List and summary of relevant passages in Macbeth
I.i. The witches—equivocation or amphibology: language of chaos, blurring of boundaries (lost/won,
fair/foul), literal disruption of the order of language preceding the disruption in the order of the world
brought about by the regicide.
I.ii. The battle between Duncan’s army and the rebels supported by the king of Norway (battle told, not
shown on scene). Model of war as “duel”. Macbeth as loyal and valorous general. Macbeth’s violence
(here legitimate because on the side of right). “Fortune” vs. “valour” (cf. Machiavelli’s Prince).
I.iv. ● (Commenting on Cawdor’s betrayal). Duncan’s declared inability to see beyond appearances—to
understand whether someone who seems loyal and trustworthy is really as good as he pretends to be:
“There’s no art / To find the mind’s construction in the face” ● Elaborate, ceremonial language of courtesy
and allegiance in the subsequent dialogue between him and Macbeth: linguistic and behavioural codes
aimed at knitting individuals together in a cohesive society (thus keeping the world in good order).
I.v. Lady Macbeth’s comments on Macbeth’s letter (“Glamis thou art [...] To have thee crown’d withal”).
Lady M’s simplistic model of masculinity, as equivalent to mere courage, resoluteness and
determination—she does not take into account the net of social and feudal obligations and allegiances
which a man must respect to prevent the world from falling into chaos. Her equally reductive model of
femininity, based on tenderness and affectivity (milk), but also passivity and irresoluteness.
I.viii. ● Macbeth’s monologue. “He’s here in double trust [...]”: the loyalty he owes to Duncan is on
more than one level—since he is at the same time his kinsman (relative, cousin), his subject, a fellow
human being, and, at this moment, his host. So killing him would amount to committing not one but
many crimes together. ● dialogue with Lady M.: models of masculinity and femininity again. Lady M.
stresses that she in more masculine that him in resoluteness (image of dashing baby’s brains). M. seems
to share this simplistic view (“Bring forth men-children only [...]”).
II.i. After the regicide, Lennox and Macduff coming to awaken Duncan. Lennox “The night has been
unruly [...]”: images of chaos. The whole world and the order of nature have been subverted by the
crime (the great chain of being has been destroyed). Macduff, after discovering the murder: “Confusion
now hath made its masterpiece [...]”: chaos, world upside down. These images recur in the rest of the
scene.
II.iv. Outside the castle (later). Again images of the whole structure of the physical world and of nature
having been disrupted: world upside down (night in place of day, falcon killed by owl, horses turning wild
and devouring each other). Same disorder in the human world: children (Malcolm and Donalbain) killing
father (supposedly) out of ambition.
III.i. Macbeth’s dialogue with the murderers: “Machiavellian” pedagogy (used badly, for evil ends).
Again, issue of what it means to be a “man”.
IV.i. ● The witches and Macbeth (“By the pricking of my thumbs [...]”). Macbeth: “I conjure you [...]”:
again, images of world upside down, chaos, confusion, total destruction of any tie. ● Apparitions and
prophecies: blurring of boundaries, linguistic confusion, equivocation, amphibology (as in I.i).
IV.ii. Lady Macduff. Like Lady Macbeth (even though they are morally opposed) in the dialogue with
Ross she displays a simplistic view of manhood, not understanding that besides loyalty to the family a
man has other loyalties to respect (primarily to his king and country). She corresponds entirely to the
traditional view of womanhood, as expressed also by Lady Macbeth—she is sweet and loving, but
absolutely passive and incapable of acting to defend her children. When the murderers come her little
son proves far more resolute than her, by (vainly) trying to protect her.
IV.iii. ● Dialogue between Malcolm and Macduff at the court of Edward the Confessor. Malcolm through
his verbal strategy succeeds in understanding Macduff’s real intentions and motivations, thus showing he
possesses the (good) Machiavellian ability to see beyond appearances, differently from his father. Being
also morally good, he promises to be a perfect king. Models of royalty. Tyranny (throwing the world into
chaos, pouring the “milk of concord into hell”) and legitimacy.
Divine right and divine favour.
Thaumaturgic kings. ● Model of good manhood (in Macduff): along with respect for loyalties, it also
presupposes feelings (MALCOLM: “Dispute it like a man”. MACDUFF: “But I must also feel it as a man”).
V.ii. ● Back to war as “duel”: 2 sides, one of which is right, while the other is clearly wrong. In relation
to the beginning, Macbeth’s position has shifted from the former to the latter. ● Images of medicine: the
world suffers from a disease which must be cured through war. The legitimate king is the country ‘s
doctor. ● The chaos is (also) within Macbeth.
V.iv. and V-vi. War as “duel”.
V.vii (or V.ii and V.viii, depending on ed). Once again the battle as a whole (as a collective conflict) is
not directly shown on the scene. This time, instead of being narrated, it is synthesized in the form of the
duel (Macbeth and young Siward; Macbeth and Macduff).
Comments on young Siward’s death
(manhood). Malcolm’s final speech: restoration of world order and social “syntax”.