Skip to main content

In Act 4, Scene 1 of Macbeth, what does it mean when Macbeth says, "And yet the eighth appears, who bears a glass / Which shows me many more"?

In Act 4, Scene 1, Macbeth confronts the three witches and asks them questions about the future. He receives assurances from the apparitions the witches invoke, such as that he cannot be harmed by any man of woman born and that he is safe until Birnam Wood shall move to Dunsinane. Finally he asks the question that has been plaguing him since the beginning of the play.


Yet my heart
Throbs to know one thing: tell me, if your art
Can tell so much, shall Banquo's issue ever
Reign in this kingdom?



The witches present a show to answer his question. The stage directions call for:



A show of eight Kings, and Banquo last with a glass in his hand. 



Shakespeare wanted to show that there would be many more kings descended from Banquo, but the stage could get too crowded. So the playwright has Banquo holding a mirror--probably just a small hand-mirror--in which Macbeth explains that he sees many more kings stretching back into infinity. The images would be getting smaller and smaller as they receded, but the audience could not see this because they could only imagine it. Macbeth has to describe it, not to himself or to the three witches, but for the benefit of the theater audience.



And yet the eighth appears, who bears a glass
Which shows me many more; and some I see
That twofold balls and treble sceptres carry:



The "twofold balls" allude to the fact that King James I, who claimed descent from Banquo and inherited the crown of England from Elizabeth I, would be ruler of two kingdoms. The "treble sceptres" possibly represent England, Scotland and Ireland, or England, Scotland and Wales.


The "glass which shows me many more" is a simple mirror used to indicate that there are many more kings in Banquo's line of succession than can be conveniently shown on the Elizabethan stage along with Macbeth, the three witches, and Banquo with seven other actors representing his descendants. Only Macbeth can see into the mirror. He explains to the audience that the glass, or magic mirror, shows him "many more" of Banquo's descendants.

Labels

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more

Explain and discuss how the definitions of freedom change for the nation, for the freedmen and for southern whites after the Civil War.

After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to... After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to belong to without being ordered to attend religious services (or not to attend) by their mast...
Post a Comment
Read more