Macbeth Act 5: THE FINALE!!!

I'd like to start today by saying hello to whoever in Sint Maarten has been viewing this blog... that's cool y'all.

 

5.1

we start act 5 with the doctor (presumably the one that made the cameo appearance last act?) attending to sleep walking crazed Lady M. It's interesting that a gentlewoman has to describe what's been going on before Lady M comes out. I dont knwo if this is just to shed some light on this being a regular occurence or if it helps the audience accept what they see in a moment...

This scene is really where all the disturbing talk about sleep and lack thereof comes to a head. the doctor says:

A great perturbation in nature, to receive at once
the benefit of sleep, and do the effects of
watching! In this slumbery agitation

It is interesting to me that the gentlewoman refuses to tell the doctor what she's heard Lady M say. She clearly lives in fear (of her position at least if not her life)

Lady M's sleepwalking delusions are intense and of course all have to do with her murders. We get the famous out damn's spot line. but the line that kills me (should be no surprise) is:

The thane of Fife had a wife: where is she now?-- What, will these hands ne'er be clean?--No more o'that, my lord, no more o' that: you mar all with this starting.

And that's why, in my interpretation of Lady M- I think she would not have gone mad until she found out her husband Killed Lady Macduff and little Macduff. It was bad enough when he didnt consort with her about banquo but the Macduff's, instead of finding Lord Macduff- i think that was the breaking point that makes her unable to justify all that she had justified until that point.

all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. Oh, oh, oh!

There are those beautiful Os again.

And acting class lesson: REPETITION

To bed, to bed! there's knocking at the gate:
come, come, come, come, give me your hand. What's
done cannot be undone.--To bed, to bed, to bed!

So many choices with those repeated phrases and the different reasons Lady M might say them/ what she's going through.

The doctor is absolutely no help. and all he can say is: unnatural deeds Do breed unnatural troubles:

And that's the last time we see Lady M...

5.2

A very short scene describing how everyone is preparing for battle. Macbeth is of course obsessed with Dunsinane thanks to the witches and their prophecy. And here, we have Shakespeare give a magnificent passage to a character who we've never heard of, who comes out of nowhere:

ANGUS

Now does he feel
His secret murders sticking on his hands;
Now minutely revolts upbraid his faith-breach;
Those he commands move only in command,
Nothing in love: now does he feel his title
Hang loose about him, like a giant's robe
Upon a dwarfish thief.

MAN. that language is SO GOOD. The images, the sounds, the conviction! Never feel disappointed if you're cast as Angus, even if you don't get a double. (and odds are you'll get some kickass fight choreography later to go along with your kickass speech.)

and then all the men in this scene go to join up with Malcolm and Macduff at Birnam wood. OH! the audience knows something is going to happen since this was also mentioned by the witches. (Seriously... how do you cut the witches out of this play but still build the tension?? I ask b/c i know productions where that was the concept.)

5.3

Macbeth repeats these witchy locations in the opening of this scene:

Bring me no more reports; let them fly all:
Till Birnam wood remove to Dunsinane,
I cannot taint with fear.

Of course, a soldier then comes in with another report and Macbeth replies with

Take thy face hence.

thank god for comic relief! not quite as good as knave in thy face but i'll take it.

These scne is also a great reminder that Macbeth is truly a soldier and a very hardcore fighter

I'll fight till from my bones my flesh be hack'd

we've seen a lot of Macbeth being scared or unsure and now we're reminded of the soldier he was in the first act.

In the midst of this the doctor comes in and updates Macbeth on his wife. He makes it clear that he expects the doctor to fix his wife. The doctor tells the audience he'd like to peace out of Dunsinane and NEVER COME BACK.

5.4

Another short scene where Malcolm announces they have arrived at Birnam wood and what his plan will be: everyone is going to cut down pieces of the wood to hide how many soldiers they have. Not only is this a sound tactical strategy but ta-da! birnam wood will march to dunsinane. Prepare to die macbeth. Onward to war.

5.5

The way this scene starts is. awesome. as macbeth prepares for the oncoming battle the following happens:

(A cry of women within)

What is that noise?
SEYTON

It is the cry of women, my good lord.

(Exit)

MACBETH

I have almost forgot the taste of fears;

The cries of women. Terrifying to this soldier. and the place of women in this play is really strange. We have a woman who incites murder, a mother who dies with her child, and its all going to come to a head with how we define "one of woman born" and this is followed by a brutal, simple short line: The queen, my lord, is dead. and then Macbeth's great monologue tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow (mar and mar and mar... ask me about this if you don't know the reference) but I'll let slings and arrows do the work of showing how great this speech is:

and then, the world continues to crumble. a messenger enters:

Messenger

As I did stand my watch upon the hill,
I look'd toward Birnam, and anon, methought,
The wood began to move.

MACBETH

Liar and slave!

Always good to resort to name calling when things aren't going your way. But name calling or not what does it matter? Deep down Macbeth knows he's screwed. but damn it he's going to go down fighting...

5.6

a ten line scene to show that Siward is talking with Malcolm and Macduff and they are all ready to fight to the death. (seriously... is this here to cover a costume change? give macbeth prep time for the fights? what is the point?!)

5.7

Chance to build the tension, give one last piece of comedy, and again show that Macbeth is a badass in the soldier department. He kills young siward and once he does his reply is: Thou wast born of woman

SUCH a good casual jab. Macduff arrives on the scene just after Macbeth leaves. He invokes his wife and children and swears to combat Macbeth. it's interesting that Siward doesnt' seem to notice yound siward's lying there dead... but moving on to the final scene:

5.8

Macduff makes a grand entrance into this final scene with the amazing exclamation:

Turn, hell-hound, turn!

perfect. Macduff really just verbally dominates this scene. Shortly thereafter he says: My voice is in my sword

He and Maccers fight it out a bit until Macbeth brags of his inability to be killed by one of woman born, to which Macduff replies:

Despair thy charm;
And let the angel whom thou still hast served
Tell thee, Macduff was from his mother's womb
Untimely ripp'd.
SERIOUSLY?! We're letting Macbeth die because we aren't counting a C-section as being born of a woman? You're stretching it, Wyrd sisters/Shakespeare. SERIOUSLY STRETCHING IT. and i think more people would be annoyed if the fighting surrounding this revelation weren't always so badass and also we really just want to watch Macbeth die at this point, right? so we'll take any excuse. AND it looks for a moment that macbeth is going to run away, but macduff calls him out for being a coward, they take their fight offstage, and theres a bit of dialogue wondering who is going to win/ be ok. Siward is told his son he didn't notice in the last scene is dead and Siward is glad he died a brave soldier. Macduff re-enters with Macbeth's head. always fun to use a bloody head prop. Macduff hails Malcolm as king (specifically says Hail.. a la the wyrd sisters and their greeting to Macbeth... just an echo i really love). Malcolm re-caps the play and invites the soldiers to his immediate coronation. the end. except if I were directing this play I think I'd have the wyrd sisters emerge and follow to Malcolm's coronation... just to see if they can sow some more chaos. plus.. you guys.. WITCHES!

On to a Shakespeare play I hated when I first read and has steadily grown on me... until then!