The Butcher and His Fiend Like Queen in William Shakespeare's Macbeth
The Butcher and his Fiend like Queen in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth
Introduction
At the end of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Malcolm refers to Macbeth and Lady Macbeth as: "This dead like butcher and his fiend like queen," when he was crowned as new king of Scotland. In Malcolm’s eyes, the Macbeths are just that, cruel murderers who stole away the throne from him and his father. A butcher can be described as someone who kills, or have people killed unnecessarily or brutally. A fiend can be defined as a very cruel person, or one who causes trouble and annoyance. Macbeth is a butcher and Lady Macbeth his fiend-like queen, because of greed he had taken the lives of many people even close friends of him, and she manipulates him into doing the things he did with only her own ambitions at heart.
Analysis
Lady Macbeth is "fiend like" when she manages to convince Macbeth to kill Duncan. She seems to be missing all human kindness, when she trying to persuade Macbeth to commit the assassination. Macbeth hesitates on the night that the murder will be done. He does not want to do it. Lady Macbeth persuades him, mocks his weakness, even suggesting that she having the cruelest of thoughts, the thoughts of killing their little baby.
| “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” (1,7) |
Lady Macbeth wants to make him feel guilty and carry out the murder. The fact that she is trying to convince Macbeth to commit this horrible crime when he hesitates is very evil indeed.
Macbeth murders Duncan, the King, in order to gain the throne. Macbeth decides to kill Duncan himself, even though Lady Macbeth is supportive and persuades him. After the murder he says: | “I have done the deed. Didst thou not hear a noise?” (2,2) |
He have murdered with greed in mind, showing his “butcher” side of himself. Duncan’s death is especially barbaric
Introduction
At the end of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Malcolm refers to Macbeth and Lady Macbeth as: "This dead like butcher and his fiend like queen," when he was crowned as new king of Scotland. In Malcolm’s eyes, the Macbeths are just that, cruel murderers who stole away the throne from him and his father. A butcher can be described as someone who kills, or have people killed unnecessarily or brutally. A fiend can be defined as a very cruel person, or one who causes trouble and annoyance. Macbeth is a butcher and Lady Macbeth his fiend-like queen, because of greed he had taken the lives of many people even close friends of him, and she manipulates him into doing the things he did with only her own ambitions at heart.
Analysis
Lady Macbeth is "fiend like" when she manages to convince Macbeth to kill Duncan. She seems to be missing all human kindness, when she trying to persuade Macbeth to commit the assassination. Macbeth hesitates on the night that the murder will be done. He does not want to do it. Lady Macbeth persuades him, mocks his weakness, even suggesting that she having the cruelest of thoughts, the thoughts of killing their little baby.
| “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” (1,7) |
Lady Macbeth wants to make him feel guilty and carry out the murder. The fact that she is trying to convince Macbeth to commit this horrible crime when he hesitates is very evil indeed.
Macbeth murders Duncan, the King, in order to gain the throne. Macbeth decides to kill Duncan himself, even though Lady Macbeth is supportive and persuades him. After the murder he says: | “I have done the deed. Didst thou not hear a noise?” (2,2) |
He have murdered with greed in mind, showing his “butcher” side of himself. Duncan’s death is especially barbaric
Bibliography: Shakespeare, W. (1990) Macbeth, Arden