Macbeth, metaphysical drama?

The question that my title is whether Macbeth is to be understood as a psychological drama, in which we see the mental affects of a sinful act on the main characters, or a play which is about the evil forces that men must learn to avoid and to not be enticed into. In order for me to answer the question to the fullest extent, I am going to define the key words the question has. Firstly, the 'psychological' side. This is about how minds work under different circumstances and situations. As ideas of conscience and psychological ideas were undeveloped, when written by Shakespeare, if he was thinking of it psychologically then he would have been extremely advanced for his period in time. Secondly I am going to define the word 'metaphysical'. This refers to the supernatural world of witches and spirits, which many people on the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries believed in. Some women were even burnt at the stake as they were thought to possess a spirit or to be witches who could do magic and control peoples lives. Therefore we can see that the metaphysical world of things that are beyond reality was a subject that people in the time of Shakespeare strongly believed in. Thirdly, I am going to examine the word 'drama'. This simply means that the play is written as a literacy form and in an exciting series of events. In this essay I will outline the major points of interest for each side of the argument and will conclude the analysis with an evaluation of the points for and against, where upon I will deliver my final verdict.

The play begins with three sisters gathering as a storm rages, thus already setting the overall context of the play, with the witches playing a constant part throughout the play often to indicate what is coming next. The ‘Weird Sisters’ are often called witches which could mean they are demonic and spiritual. They also seem metaphysical because of the powers they seem to possess. However they may just be a figment of Macbeth and Banquos imaginations so it is debatable to say what they actually are. In (1,1), the sisters use of, “Fair is foul, and foul is fair” is very moving. This is because I feel that it sums up the whole play up as most of the play is based on betrayal, like when ‘Macbeth’ and Lady Macbeth murder the King. I think that Shakespeare uses irony here to emphasize the point of characters being called
“fair” when infact they are not. It is interesting here as it seems to me that the word order is a motif seen throughout the play. This compares the brave and loyal soldier (‘Macbeth’) and the traitor (‘Macbeth’). This shows the psychological effect on Macbeth. Although in today’s time the whole idea of witchcraft is supernatural however when Shakespeare wrote Macbeth, many people believed in magic and witchcraft so I believe that Shakespeare could have used the ‘three weird sisters’ in a psychological sense. The use of the Sisters is only one of he ideas to show how the human mind can be affected by external forces.

When writing Macbeth, James the first was in power. Hence Shakespeare may have been trying to impress the King as James the first thought that he was directly related to Banquo. In the play, Shakespeare satisfies him by including a character who possessed sound morals and was generally a hero figure, Banquo. Banquo didn’t commit to any murders or sins for which Macbeth did.

Although encouraging James the firsts relation to Banquo, Shakespeare also gives critical comments to James the first. There are more similar themes that could also have been directed at James, like the constant motif of manliness with the characters goading each other over whether they are really men, especially ‘Macbeth’.
Lady Macbeth uses this issue frequently to persuade ‘Macbeth’ to do certain actions that he may have been otherwise unwilling to do, despite it being ‘Macbeth’ who first brings up the subject suggesting that he does not feel that he is a man (1,7). This shows that Shakespeare is aware of how his characters minds are working. Other comments directed at James and the way he was ruling included some themes that run throughout the entire play. For example, there is a motif of borrowed robes, which begins when ‘Macbeth’ questions his appointment as Thane of Cawdor saying “why do you dress me in borrow’d robes?” (1,3). This could be a subtile attack on James, who had come from Scotland. Shakespeare may not have thought that he was the rightful ruler to take power from the previous queen, despite him having been the strongest claim to the throne. Shakespeare may have seen James as only borrowing the robes of the English Monarch, just like ‘Macbeth’ does in the play.

In Scene 2, Act 1, we find out that there has been an uprising against King Duncan, with the Thane of Cawdor playing a big part. Upon learning that ‘Macbeth’ has helped to shift the tide of the Battle, Duncan calls him his “valiant cousin” showing he has a good relationship with ‘Macbeth’. When the Sisters say, “foul is fair and fair is foul,” I believe that they are referring to the betrayal by ‘Macbeth’ to Duncan later on. ‘Macbeth,’ before the play is a brave and loyal soldier however later on he becomes a traitor in his new role as the Thane of Cawdor. This is an example of metaphysical poetry as if the Witches had put a spell there (curse) before ‘Macbeth’ defended against, the old Thane of Cawdor and now being one becomes a traitor himself.

Shakespeare uses the magic to symbolise the metaphysical world that is beyond the understanding of most people. The magic is what we don’t know and what seems to happen to us through the mysterious actions of a superior force who knows much more than we do. This is shown when the witches seem to answer to some superior being “say if, thou’dst rather hear it from our mouths, or from our masters” (act 4 scene5) and are linked with the weather and time itself. This leads on to metaphysical questions about fate and free choice because the witches seem to be working for some powerful, but evil force, that knows everything in the past, present and future, including the psychological processes of ‘Macbeths’ deepest thoughts and motivations. Another example of this is after Hecate “commends” the three witches for casting their charm, the second witch says, “By pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes.” Just at this moment, ‘Macbeth’ “knocks” and Shakespeare leaves the audience wondering whether it is ‘Macbeth’ who is “something wicked” (the psychological interpretation) or the charm starting to work (the magic used to convey the metaphysical). You can see that it is very difficult to separate the metaphysical elements in the play with the psychological elements, because Shakespeare tries to confuse the audience into understanding the play by merging the psychological with the metaphysical. Shakespeare also tries to puzzle the audience by making the psychological scenes follow metaphysical scenes and visa versa.

The three Witches are the main symbols in the play for Shakespeare’s themes of metaphysical and the supernatural. As said before in my essay, in the opening scene all the witches say “fair is foul and foul is fair.” This is interesting as ‘Macbeths’ first words in the play are “so foul and fair a day I have not seen.” The fact that ‘Macbeth’ says such similar things to the Witches means that Shakespeare conveys a sense of the Witches having control over ‘Macbeth’. Since having conscious control over another beings’ thoughts and feelings is not possible, this suggests that the Witches are metaphysical beings. ‘Macbeth’ becomes interested in the Witches and tries to control the Witches and order them by using words like “stay”, “speak” and “answer me”, to try get more predictions from the Witches. Although ‘Macbeth’ thinks he has some power over the Witches, he himself is actually being controlled, but in an unconscious psychological way. The witches convince ‘Macbeth’ that they can predict the future correctly and ‘Macbeth’ tries to use the Witches’ words to his advantage to get himself on the throne. The Witches become some kind of God or drug to ‘Macbeth’. I think that ‘Macbeth’ looses trust and faith in God when he murders Duncan as he “could not say Amen.” When he says, “Stars hide your fire; Let not light see my black and deep desires” we can see that his mind has already been taken over by the Witches and their corruption. You could argue that from a psychological view point, the Witches are just in ‘Macbeths’ mind, representing his thoughts, but I don’t think that this argument stands because both ‘Macbeth’ and Banquo see the Witches. Whenever the Witches appear in the play, the whole scene turns into a metaphysical scene as they do things that are impossible like predicting the future.

Just before ‘Macbeth’ goes in and kills the king he has a vision of a dagger before him. He asks himself whether it is a “fatal vision”, “a dagger of the mind.” He is feeling very tense at the prospect of killing the King and realises he is being led astray by evil. He says that “witchcraft celebrates,” which tells the audience that ‘Macbeth’ is being controlled by the Witches and he doesn’t really want to go do the “bloody business.” ‘Macbeth’ is afraid of the consequences to his soul if he murders the king. In Shakespeare’s time, the king was God’s representative in the political system. On his way to the room of the Kings’ ‘Macbeth’ hallucinates, the “fatal vision” that leads him to Duncan’s and eventually his own doom. In psychological terms, killing Duncan has ruined ‘Macbeths’ life and has taken him to hell, a place where you can’t sleep, ”I heard a voice cry, sleep no more”. After the murder of Duncan the lives of ‘Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have certainly changed and they are living in a hellish world. “Hell is murky.” Says Lady Macbeth indicating they are in hell (Macbeth and Lady Macbeth).

The unexpected change in the way they feel (having succeeded their plan)could be a change made by psychological or supernatural powers. From a psychological viewpoint, the pair have been under so much pressure and guilt from murdering the king that they cannot rest and therefore “lack the season of all natures, sleep.”

Shakespeare unsettles the audience’s understanding of the play by following the second metaphysical scene of the Witches with a psychological scene with Lady Macbeth sleep-walking. This scene shows the inner thoughts of Lady Macbeth and her anxiety after helping her husband kill the King, “under her own battlements.” She keeps thinking that the blood, which she said, “a little water” would clear, is on her hands and she keeps rubbing them. We can see that she is full of guilt for killing the king. This guilt becomes part of her life and she cannot go to sleep in peace because of it. We can see that she will “ne’er be clean.” On the outside, Lady Macbeth acts as if she is stronger than ‘Macbeth’ but also suggests that her strength is linked to being a woman. She demands the “spirits” (symbolising the metaphysical) to “unsex” her so that she can act in ‘Macbeths’ place a stronger man. She tries to make ‘Macbeth’ feel that he is not a man by using her powerful, persuasive language, “when you durst do it, then you were a man; to be more that what you were, you would be so much more the man.” Even after the murder of Duncan, she acts more manly than ‘Macbeth’, “Are you a man?”(Act 3 Scene 4). However, as the play unfolds Shakespeare shows that, as a woman, she is actually weakened mentally by her role in Duncan’s murder and it leaves her greatly hurt psychologically; her “mind has been infected.”

The Doctor and the Gentlewoman observe Lady Macbeths talking and actions while she sleepwalks, but they do not understand why she is doing so. The doctor thinks that “more needs she the divine than the physician.” Shakespeare uses this comment to bring the idea of the metaphysical and psychological influences on Lady Macbeths situation as the divine symbolises the metaphysical and the physician provides a link with the psychological. At the time the play was written this would have suggested that she was cursed. People in the time of Shakespeare did not know about how the unconscious mind worked in psychological terms, but I think that Shakespeare was very interested in exploring motivations for people’s behaviour.

Shakespeare has also created a scene with Banquo’s ghost, which can be interoperated both ways. If we interpret the Banquo’s ghost psychologically, the ghost is an image inside ‘Macbeths’ mind. In a supernatural point of view, the ghost is actually a supernatural being sitting down. In my opinion, the ghost is an image in ‘Macbeths’ mind, “a fale creation, proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain.” This is because ‘Macbeth’ is the only person to know that Banquo is dead and the only one to see this ghost of Banquo. Having killed Duncan and Banquo, ‘Macbeth’ is under a lot of pressure, as he thinks that his victims might reappear again, just like Banquo. He says that he and Lady Macbeth have “scorched the snake, not killed it.” Before he kills Banquo Macbeth tries to calm himself down and convince himself that Duncan can no longer roach him by saying that “Duncan is in his grave… Nor steal, nor poison, Malice domestic, foreign levy, nothing can touch him further.” Although he convinces himself that the people he has wronged will not reappear, ‘Macbeth’ is horrified when Banquo arrives to haunt him. Although I think that Banquo’s ghost is a psychological image in ‘Macbeths’ mind you could argue that it is a real metaphysical being; a real ghost that has come to haunt ‘Macbeth’. This is another example of Shakespeare’s technique in bringing together the psychological and the metaphysical.

It is impossible to find out whether Shakespeare was trying to make the scene a metaphysical scene or psychological one, hence the reason why film makers have created so many different versions of the scene with Banquo. Jack Gold’s movie version of Macbeth shows no ghost on the seat at the dinner table but it does show Macbeth extremely shocked and slightly scared. This version is obviously psychological as only ‘Macbeth’ can see the ghost. Jack Gold involves the audience by encouraging them to feel that they are one of the guests at the dinner table. The camera is positioned at the end of the table and focuses on Banquo’s seat as well as ‘Macbeths’ reactions he makes. This means that the audience cannot see what ‘Macbeth’ is so frustrated and shocked about and shares the puzzlement of the other guests at ‘Macbeths’ strange behaviour.

Another film version, set in a warehouse, uses the camera to show ‘Macbeths’ confusion to a servant with the wine who seems to turn into Banquo. This very quick glimpse of Banquo leaves the audience equally unsure as to whether Banquo is real or it is ‘Macbeths’ tortured mind tricking him. This could be interoperated by the audience as ‘Macbeth’ hallucinating and therefore making the scene a psychological, but it could also be a scene where we actually see the ghost, making the entire thing supernatural. After watching these different interpretations, I still believe that Shakespeare wanted to make the scene of Banquo’s ghost a psychological scene. Shakespeare conveys the psychological viewpoint in the ghost, dagger and Lady Macbeth scenes. All in which the two characters Lady Macbeth and ‘Macbeth’ are the only people to see the various images (Banquo, dagger and blood).

Shakespeare uses an iambic pentameter constantly through the play, but at this point when Lady Macbeth sleepwalks it starts to become more and more irregular. This mimics ‘Macbeths’ unease and psychological unbalance to show that ‘Macbeths’ mind is breaking down all the time, becoming weaker and weaker. From a metaphysical interpretation, the Witches have changed the lives of ‘Macbeth’ and his wife forever in this world and the next, by making them unholy. During the sleepwalking scene, the Doctor says “this disease is beyond my practise; yet I have known those which have walked in their sleep who have died holy in their beds.” Seeing not even the doctor can cure Lady Macbeth, it appears that she has been cursed. At the end of the play Malcolm describes Lady Macbeth as a “fiend like a queen.” This comment in the closing speech of the play illustrates the final impossibility of separating the psychological and metaphysical effects of the murder of Duncan on Lady Macbeth. “Fiend” could be interpreted as being both a supernatural being and a judgement on her evil nature. Throughout the play the audience tries to understand whether the murders have influenced the Macbeths’ in psychological or metaphysical terms, but Malcolm’s final words suggest that it was Shakespeare’s intention to show that it is impossible to distinguish ones influences from the other as they are so close to one another.

Although you can separate the metaphysical and the psychological in parts of the play Shakespeare always brings them back together. At the time when Macbeth was acted out in the Globe in Shakespeare’s time, King James would have gone to see this play. James used to believe that Witches did exist and that he was a descendant of Banquo. In the play, the Witches predict that Banquo’s sons will become kings. By making the psychological and the metaphysical ideas very close to each other and almost impossible to separate, Shakespeare show King James that witches and the metaphysical may exist. However it could just be the psychological tricks of the mind. Shakespeare also brings the metaphysical and psychological together to get the audience to understand that it is impossible to separate the couple and to get them to try and work out both the psychological and metaphysical meanings in life for themselves.

To conclude my analysis, I believe that Macbeth is both a metaphysical and psychological drama. This verdict was chosen because I believe that both these aspects were huge building blocks in the play and if one was used more often than the other or just taken out the play would collapse. In the entire play both these aspects interlock with each other. I think that it would have been simply unfair to say whether Macbeth was a metaphysical or psychological drama as the play was about both of them. Vishan Patel
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