Macbeth, Act 5 Plot Summaries Essay, Research Paper
p align=center> Scene 1: A room in Dunsinane Castle, Lady M?s
sleepwalking scene. Doctor and Gentlewoman first talk about how LM has been
acting recently then she comes in. She sleepwalks, as if she is cleaning blood
of her hands, and that there is one spot that she cannot get rid of. Throughout
the scene she repeats various words said before, most notably in Act 2, Scene 2
about the murders of D, L Macduff and B. Doctor leaves telling Gentlewoman to
take away from LM anything that she could use to harm herself.Key Phrases: ?To bed, to bed; there?s knocking at the gate?-very like
2,2. ?Remove from her all means of annoyance?-take away any sharp
objects.Scene 2: Scotland-Open Country, News reaches the
Scottish rebels that the English army is near. Also that Macbeth?s soldiers are
only following him through fear and that he is beginning to be weighed down by
his conscience.Scene 3: Dunsinane Castle, M says that he doesn?t
want to hear anything until the wood comes towards the castle – he takes
comfort on the Witches predictions as he hears of desertions from his army.
Servant tells of the approaching English force, he says that the oncoming
battle will make or break him. M says he has nothing to look forward to, that
he will fight to the death and then asks for his armour. He then talks to the
Doc who says the illnesses of the mind can only be given a certain amount of
treatment, that the rest must come from inside. M says physic is a waste of
time and leaves. Doc says he?s going to run away.Key Phrases: ?This push/Will cheer me ever or disseat me now? M talking
about the oncoming battle. ?I?ll fight till from my bones my flesh be hacked? M says he
will fight to the death.Scene 4: ?Near
Birnam Wood, Malcolm tells his army to cut down a branch each so as to
camouflage the army so that M will not know how many there are of them and
talks again about Macbeth having more deserters. Siward advises against
over-optimism.Scene 5: M says that the castle will be able to
withhold a siege. Hears a cry and then says how he had forgotten the taste of
fear. Then he is told LM is dead. At first he says that it should have happened
later, as if it were just an inconvenience to him, then he talks about how life
is worthless and meaningless and how he wishes the universe would end. Then he
is told that the wood is coming toward the castle, at first he doesn?t believe
it, when he does he shows some courage and says that he will go down fighting.Key phrases: ?Life?s but a walking shadow, a poor player/That struts and
frets his hour upon the stage/And then is heard no more? M saying that life is
meaningless comparing it to a shadow and then an actor, both of which are not
real. ?To doubt th?equivocation of the fiend/That lies like truth?
M realising how the witches tricked him, that they never lied, just told
riddles.Scene 6: Outside Dunsinane Castle, Malcolm tells the
soldiers to throw down their branches and then sends the first assault of
soldiers. Macduff orders the trumpets to be blown.Scene 7: Near the castle gate, M realises he can?t
run away, he must stay and fight and the he kills Young Siward, remembering the
third prophecy. M leaves then we see Macduff who is looking for M, Siward
invites Malcolm to end the breached castle.Scene 8: Outside Dunsinane Castle, fight between M
and Macduff, Macduff wins, reminded of what M was described as at the beginning
of the play, shows more courage and bravery.Scene 9: Dunsinane Castle, Siward reports light
casualties and on being told that his son is dead is concerned whether or nor
he died bravely. Macduff come in wit M?s head onna stick and hails Malcolm as
the king of Scotland. Malcolm does his finishing speech.Key Phrases: ?Of this dead butcher and his fiend like queen?-Malc
describing M and LM.Audiences View of Macbeth is Scenes 3 & 5 In Scene 3, our view of Macbeth does change quite a bit, it
first of all it worsens. When the messenger comes in bringing news of the
approaching English army, Macbeth bullies him, hoping that the effect will make
him seem like a bigger and better king to his men, to the audience he seems
even meaner than before. Examples of this insulting are:?Thou cream faced loon?, ?goose-look?, lily-livered boy?,
?those linen cheeks of thine? and ?whey-face?Then we see a change in him, some of the bravery that was
mentioned at the beginning that he was meant to have, shines through when he
says that he will fight to the death:?I?ll fight till from my bones my flesh be hacked?Then when he talks to the Doctor he appears almost helpless.
He asks the Doctor whether he can cure LM and when the doctor says he can?t M
dismisses physic. He asks the doc to cure his land and his wife, as if he has
given up:?If thou couldst?very echo??? 51-54At the end of the scene, we again see some of this bravery
shine through when he says:?I shall not be afraid of death and bane/Till Birnam Forest
come to Dunsinane.?In Scene 5, the audience must feel slightly sympathetic
towards Macbeth and everything around him is falling apart. Again we see
courage when he says:?Our castles strength/Will laugh a siege to scorn?We start to feel sorry for him when he says ho he has
forgotten the taste of fear, as he has become used to murder and killing:I have almost forgotten the taste?cannot once start me? 9-15And then even more so when he finds out that LM is dead. At
first he seems to find just an inconvenience but then we see that it really
gets to him, as he goes on to talk about how life to him is meaningless:?Full of sound and fury/Signifying nothing? Then when the messenger tells him that Birnam wood is coming
towards the castle we see once again the courage and bravery that were the
qualities mentioned at the very beginning of the play:?Blow wind, come wrack/At least we?ll die with harness on
our back?He decides to go down fighting.