![]() There is a fragile moment at the beginning of the play, when this violence seems to have restored order. Macbeth’s first promotion, then, is gained through the sanctioned violence of killing traitors. Among the rebels is the “disloyal traitor” the Thane of Cawdor, whose title Duncan transfers to Macbeth, commanding that the treacherous clan chief be executed. The military campaign is to suppress domestic rebellion. Macbeth does this in loyal service to King Duncan, and usually enters the stage splattered with blood, that of his victims and his own – blood lost in service to his king. In Act One, Scene One, a soldier reports that Macbeth, a Scottish general, has shown prowess on the battlefield and “unseamed” his rebel opponent, Macdonald, “from the nave to th’ chops.” That means he cut him in half. The play showcases both loyal violence and treacherous violence. In exploring what holds a society together and what tears it apart, the play doesn’t just condemn violence, it dramatises its uses. ![]() The intersecting themes of its inner world are ambition, and moral reasoning. ![]() The themes of Macbeth’s outer world of action are violence and treachery. ![]() The collision of their orbits provides the spark for the drama. ![]() Macbeth, like most of Shakespeare’s plays, sets two worlds spinning: one of outer action and one of inner being. ![]()
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