Entry 3.1 Macbeth

For this blog entry about Macbeth, my choices of pictures are these two cross aching drawing. To me they both convey a big part of the uncomfortable mood depicted in the play. This first drawing depicts Macbeth as the coward archetype:

The first one depicts the scene where Macbeth sees the ghost of Duncan in his chair during a feast, this sight terrifies him and Lady Macbeth has to ask their guest to leave. A sticking element in this drawing is how well the artist depicted the fear Macbeth is experiencing, his posture and the very strong sense of dynamic in contrast to the very calm back ground, as if no one even saw his reaction at this very moment makes it a very strong image. Looking at Macbeth's posture we realize his whole body is straight, probably from being frightened, but also the line going from his head to his toes is a diagonal line, usually used by artist to convey an absence of balance and the viewer is usually very affected by it. This use of diagonal join to the plot could be understood as the moment where Macbeth starts his fall from the success of becoming kind. It also depicts perfectly the fact that after becoming king he becomes a lonely man as everyone fears him, the fact that he looks terrified but no one sees him, his very tenses and straight body in contrast to a very relaxed background, and finally the very heavy and dark shadows on Macbeth compared to a very light background.

Macbeth is here the perfect example of the Coward archetype, not wanting to face and assume his acts of violence, his left hand up in the air trying to keep the ghost away. We can also notice his eyes wide open of surprise, but Macbeth had to know this or worth was coming.

The ghost of Duncan represent all of Macbeth's regrets, remorse and feelings of guilt, we cannot know for sure if the ghost actually appears or if Macbeth's guilt is playing games on him.

 

In this second image, Macbeth is seen as the victim of other's influence:

Lady Macbeth is here the focal point, by contrast, line directions, position and much more design techniques used by the artist that we could discuss in details. The artist gives us a perfect visual illustration of the character Macbeth is in this play: a victim easily controlled by other's influence. First the witches who plant the idea of becoming king, then his wife who makes sure he will get to the throne. Looking at this scene, Lady Macbeth is obviously in power, she is holding two daggers, symbolizing her desire to act and not just plan. She is not just holding these daggers, she looks like she just took them off of Macbeth hands who his behind her and hiding his face. The fact that Macbeth is, all throughout the play, controlled by woman could be seen as a sign of weakness, especially back when the play was written by Shakespeare.

These are only two of a long list of archetypes present in Macbeth's character, coward and victim, but not a victim of anyone, only himself. Indeed, Macbeth, by being so easily controllable and so greedy brought all his pain and suffering on himself.