Hoboys And Torches In Macbeth
ACT I
Scene 6
Hoboys and torches. Enter King Duncan, Malcolm, Donalbain, Banquo, Lennox, Macduff, Ross, Angus, and Attendants:
In this scene, the lamb is brought to the door of the slaughter-house. King Duncan is most gracious and kind to his hostess, who means to kill him. stage direction:
The King's arrival is announced not with the usual flourish of trumpets, but with "Hoboys," which are the ancestors of our mournful-sounding oboes. Also, the King's followers and servants are carrying torches, to indicate that the sun is down. Both the sound of the oboes and the darkness of the hour remind us that the King will never again see the light of day.
Pausing at the gate of Macbeth's castle with his loyal followers, Duncan remarks …show more content…
that "This castle hath a pleasant seat [location]; the air / Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself / Unto our gentle senses" (1.6.1-3). Banquo agrees. The air must indeed be sweet, he says, because swallows have built their nests here. Banquo describes those nests as the swallows' "pendant bed and procreant cradle" (1.6.8). In other words, the nests that are hanging ("pendant") high on the castle walls are the beds of the birds, the place ("procreant cradle") where they make love and produce chicks and keep their chicks safe. Thus, on the outside of the castle, everything looks homey and cozy, but inside the castle, Duncan will be murdered.
Now Lady Macbeth enters, and King Duncan makes a gentle jest. He says to her:
See, see, our honour'd hostess!
The love that follows us sometime is our trouble,
Which still we thank as love. Herein I teach you
How you shall bid God 'ield us for your pains,
And thank us for your trouble. (1.6.10-14)
Duncan's whole speech is based on our ancient custom of a guest saying something like "I don't want to trouble you," and the host replying with some version of "It's my pleasure." By saying that his people's love is sometimes his "trouble," King Duncan is saying that his loving people go to a great deal of trouble for him, and he's troubled by the fact that they take all that trouble.
Nevertheless, when people take trouble for him, he knows that they do it because they love their king, and so he thanks them for their love. Next, referring to himself royally as "us," the King jokingly tells Lady Macbeth that he's saying all of this so that -- instead of him thanking her for taking trouble -- she will thank God and him for giving her trouble.
Lady Macbeth replies that all their services done four times over would not equal the honour Duncan was bestowing upon them for visiting them. Lady Macbeth, like a chameleon, now takes on the more typical role of perfect hostess by telling Duncan that they were still in debt for all the honours bestowed upon them by him.
Duncan enquires about Macbeth saying that they had “coursed him at the heels” or that they followed right behind Macbeth with an intention to reach before him. Duncan thinks that Macbeths love and loyalty to him were the reasons why he rode so well and reavhed before
them.
Lady Macbeth flatters Duncan by telling him that they were his servants and would serve him with all they had. She then leads Duncan to Macbeth.
ACT 1
Scene 7
“if it were done when ‘tis done, then t’were well it were done quickly”
Inside the castle, as oboes play and servants set a table for the evening’s feast, Macbeth paces by himself, pondering his idea of assassinating Duncan. He is confused about his course of action. He thinks that if he was ever going to kill Duncan he should do so immediately. He says that the deed would be easy if he could be certain that it would not set in motion a series of terrible consequences.
If the murder could “trammel” up all its consequences and life could continue as though the deed never happened,he was ready to commit the murder. He declares his willingness to risk eternal damnation but realizes that even on earth, bloody actions “return / To plague th’inventor” and deeds on the earth have their possibilities of punishment.He realises that what a person does to others will be what others do to them. He then considers the reasons why he ought not to kill Duncan: Macbeth is Duncan’s kinsman, subject, and host and should be serving Duncan; moreover, the king is universally admired as a virtuous ruler . He had borne his authority well and had been flawless in his rule that his virtues would condemn his murder loudly and pity would blow the horrid deeds into everyones eyes filling them with tears. Macbeth notes that these circumstances offer him nothing that he can use to motivate himself. He faces the fact that there is no reason to kill the king other than his own ambition, which he realizes is an unreliable guide.His desire was like “vaulting ambition” which was too great to handle and would lead to his downfall.
Scene 6
Hoboys and torches. Enter King Duncan, Malcolm, Donalbain, Banquo, Lennox, Macduff, Ross, Angus, and Attendants:
In this scene, the lamb is brought to the door of the slaughter-house. King Duncan is most gracious and kind to his hostess, who means to kill him. stage direction:
The King's arrival is announced not with the usual flourish of trumpets, but with "Hoboys," which are the ancestors of our mournful-sounding oboes. Also, the King's followers and servants are carrying torches, to indicate that the sun is down. Both the sound of the oboes and the darkness of the hour remind us that the King will never again see the light of day.
Pausing at the gate of Macbeth's castle with his loyal followers, Duncan remarks …show more content…
that "This castle hath a pleasant seat [location]; the air / Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself / Unto our gentle senses" (1.6.1-3). Banquo agrees. The air must indeed be sweet, he says, because swallows have built their nests here. Banquo describes those nests as the swallows' "pendant bed and procreant cradle" (1.6.8). In other words, the nests that are hanging ("pendant") high on the castle walls are the beds of the birds, the place ("procreant cradle") where they make love and produce chicks and keep their chicks safe. Thus, on the outside of the castle, everything looks homey and cozy, but inside the castle, Duncan will be murdered.
Now Lady Macbeth enters, and King Duncan makes a gentle jest. He says to her:
See, see, our honour'd hostess!
The love that follows us sometime is our trouble,
Which still we thank as love. Herein I teach you
How you shall bid God 'ield us for your pains,
And thank us for your trouble. (1.6.10-14)
Duncan's whole speech is based on our ancient custom of a guest saying something like "I don't want to trouble you," and the host replying with some version of "It's my pleasure." By saying that his people's love is sometimes his "trouble," King Duncan is saying that his loving people go to a great deal of trouble for him, and he's troubled by the fact that they take all that trouble.
Nevertheless, when people take trouble for him, he knows that they do it because they love their king, and so he thanks them for their love. Next, referring to himself royally as "us," the King jokingly tells Lady Macbeth that he's saying all of this so that -- instead of him thanking her for taking trouble -- she will thank God and him for giving her trouble.
Lady Macbeth replies that all their services done four times over would not equal the honour Duncan was bestowing upon them for visiting them. Lady Macbeth, like a chameleon, now takes on the more typical role of perfect hostess by telling Duncan that they were still in debt for all the honours bestowed upon them by him.
Duncan enquires about Macbeth saying that they had “coursed him at the heels” or that they followed right behind Macbeth with an intention to reach before him. Duncan thinks that Macbeths love and loyalty to him were the reasons why he rode so well and reavhed before
them.
Lady Macbeth flatters Duncan by telling him that they were his servants and would serve him with all they had. She then leads Duncan to Macbeth.
ACT 1
Scene 7
“if it were done when ‘tis done, then t’were well it were done quickly”
Inside the castle, as oboes play and servants set a table for the evening’s feast, Macbeth paces by himself, pondering his idea of assassinating Duncan. He is confused about his course of action. He thinks that if he was ever going to kill Duncan he should do so immediately. He says that the deed would be easy if he could be certain that it would not set in motion a series of terrible consequences.
If the murder could “trammel” up all its consequences and life could continue as though the deed never happened,he was ready to commit the murder. He declares his willingness to risk eternal damnation but realizes that even on earth, bloody actions “return / To plague th’inventor” and deeds on the earth have their possibilities of punishment.He realises that what a person does to others will be what others do to them. He then considers the reasons why he ought not to kill Duncan: Macbeth is Duncan’s kinsman, subject, and host and should be serving Duncan; moreover, the king is universally admired as a virtuous ruler . He had borne his authority well and had been flawless in his rule that his virtues would condemn his murder loudly and pity would blow the horrid deeds into everyones eyes filling them with tears. Macbeth notes that these circumstances offer him nothing that he can use to motivate himself. He faces the fact that there is no reason to kill the king other than his own ambition, which he realizes is an unreliable guide.His desire was like “vaulting ambition” which was too great to handle and would lead to his downfall.