Act 1 Scene 6 And his great love, sharp as his spur, hath holp15


To his home before us. Fair and noble hostess, We are your guest tonight.


LADYMACBETH Your servants ever


Have theirs, themselves and what is theirs, in compt,16 To make their audit at your Highness' pleasure, Still to return your own.17


DUNCAN Give me your hand; 30


Conduct me to mine host: we love him highly, And shall continue our graces towards him. By your leave, hostess.


[Exeunt] Commentary 


The language used here starkly contrasts with that of the previous scene. Banquo’s reference to the ‘martlet’ and the ‘guest of summer’ is in sharp relief to Lady Macbeth’s image of the ‘raven …That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan’ from Scene 5. Similarly, where Lady Macbeth called on the ‘dunnest smoke of hell’and hoped that heavenwould be unable to ‘peep through the blanket of the dark’, Banquo remarks how ‘heaven’s breath / Smells wooingly here’.





This short scene is rich in dramatic irony*. The audience is acutely aware that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are considering murdering King Duncan. However, Duncan, in his warm gratitude towards Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, is totally unaware of what awaits him. He believes that Macbeth’s haste to reach the castle is the result of love rather than Macbeth’s urgent need to discuss the assassination.





Lady Macbeth’s convincing performance as a welcoming hostess cements the idea of her as a cold-hearted murderer. Her ability to smile and flatter seems particularly chilling considering her conversation with Macbeth in the previous scene.


*dramatic irony: when the audience knows something that the characters on stage are unaware of. him 15 holp: helped


16 in compt: held in account 17


Your servants…return to your own: We are always your servants, as are our own servants, what they own, all that is held in account for you and can be returned to you.


Macbeth


27


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148  |  Page 149  |  Page 150  |  Page 151  |  Page 152  |  Page 153  |  Page 154  |  Page 155  |  Page 156  |  Page 157  |  Page 158  |  Page 159  |  Page 160  |  Page 161  |  Page 162  |  Page 163  |  Page 164  |  Page 165  |  Page 166  |  Page 167  |  Page 168  |  Page 169  |  Page 170  |  Page 171  |  Page 172  |  Page 173  |  Page 174  |  Page 175  |  Page 176  |  Page 177  |  Page 178  |  Page 179  |  Page 180  |  Page 181  |  Page 182  |  Page 183  |  Page 184  |  Page 185  |  Page 186  |  Page 187  |  Page 188  |  Page 189  |  Page 190  |  Page 191  |  Page 192