macbeth independence and failure

Macbeth - Independence and Failure Peasants of the early sixteenth
century are often pictured carrying a bundle of limbs tied with vines on
their backs. This is a perfect metaphor for the events in Macbeth.
Macbeth is one of many thanes, or limbs, bundled together. The thanes
are united by the king, or the vine. Scotland, or the peasant, carries the
bundle by the sweat of his brow. They carry the bundle for fires on cold
nights, or wars, and to build homes, or castles, to protect them from the
elements, or invaders. If the limbs are tied improperly, one limb may slip
to the side and cause the peasant, or nation, to stumble or fall. If the limb
slides completely out, the rest of the limbs may follow because the bundle
is loose. Marriage is like a triangle. Each spouse makes up one of the
leaning sides, and marriage the lower side. The three together are very
strong, but to stand they all must be united. The longer a marriage is held
the longer the bottom stretches, and the more dependent each person
becomes on the other. If one side tries to stand on its own then the
second will fall on the first as it tries to stand. This metaphor also
excellently exemplifies the catastrophe that occurs in Macbeth as both
Lady Macbeth and Macbeth try to separate. Macbeth is a eighteenth
century play written by William Shakespeare. Using these two metaphors,
the breakdown in the relationship between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth
and between the kingand the thanes and how they perfectly parallel each
other because each is caused by Macbeth’s will to be independent.
According to Webster’s dictionary, the archaic definition of independence
is “competence” (1148). To be independent is not to be “subject to control
by others” (Gove 1148). This means that independence is to be in control
of ones decisions and to feel they are good decisions. Macbeth, on the
other hand, feels independence is to not be subordinate to others like the
king. To be independent, one must be strong. Inner strength, not physical
strength, is needed. Inner strength is only accomplished by having a high
self-esteem. Macbeth does not and must use others to reach for
independence. Macbeth needs this strength: It [Macbeth] hurls a universe

against a man, and if the universe that strikes is more impressive than the
man who is stricken, as great as his size and gaunt as his soul may be he
will fall. (Van Doren 217) According to Macbeth’s ideas of independence
and of strength, he is neither independent nor strong. He feels the need
for both and thus allows nothing, including murder, to get into his way.
Shakespeare opens Macbeth with the disorder being stabilized by the
king and thanes. The thanes fought “rebellious arm ‘gainst arm” to curb
“his lavish spirit” (I, ii, 56- 7). Macbeth’s stature increased to fill the space
in the bundle of limbs opened by the death of the Thane of Cawdor for
“what he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won” (I, ii, 67).“When we first see
him [Macbeth] he is already invaded by those fears which are torender
him vicious and which are finally to make him abominable” (Van Doren
216).At the end ofAct I, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are discussing
whether or not to assassinate the king(I, ii). Macbeth has not committed
himself to this sin and to independence, he has not broken the
commitatus bond that exists between the king and thane. Likewise,
Macbeth’s marriage is unstable as they argue, but their triangle is still
together as they depend on one another. Lady Macbeth and Macbeth
each experiment with external forces to gain independence from their
spouse. Macbeth uses the witches, on which he becomes increasingly
dependent. Lady Macbeth uses alcohol and Satan to “unsex” her and
make her strong (II, ii, 1; I, v, 42). Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth deny
their dependence ontheir aid, and still require their spouse. Their self
denial of their dependence makes them weak, and the more self denial
the weaker they get. As a married couple, they are splittingaway from
each other: they are trying to turn their triangle of dependence into a open
square of independence. The split between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth
becomes apparent with the assassination of king Duncan. By the end of
their arguing in the beginning of Act II, the two had not come to a final
decision as to whether to kill the king or not (I, v, 72). Without the consent

of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth tries to kill Duncan but fails, because she
lacks strength and covers her ineptitude with the lame excuse that he
“resembled my fatheras he slept” (II, ii, 12-3). Lady Macbeth lacks
strength, because she only has conscience strength formed by extreme
self denial. Unlike Lady Macbeth, Macbeth is almost strong enough to
complete the task without Lady Macbeth. “He is driven to the murder of
Duncan partly by the constant goading of Lady Macbeth and partly by his
own will to be in control of Scotland:” he feels power is strength (Watkins
29). His strength comes from multiple places. It comes from his strength
as a warrior, from the witches’ revelations, and from self denial of his
dependence on the first two (I, iii, 49-50). Macbeth is still not completely
independent from his wife in that he is unable to complete the task and
“carry them [the daggers], and smear the sleepy grooms with blood” (II, ii,
48-56). The scene is painful in the way it separates husband and wife.
Crime had at first brought them closely and eagerly together, but now
they discover how the execution of the crime separates them…In fact,
after the murder they can only speak in short sentences, not
communicating or even answering questions. (Jorgensen 67) Although he
blames his rage on the grooms for killing Duncan, he was actually mad at
himself for committing the murder. Not until he kills the grooms with his
regret does Macbeth become totally independent from the thanes and
slide from the bundle of limbs (II, iii, 108-19). The action of killing the
chamber servants was the first action which Macbeth does totally
independent of Lady Macbeth: he does not even mention killing the
chamber servants to her: A stranger to himself and to others, he is on his
way to isolation…but what he sees cannot really be shared with others for
it is the uniquely appropriate and lonely torment that cannot be felt by
others. Even for his wife there will be a torment of a different kind, one
that likewise separates her from others. (Jorgensen 178) This reaction to
his regret is the strongest divider between him and his wife: it ends their

relationship of dependence for their temporal existence. Tree’s limbs do
not tie very well, because they break. Likewise Macbeth incapable of
being king, because he is unfit for the job. He tries to replace Duncan,
because he is so filled with self denial that he can not see the truth: he
will never be a good king. Macbeth wants to be strong and independent
at the same time but is very unsuccessful. Macbeth must use external
support to stand and not to lean on Lady Macbeth so he turns to killing.
He has Banquo killed, because he poses a threat. Macbeth can not do it
himself, because they were once friends which shows his lack of strength
to stand erect (II, i, 11). A soon as the deed is done, Macbeth falls: his
control and independence falls. His plan to use Banquo’s death to restore
order and give him strength did not work. Before all the thanes except for
Macduff, Macbeth has a brief moment of insanity, in which he loses all
control and reveals his true strength which has been hidden by self
denial. For her own safety, Lady Macbeth tries to calm the situation and
to make it excusable: Sit, worthy friends. My lord is often thus, And hath
been from his youth. Pray you, keep seat. The fit is momentary; upon a
thought he will again be well. If you much note him, You shall offend him
and extend his passion. Feed, and regard him not. . . (III, iv, 54-9) With
little effect, she struggles to keep order but gives up and has the thanes
“stand not upon the order of your going” (III, iv, 120-1). Macbeth’s
strength from self denial fails, because he is losing his sanity. To make up
for the loss of support, he returns to the witches. “He may concievably be
under the spell of the witches, may even be possessed” (Jorgenson 64).
He is very uncertain of himself and asks many questions of the witches in
search of answers on which he can be strengthened: “Then live Macduff:
what need I fear of thee?”, “Who can impress the forest, bid the tree unfix
his earth bound root?” (IV, i, 82; IV, I, 95-6). His answers do not give him
sufficient strength for he vows to make “assurance double sure and take
a bond of fate” (IV, i, 83-4). Again his will is greater than his ability, and

Macbeth must have someone else kill Macduff and his family. As if trying
to keep all the marbles together, each time one slips Macbeth has them
killed. Unfortunately for Macbeth, he is not too successful for Fleance and
Macduff get away. Quickly Macbeth is overwhelmed with his
independence. Lady Macbeth is “troubled with thick-coming fancies that
keep her from rest” (V, iii, 38-9). She is no longer “unsexed” and strong
so she can not sleep. She remains sane and strong longer than Macbeth,
because her strength came from one source, Satan, that would never
leave,but ultimately fell, because her sub-conscience fought against evil
and kept her without rest. She also began to realize the wickedness of
her sin for she said, “all the perfumes of Arabia will not [could not]
sweeten this hand” (V, I, 53-5). The fight in her mind is too hard so she
kills herself. She leaves Macbeth with the rest of his subjects. Many of
Macbeth’s soldiers are deserting him, and he gets his wish: to be
independent of others (V, iii, 1). He thinks he is independent, but, in
reality, he supports himself on the revelations of the apparitions for he
frequently repeats “until Birnam Wood come to Dunsinane” and “was he
not born of woman?” (V, iv, 60; V, iii, 3). In the end, Macbeth dies
because everything he used for strength was gone. As soon as Macbeth
dies and reunites with Lady Macbeth, the thanes are reunited by Malcolm
who has the qualities to make a good leader and to keep the thanes
together. The suffering that Scotland had endured ended because “All
Hail, king of Scotland” (V, viii, 59). “The passions are directed in their true
end. Lady Macbeth is merely detested; and though the courage of
Macbeth preserves some esteem, yet every reader rejoices at his fall”
(Johnson 484). In the end, Macbeth is independent, because he does not
rely on his wife and he does not rely on the witches. Since the nation was
restored to order, his deathwas for the better. “The universe that struck
was more impressive” so he crumbled with lack of strength. Works Cited
Gove, Philip Babcock. Webster’s Third International Dictionary.

Springfield, Mass: G. & C. Merriam, 1967. Johnson, Samuel. The Plays of
William Shakespeare. London: J & R Tonson, 1788 Jorgensen, Paul A.
Our Naked Frailties. Los Angeles: U of CA, 1971. Shakespeare, William.
Macbeth. New York: Penguin Books, 1987. Van Doren, Mark.
Shakespeare. NY: Doubleday, 1939. Watkins, Ronald. The Theology of
Macbeth. Oxford: Oxford University, 1964.trickWord Count: 1961