Macbeth’s Rites of Violence

At the sight of blood, most people pull the face of disgust, a universal and almost hard-wired human response to the presence of noxious substances, like blood, flowing from the body. When Duncan sees the bloody man, he sees blood before he sees the man. Because bloodshed and his so-called bloodline...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Shakespeare in Southern Africa 2011-01, Vol.23 (1), p.55
Main Author: Cohen, Derek
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Drama
Face (Body)
Shakespeare, William (English playwright)
Violence
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Summary:At the sight of blood, most people pull the face of disgust, a universal and almost hard-wired human response to the presence of noxious substances, like blood, flowing from the body. When Duncan sees the bloody man, he sees blood before he sees the man. Because bloodshed and his so-called bloodline keep Duncan safely as king, he must regard blood as a benign substance. [...]although Duncan's monarchy is perceived to be sacred by all his subjects, its mystery and sustaining mythologies cannot protect him from the violence of a mere murderer. [...]this play discovers form and shape through the marriage of ritual with its most violent moments. [...]despite the power of chaos and the undoubted efficacy of chaotic violence, the pull of ritualized practice in acts of violence will not be denied.
ISSN:1011-582X
1011-582X
2071-7504
DOI:10.4314/sisa.v23i1.6