Macbeth Act 5 Notes

Act 5

Scene 1

• The scene are specifically short in act 5.
• Lady Macbeth is obsessed with washing her hands and thinks that Banquo might come out of his grave.
• This act is important because it shows that Lady Macbeth is decending to madness, and shows how she has transformed as well as Macbeth from the beginning of the play.
• Lady Macbeth never goes out without a light now which is said in lines 21-22.
• Lady Macbeth is known to repeat 'to bed, to bed, to bed' and repeats 'whats done cannot be undone' which she has said in the novel before.
• Lady Macbeth is afraid of the dark, and the novel is set it the dark.

Scene 2

•  Macbeth doesn't have any friends and that is clear by this scene as he has no one to back him up, who genuinely cares. The only people who fight alongside him are the ones who are scared of him or feel its a duty not a necessity.  

• No one argues with Macbeth but no one agrees with what he does.

Scene 3

•  This scene confirms Macbeth complete dominance.
• There is a significant amount of reference to colour in this scene.
• From line 20 onwards Macbeth seems to remark on how old he is and that he has lived his life and maybe it is time for the end.
• Macbeth is prepared to fight and wears his amour as soon as he finds out. He states that he is willing to fight until 'bones my flesh be hacked'
• When he is asking after his wife he says 'How does your patient?' this doesn't seem to show any love, care or affection for the women he has spent a proportion of life with.  He doesn't really care about his wife.
• Lines 46-47 are said by the doctor and these lines are important because it shows the doctor having a little moan at Macbeth. This is extremely significant because is shows how people aren't afraid of Macbeth any more now that they no an army is coming to fight him. 

Scene 4

• Line 9 suggests that Macbeth has lost all feeling, he has no emotions and doesn't have the behaviour of a human.
• When Macbeth finds out that his wife has died he doesn't seem to care and has an 'about time' attitude on the whole situation. Shows how detached the couple have become when dealing with their own problems that have developed.
• 'life is just a walking shadow' Macbeth describes life as meaningless and a waste.
• Macbeth is clearly showing through speech and attitude how nihilistic his life has become.
• Ring the alarum bell is told by Macbeth and this is important because it was what was said when  the Kind died. And not Macbeth is about to die.. is it foreshadowing?