Macbeth LRJ 5

Act V is the climax of the entire play, and it contains themes that were present in previous acts. Death, anger, and defeat all played major roles in this act. Lady Macbeth has become so depressed from her hidden guilt she commits suicide. Macbeth has grown even more paranoid, and kills several people out of sheer anger. The witches’ prophecy that none born from a woman will be able to harm him has made him extremely arrogant. “Thou wast born of woman. /But swords I smile at, weapons laugh to scorn, /Brandished by man that's of a woman born.” (Shakespeare 183) However, when Macduff reveals his birth was unusual and he in fact was not born, Macbeth is afraid for the first time. “Accursèd be that tongue that tells me so, /For it hath cowed my better part of man… I'll not fight with thee.” (Shakespeare 187) Too stubborn to surrender, he fights and is killed. The fact that every one of the witches’ prophecies came true is significant because Macbeth grew to be too arrogant to listen to the warnings. In his mind, the prophecies where he was all-powerful were the only ones that mattered. When he finally realizes the witches and spirits were tricking him, it is far too late.
One of the image patterns in Act V is the presence of medicine or drugs. In scene two, Caithness, a Scottish noble, says, “Meet we the medicine of the sickly weal, /And with him pour we in our country's purge /Each drop of us.” (Shakespeare 167) He is referring to Malcolm, who will soon be king and thereby hopefully repair Scotland from the terrible things Macbeth has been doing. Later, in scene 3, Macbeth rages to the Doctor, “And with some sweet oblivious antidote/ Cleanse the stuffed bosom of that perilous stuff /Which weighs upon the heart?” (Shakespeare 171) He realizes that Lady Macbeth is truly ill, and he has no one left but her. He is enraged and terrified at the prospect of losing her. Finally, Macbeth makes another reference to medicine, saying, “What rhubarb, senna, or what purgative drug, /Would scour these English hence?” This time he wants someone to find an easy answer to the problems Scotland is facing. One quick fix would be perfect, for he is too caught up in his power to want to work for it. The image pattern of medicine and drugs in Act V is important because it shows Macbeth is getting desperate, beginning to realize the danger he, his wife, and his country are in. He wants there to be one easy fix for all his problems. Another affect of drugs are to make everything seem to go away, which is probably what Macbeth wants. He is deep into an irreversible mess, and he will never be able to pull himself out.