Analyzing The Great Chain Of Being In Shakespeare's 'Macbeth'
Alanis Rodriguez
Mrs. Callahan
English III
12 December 2013
In Elizabethan times, there was a different way of looking at life. William Shakespeare along with other people believed in the Great Chain of Being. The Great Chain of being was the belief that everything in the universe has a specific place rank and order. Everything was perceived in importance and spiritual nature. The more spiritual a person or object had the more power it received. The Tragedy of Macbeth demises the Great chain of being in many ways threw out this play.
At the beginning of the play three witches enter also known as the weird sisters. Witches were believed to be evil and unnatural. The weird sisters chanted “Fair is foul and foul is fair hover through the fog and filthy air.” (I:1:11-12) As creatures of the night they like whatever is "foul" and hate what is "fair." The sisters will "hover" in the fog, waiting for the chance to do evil. As the witches predicted Macbeths future Banquo was unsure of what they were saying was true or reliable. “I have learned by the perfectest report, they have more in them than moral knowledge.”(I:5:1-3) Macbeth believes the witches have gave him reliable imformation even though its unmoral and unnatural to …show more content…
. . Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself and falls on the other .”(I:7:1-28) Macbeth questions himself about the murder. He knows it isn’t right to kill the King Duncan, as his host and subject he was suppose to protect his king. As Macbeth contemplates the murder he is breaking the chain. It is not of God to committee murder. Lady Macbeth tell Macbeth “Give me the daggers: the sleeping and the dead Are but as pictures: 'tis the eye of childhood That fears a painted devil. If he do bleed, I'll gild the faces of the grooms withal; For it must seem their guilt.” (II:2:52-54) It was unnatural for a lady to do something of
Mrs. Callahan
English III
12 December 2013
In Elizabethan times, there was a different way of looking at life. William Shakespeare along with other people believed in the Great Chain of Being. The Great Chain of being was the belief that everything in the universe has a specific place rank and order. Everything was perceived in importance and spiritual nature. The more spiritual a person or object had the more power it received. The Tragedy of Macbeth demises the Great chain of being in many ways threw out this play.
At the beginning of the play three witches enter also known as the weird sisters. Witches were believed to be evil and unnatural. The weird sisters chanted “Fair is foul and foul is fair hover through the fog and filthy air.” (I:1:11-12) As creatures of the night they like whatever is "foul" and hate what is "fair." The sisters will "hover" in the fog, waiting for the chance to do evil. As the witches predicted Macbeths future Banquo was unsure of what they were saying was true or reliable. “I have learned by the perfectest report, they have more in them than moral knowledge.”(I:5:1-3) Macbeth believes the witches have gave him reliable imformation even though its unmoral and unnatural to …show more content…
. . Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself and falls on the other .”(I:7:1-28) Macbeth questions himself about the murder. He knows it isn’t right to kill the King Duncan, as his host and subject he was suppose to protect his king. As Macbeth contemplates the murder he is breaking the chain. It is not of God to committee murder. Lady Macbeth tell Macbeth “Give me the daggers: the sleeping and the dead Are but as pictures: 'tis the eye of childhood That fears a painted devil. If he do bleed, I'll gild the faces of the grooms withal; For it must seem their guilt.” (II:2:52-54) It was unnatural for a lady to do something of