Critical Analysis of “ Heart” in Shakespearean Macbeth Macbeth, one of the most darkest and powerful tragedies by William Shakespeare, shows how uncontrollable and crazy a mind works. The word heart has a variety of definitions such as the actual physical heart Inside your body that keeps your blood pumping, thoughts and emotions, love and compassion, someone moods and feelings. Some connotations that I think of when I hear the word heart is love, dedication, valentine’s day, and blood. The word heart is used a variety of times but in the Acts they have different meanings.
It was up to me to figure out what meaning heart had in every Act. First of all, in Acts I and II, heart is used fairly similar. Heart was used as a friendship and honesty to one another. Heart was used in a good and loving way. One quote that is stated by Duncan shows how friendly and trustworthy they are to one another. Duncan mentions, “ No less to have done so, let me enfold thee and hold thee to my heart” ( l.
Lb. 35-36). Macbeth surprisingly uses heart In the form of honesty and does not mean damage or murder In this scene. Macbeth calls, ‘ The Interim having weighed It, let us speak our free hearts each to other” (I.
IV.
1 72-173). Macbeth was “ sad” when Duncan had died. Although we know Macbeth was the one that murdered him. Macbeth used heart to describe devotion and sympathy.
Macbeth explains, “ Who could refrain that had a heart to love, and in that heart courage to make love known” (11. 111. 1 35-137). Heart was rarely used for kindness in this play, but it was lovely to see and read that the form of heart was used in a kind-hearted way. Second of all, in Acts Ill and IV, the word heart is used to scribe feelings and emotions, which Macbeth has a lot of unusual emotions in these Acts.
Macbeth not only must feel these unusual and strange feelings but he must hide them and keep them a secret from everyone.
Macbeth adds, “ Must love our honors In these flattering streams and make our faces viziers to our hearts disgusting what they are” (111. 11. 37-39). Macbeth Is suffering throughout Act Ill and IV.
He can’t stand holding all feelings In, It literally drives him crazy. Macbeth proclaims, “ The firstlings of my heart shall be the firstlings of my hand” (IV. I. 1 25).
Macbeth can’t meme to stop the feelings, he doesn’t like the feelings to occur.
Macbeth concludes, “ Thus shall not live, that may tell pale hearted fear it lies, and sleep in spite of thunder” (IV. L. 95-96). All of Act Ill and IV shows us how deep Macbeth hides his feelings and emotions, although they drive him bizarre.
Last of all, Act V uses heart in the form of suffer and pain. Macbeth suffers the most in Act V because he truly has no idea what his mind wants and at a point he Just wants to give up and end all this chaos. Macbeth describes to the audience how his heart has true pain and it is ere different from all the other acts.
