Coward are both powerful phrases that shows her beliefs that he is backing out because of his own cowardly emotions. She tells him that before she would go back on her own word, as he did, she would throw her own baby sucking milk at her nipple and dashd the brains out.