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READ THIS
Scene 1 introduced the question of fate and the supernatural. Scene 2 brings us down to earth by
introducing Macbeth -- but through the eyes of other people.
Word is brought to King Duncan of Macbeth's heroism in fighting the Norwegian forces, for which he not
only earns the king's respect but is also richly rewarded for his services.
WHO WAS BELLONA'S BRIDEGROOM?
If one is to accept Act 1, Scene 2 at face value, then an immediate problem reveals itself.
Two battles are described in this scene. Both are against the Norwegian (Viking) forces which are
attempting to overrun Scotland. Each has a Scottish traitor who has sold himself to the enemy.
At the first battle, the traitor is the "merciless Macdonwald" with soldiers from the Western Isles
(Ireland). The attacking forces are led by a "Norwegian lord".
Macbeth is named as the valiant general who "disdaining fortune" carves the enemy hordes to
pieces and slices Macdonwald "from the nave to the chops" -- and then beheads him.
The second battle is at Fife and the attacking forces are led by "Norway himself", i.e. Sweno, the
king of Norway. There is another traitor -- the Thane of Cawdor -- who is captured and sentenced to
death.
The valiant general who defends Scotland, however, is not named. He is referred to only as "Bellona's
bridegroom", i.e. Mars, the god of war. Is this second valiant general the selfsame Macbeth -- as
most textbooks would want us to believe?
There are, however, several major reasons for questioning this. First, it would have been impossible for
Macbeth to have been at both battles at the same time because the battlefields were many miles apart.
The first was at Forres, i.e. Macbeth's territory. The second was at Fife which was the home of Macduff.
Moreover, the treacherous Thane of Cawdor had joined forces with the Norwegians at this second battle.
If Macbeth had indeed been at that battle, he would have known of Cawdor's treachery but, when the three
witches later greet him with the title "Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!", Macbeth is clearly surprised.
"The Thane of Cawdor lives," he says, "a prosperous gentleman."
Would it not be more logical, therefore, to suppose that it was Macduff and not Macbeth who was at this
second battle at Fife? In other words, the Thane of Fife was defending his own territory, rather than
Macbeth doing it for him.
Macbeth was, after all, the Thane of Glamis. Macduff was the Thane of Fife.
The Arden Shakespeare argues that the Great Bard was merely condensing time and the two
battles into one. The editors would like us to believe that Shakespeare did not notice three major
inconsistencies in his words.
Yet authors of great works of art do not usually make such mistakes! It is therefore quite possible that
there is an error in the majority interpretation of the play and that the second general was not Macbeth at
all but rather the Thane of Fife, i.e. Macduff.
If that is so, then it brings into question Duncan's later decision to reward Macbeth. Is the king honouring
Macbeth with the title Thane of Cawdor, despite the fact that it was Macduff who deserved the title?
Was the king in fact sorely afraid of Macduff? Did he want to put a rift between Macduff and Macbeth by
rewarding the latter?
Are we not therefore looking at a power struggle in Scotland? King Duncan is desperately afraid of
Macduff and therefore allies himself with Macbeth.
Then, to make certain that neither will reach for the throne of Scotland, Duncan announces that he is
making his own son, Malcolm, his successor. In doing so, he hopes to prevent Scotland being plunged
into civil war.
His action, however, causes the very civil war that Duncan was hoping to avoid.
Just a thought for you to think about!
Have you looked at the questions
in the right column?
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TEST YOURSELF!
Read the left column and then answer
the following questions:
The captain, in reporting the battle to King Duncan, uses the image of swimming.
- Explain how he uses this image. (4)
[Need help?]
Two swimmers who have been in the water for a very long time and are therefore exhausted and in
danger of drowning ("two spent swimmers"), tend to cling to the other.
In doing so, however, they get in the other's way, each pulling the other down and risking to drown the
other ("cling together and choke their art").
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"Till he unseamed him from the nave to the chops."
- Comment on the effectiveness of the image "unseamed" as used in this line. (4)
[Need help?]
This is a sewing image, isn't it? Seams in clothing are essential in holding the garment together. If you
"unseam" the garment, the pieces of material will fall apart.
In like manner, Macbeth "unseamed" the traitor Macdonwald from his navel to his chin. As a result,
his life literally fell to pieces.
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"If I say sooth, I must report they were
As cannons overcharged with double cracks."
- Rewrite these lines in your own words. (4)
[Need help?]
In those days cannons had to be loaded by pouring gunpowder into the barrel behind the cannonball.
More gunpowder would send the ball flying further.
A cannon that was overcharged with double cracks was one that had twice as much gunpowder as was
necessary -- and it would explode with devastating force!
"If I tell you the truth, I have to explain that Macbeth and Banquo were like cannons which had been
loaded with twice the usual amount of gunpowder."
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What is meant by "Or memorize another Golgotha"? (4)
[Need help?]
Golgotha was the hill outside Jerusalem where Jesus Christ was said to have been crucified
The crucifixion was a bloody affair, and so to "memorize another Golgotha" refers to the amount
of blood that was shed on the battlefield.
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"Norwegian banners flout the sky
And fan our people cold."
- What does Ross mean by this? (4)
[Need help?]
If one speaks about "flouting the rules", one means that someone has complete disregard for the
rules.
In this way, the Norwegians were flouting international rules by raising their flags in Scotland. One does
not raise one's flag in another country without permission.
The word "flout" also shows an arrogance. The Norwegians are already celebrating victory by
raising their flags.
At the same time, the very sight of these flags sends fear through the Scots. The Vikings were indeed
a fearsome force! The flags therefore "fanned the people cold" -- i.e. cold with fear.
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Who was Bellona and why is Macbeth called "Bellona's bridegroom"? (4)
[Need help?]
Bellona was the Roman goddess of war. To be "Bellona's bridegroom" or husband means that
Ross regards Macbeth as being really brave. In fact, Bellona's bridegroom was Mars, the god of war.
Macbeth is in reality therefore being compared to a god!
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Is it logical that Ross was referring to Macbeth when he spoke about "Bellona's bridegroom" --
or was he actually referring to Macduff? Justify your answer carefully. (10)
[Need help?]
In your argument, you need to refer to some of the following:
- The two different battles, the first at Forres while the second was at Fife.
- Is it possible that Macbeth could have been involved in both battles?
- During the second battle, the Thane of Cawdor is sentenced to death and his title is given to Macbeth.
Yet Macbeth is surprised. He thinks Cawdor is still alive.
- Macbeth is clearly unaware of Cawdor's treachery. Is this possible if he had just defeated and arrested
him?
It makes sense therefore to believe that Bellona's bridegroom who is fighting at Fife is actually the Thane
of Fife himself.
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"No more that Thane of Cawdor shall deceive
Our bosom interests."
- Comment on the dramatic irony in these words. (4)
[Need help?]
The King had placed absolute trust in the Thane of Cawdor who betrayed him by siding with Norway
against Scotland.
Duncan therefore executes Cawdor and gives the title to another man in whom he has absolute trust:
Macbeth. But this man in turn immediately begins planning the king's assassination!
It is very ironic, isn't it?
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