Macbeth: ACT 5 SCENE 5

Macbeth's State of Mind

• Macbeth is confident in his castle's strength against any siege.
• He has become accustomed to violence and is no longer easily frightened.
• The news of Lady Macbeth's death has a profound impact on Macbeth.
• He feels a deep sense of disillusionment and existential despair.
• Macbeth reflects on the fleeting nature of life and its meaninglessness.

The Birnam Wood Prophecy

• A messenger reports seeing Birnam Wood moving towards Dunsinane.
• This event directly contradicts the witches' prophecy that Macbeth should fear nothing until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane.
• Macbeth initially dismisses the messenger's report as a lie.
• The messenger's claim weighs heavily on Macbeth's mind, shaking his confidence.
• Macbeth realizes that the witches' prophecy might be more literal than he initially thought.

Macbeth's Final Stand

• Macbeth, despite his fear, decides to fight rather than flee.
• He embraces his fate and awaits the inevitable.
• He expresses a weariness with life and a desire for the world to end.
• Macbeth calls for the alarm bell to be rung, symbolizing his willingness to face death.
• He vows to die with his armor on, showcasing his determination to fight to the end.

Macbeth's Defiance

• Macbeth orders his banners to be hung on the castle walls, declaring their strength will withstand any siege.
• He's confident in his defense, even comparing it to a hungry wolf.
• Macbeth's arrogance and self-assurance contrast with his previous fear of the supernatural.

The Queen's Death

• Macbeth hears women crying and discovers that Lady Macbeth has died.
• He exhibits a detached and cold response, saying she should have died "hereafter."
• This reflects his growing detachment from emotion and the world around him.

Macbeth's Despair

• Macbeth delivers a famous soliloquy about the futility of life and the inevitability of death.
• He describes life as a "walking shadow," "a poor player" and compares it to a meaningless story told by a fool.

Birnam Wood's Movement

• A messenger reports seeing Birnam Wood moving towards Dunsinane Castle.
• Macbeth initially disbelieves the report and scolds the messenger.
• This message shakes Macbeth's confidence as it directly contradicts the witches' prophecy.

Macbeth's Deterioration

• The message of Birnam Wood moving further unravels Macbeth's resilience.
• He acknowledges the power of the Witches' prophecy as he pulls in his resolution.
• Despair and a sense of inevitability overcome him, as he accepts his fate.

Macbeth's Final Stand

• Macbeth realizes the prophecy is coming true and prepares for a final battle.
• His despair is replaced by a fierce determination to die with honor.
• He calls for the alarm bell, embracing the inevitable chaos and destruction.

Macbeth's Response to the Siege

• Macbeth is confident in the strength of Dunsinane Castle, believing it to be impregnable.
• He dismisses the besieging forces as a nuisance, stating they will be defeated by famine and disease.
• Macbeth expresses a sense of invincibility, having grown accustomed to violence and bloodshed.

The News of Lady Macbeth's Death

• Seyton informs Macbeth that Lady Macbeth has died.
• Macbeth's reaction is initially subdued, acknowledging her death but not expressing deep grief.
• He reflects on the transience of life, comparing it to a brief candle that quickly burns out.
• Macbeth likens human existence to a meaningless performance staged by an idiot, highlighting a sense of disillusionment and despair.

The Moving Forest

• A messenger reports seeing the forest of Birnam moving towards Dunsinane.

• Macbeth incredulously accuses the messenger of lying, having been assured by the witches that he would not need to fear until Birnam Wood moved to Dunsinane.

• Macbeth's confidence begins to waver as doubt creeps in regarding the witches’ prophecy.

• The news of the moving forest serves as a turning point in Macbeth's state of mind, signifying a shift from arrogance to a sense of foreboding.

Macbeth's Resignation

• Faced with the realization that his fortune may be changing, Macbeth orders his forces to prepare for battle.
• He exhibits weariness and a longing for the end of life, as if the sun itself is burdensome to him.
• Macbeth embraces the inevitability of his fate, vowing to die fighting.

Macbeth's Defiance and Despair

• Macbeth orders his banners to be displayed on the castle walls, showing his defiance against the approaching enemy.
• He expresses his belief that the castle's strength will withstand any siege, even to the point of starvation.
• Macbeth's confidence is momentarily shaken by the sound of women crying.
• He acknowledges that he has become accustomed to fear and horror, but the news of Lady Macbeth's death surprises him.
• Macbeth contemplates the meaninglessness of life, lamenting that time marches forward relentlessly, leaving only dust and decay in its wake.

The Moving Wood and Macbeth's Faltering Resolve

• A messenger reports seeing Birnam Wood moving towards Dunsinane, a sight that contradicts the witches' prophecy.
• Macbeth is initially dismissive, calling the messenger a liar and threatening his life.
• He desperately clings to the witches' prophecy, which he finds himself doubting for the first time.
• The prophecy's unexpected fulfilment shakes Macbeth's resolve and forces him to confront his mortality.

Macbeth's Final Stand

• Macbeth acknowledges his weariness with life and his longing for the end of the world.
• He orders the alarm bell to be rung, summoning his army for a final, desperate battle.
• In spite of his fear and despair, Macbeth chooses to die with honor rather than surrender.

Macbeth's Confidence and Death of Lady Macbeth

• Macbeth is confident in his castle's strength and plans to wait out any siege until their enemies starve.

• He has become hardened to fear, but he is still surprised by the news of Lady Macbeth's death.

• He describes life as meaningless, a "walking shadow" and a tale told by an idiot.

• He compares death to a final "syllable" of time.

The Messenger from Birnam Wood

• A messenger reports that he saw Birnam Wood moving towards Dunsinane.

• Macbeth threatens the messenger with death, but is shaken by the news.

• He now doubts the witches’ prophecy that he would not need to fear until Birnam Wood came to Dunsinane.

• Macbeth realizes that he has misconstrued the prophecy and now takes immediate action.

• The messenger's report is the final blow to Macbeth's confidence and forces him to fight.

• Macbeth is weary of life and wishes for the world's end, indicating a sense of defeat and despair.

Macbeth's Defiance

• Macbeth orders his banners be hung on the castle walls, showing his defiance in the face of the approaching enemy.
• He expresses disdain for the siege, believing his castle’s strength will repel any attack.
• He regrets not being able to confront the enemy directly.
• He claims to have lost his fear, highlighting the transformation from his former self.
• His statement "I have supp'd full with horrors" reflects his hardened state, numb to the horrors he has inflicted.

The News of Lady Macbeth's Death

• Seyton informs Macbeth of Lady Macbeth’s death.
• Macbeth's response: "She should have died hereafter" reveals a detached feeling towards her demise and a sense of inevitability.
• He reflects on time's passage, comparing it to a "petty pace" leading to death.
• His famous soliloquy "Life's but a walking shadow" embodies his disillusionment, finding life meaningless and fleeting.

Birnam Wood's Movement

• A messenger reports seeing Birnam Wood moving, a prophecy Macbeth believed to be impossible.
• The messenger's statement causes Macbeth to suspect trickery, accusing him of lying.
• This prophecy, previously mocked by Macbeth, has now turned his confidence into fear and doubt.
• Macbeth’s words "I pull in resolution" highlight his crumbling resolve and fear of the unknown.
• He questions the "equivocation of the fiend" that assured him of safety until Birnam Wood moved to Dunsinane.
• Macbeth orders his army to prepare for battle despite the unsettling prophecy's fulfillment.

Macbeth's Despair

• Macbeth expresses weariness and despair, wishing for the world's end.
• He rallies his soldiers to fight, vowing to die with their "harness on our back."
• He orders the alarm bell to be rung, signaling a desperate last stand.