The Consequences of Rejecting The Natural Order in Macbeth

In Macbeth, Shakespeare presents the consequences of rejecting the natural order through literary techniques such as characterisation of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, nature in itself and the setting of the play. Shakespeare uses soliloquys, stage directions and recurring motifs of darkness to establish instability and corruption within the world of the play. He shows the consequences faced by society to the Jacobean audiences to fear the devastation and violence that follows “unnatural deeds”. Recurring Motifs of darkness feature until the resolution act of the play representing the consequences of regicide and other ‘unnatural deeds’ have caused chaos in Scotland. The restoration acts contrasts Scotland’s hell like setting with serene images of England set to remind audiences about orderly and peaceful society lead by the right king.

Shakespeare demonstrates the consequences of committing a crime that is considered unnatural will inevitably leads to a person’s loss of rationality and led them to be tormented by their wrong doings. Recurring motifs of blood and references to disease demonstrate the guilty conscience of Lady Macbeth who played a role in the killing of King Duncan. Shakespeare uses reoccurring motifs of “blood” to emphasis the consequences of their guilt due to the cruelty of Lady Macbeths as they proceed to hide their remorse from there sinful crimes. Shakespeare presents the consequences of rejecting the natural order through these motifs referencing such as Lady Macbeths “infected mind” from her unnatural behaviour. After Lady Macbeth commits her crime nothing will cleanse her of her guilt seeing “all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand” as she continuously tries to rub the unseen stain of blood depicting the permeant blemish that will never be washed off. Lady Macbeth is sleepwalking and seems to be washing her hands crying,” Out, damned spot! Out, I say!” Shakespeare uses the symbol of dreams and sleep to show the way her guilt was coming to the surface as she slept. Lady Macbeth clearly cannot find any rest, but she is suffering from a disorder as a consequence of a crimes that causes her, as she sleepwalks, to remember fragments of the events of the murders of Banquo, King Duncan and Lady Macduff. The doctor is implies that Lady Macbeth's conscience is now diseased by the unnatural deeds that she has had a roll in, causing her great torment, “unnatural deeds breed unnatural troubles”. Her conscience is causing her to hallucinate and those like her will usually confess their wrong doings to things which cannot hear, to rid themselves of guilt.

Shakespeare demonstrates that the consequences of regicide, inevitably leads to a person’s loss of sense of reality and led them to be overwhelmed by their guilt. Recurring symbols of blood and daggers flying demonstrate the guilty conscience of Macbeth who committed treason against King Duncan. Shakespeare portrays Macbeths sense of guilt to be so powerful that he loses his sense of reality and can’t be sure whether his visions are real or not, 'Thou canst not say I did it; never shake/Thy gory locks at me,' Shakespeare describes Macbeths guilt to be so powerful he loses his sense of reality and cannot be sure whether he is having a vision or not. His act against nature has caused him to lose a grip on his sanity. Macbeths reassures himself that Banquo is truly dead, “Thy bones are marrow less, thy blood is cold, and Thou hast no speculation in those eyes”. In doing so, Macbeth reveals that his ‘diseased’ consciousness is causing him to lose a grip on his sanity. Shakespeare’s recurring motif of ‘blood’ symbolises Macbeth’s guilt and torment of his mind and soul. The full horror of what he has done in order to achieve his ultimate goal is now clear to Macbeth, and he warns Lady Macbeth that the dead will want revenge. “It will have blood, they say. Blood will have blood”. Shakespeare uses dramatic language to demonstrate the, “blood could stain all the world’s oceans red.” His language implies that the consequences of his action will not be easily to hide, even though Lady Macbeth suggests that ‘blood’ can be simply washed away. As a consequence of his ‘unnatural deeds’ Macbeth will forever be a changed man. Macbeths guilt is seen to prevent him from enjoying the power he so desperately wanted “Why should I play the roman fool and die on mine own sword? Whiles I see the gashes do better upon them”. While Macbeth’s guilty conscious causes him to commit more murder in an attempt to cover up his initial crimes he proceeds to experience the consequences of rejecting the natural order.

Shakespeare presents the consequences of rejecting the natural order through pathetic fallacy to remind Jacobean audiences that nature mirrors the happenings of the human world. Furthermore, recurring dark imagery is used to show the presence of dark forces in Scotland. The natural world was unusual at the night of Duncan’s murder. An old man said that a” mouse killed a falcon” and that is impossible to happen as it’s the falcon that should kill the mouse depicting the chaos and the corruption happening among animals. Right before the murder itself, nature reacts with “the owl that shrieked”. Shakespeare uses nature itself to illustrate the idea to the audience that the killing of Duncan is unethical and as a consequence even nature itself is rebelling against it. The chaos among animals continued as Macbeth was king with more disturbances among nature including Duncan’s horses, “tis said they ate each other”. Such unnatural events represent the chaos in the real world. Shakespeare uses the example of the “black birk or “crow” to foreshadow death as Lady Macbeth is predicting something evil is soon to come Macbeth has just ordered Banquo’s death. Animal imagery is also used to foreshadow Lady Macduff’s murder “the poor wren, the most diminutive of birds”. By using literary technique of foreshadowing, Shakespeare shows to his audience the connection between animals and humans and parallels the chaos within the animal world and human world when you reject natural order. After the killing of Duncan, Scotland is a constant state of ‘night’ or darkness’. The Constant repetition of ‘night’ highlights the sense of darkness enveloping Scotland in the world of the play.

In the resolution of the play, Shakespeare depicts the consequences of rejecting the natural order through contrasting states of chaos and hell in Scotland, with serene and orderly states in England. Shakespeare uses quick scene changes to contrast the settings of the two opposing states. He uses the natural serene imagery to depict England and contrasts it with the dark and unnatural imagery in Dunsinane. The play opens with the witches during a storm “in thunder, lightning, or in rain.” with an atmosphere of fog and filthy air”. The lack of sunlight in the opening of the play introduces a world of darkness from the beginning. Over the course of the play, Macbeth changes from his castle in Inverness to the royal palace in Dunsinane. The physical descriptions of Duninaine suggest that even the physical surrounding of the world of the play have been thrown into disorder by Macbeth’s treachery, “fair is foul and foul is fair”. The descriptions of who is in the castle with Macbeth ‘seyton’ symbolise lead the audience to associate Dunsainane as hell like and dark. Malcom uses dark and unnatural imagery “shrouded in darkness” to describing the setting to be a place where agents of darkness shrouded the land. However Consequences of rejecting the natural order are shown through Contrasting states of chaos and hell in Scotland, with serene and orderly states in England. . King Edward of England is graceful and well liked, “that speak him full of grace”. King Edward is portrayed as a benevolent ruler who is loved by God and his subjects. He is nurturing and has been blessed with the power to heal, “the hath a heavenly gift of prophecy”. Macbeth does not possess any gifts nor is he in gods favour. If anything Macbeth is cursed by his own ambition. King Edward seeks help from the heavens, “he solicits from heaven, unlike Macbeth who solicits assistance from the witches, who are servants of evil. These opposing settings demonstrate the consequence of rejecting the natural order through there contrasting states of disorder in Scotland and orderly England.

In Macbeth Shakespeare presents to the Jacobian audience about the devastating consequences for individuals and the world at large, of rejecting the natural order. The most prevalent depictions of the consequences of rejecting the natural order are seen in the characterisation of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, within nature itself and the contrasting states of Scotland and England. He uses literary techniques such as the use of soliloquys, setting, stage directions and motifs symbolising the disorder enveloping Scotland. Shakespeare intends to remind audiences about orderly and peaceful society lead by the right king and shows the consequences faced by society to fear the devastation and violence that follows “unnatural deeds.