Resources:
Resource sheet 20: Words of chaos, sickness & madness
Resource Sheet 21: Scotland the sick
Resource Sheet 22: Malcolm the mender? / Outcomes:
- To understand the contribution the theme of order versus disorder makes to the play’s dramatic effect
- To trace the theme via the language used
►Initial work
The idea of madness and chaos runs throughout the play, until Malcolm restores order. Even then, his last speech refers to the ‘violent’ Lady Macbeth having taken her own life – a reminder of the disorder brought to Scotland on a personal as well as political level. He describes how he will carry out his new duties in ‘measure, time and place’ suggesting careful and ordered steps. But even if Macbeth and his wife are responsible for chaos after Duncan’s death, is there any evidence of it before that? Ask them to consider:
- how the play opens and what is said
- the events reported in Act 1 Scene 2
Scotland appears to be in turmoil even before Duncan’s murder.
►Focused work
▲Activity 1: Distribute Resource sheet 20: Words of chaos, sickness & madnessto students and ask them to work through the references to find the appropriate quotations referring to disorder, chaos and anything that goes against what is normal, healthy or natural. The examples mentioned are only a few of the possible references in the play – more able students might mention others, such as the way Duncan’s death is described as the ruin of an ‘anointed temple’ and Macbeth’s ‘spell’ in Act 4 Scene 1 when he talks of ‘trees blown down’ and castles that ‘topple’.
Feed back responses and ask students to say what the overall effect is of so many references to chaos and disorder. Does it suggest that the whole play is like a nightmare from which the main characters cannot wake?
▲Activity 2: Scotland as a diseased state that needs to be repaired or healed is also a common motif of the play – chaos and disorder is linked to illness and disease. Display Resource Sheet 21: Scotland the sickand show students the descriptions and annotated comments. Point out the personification and feminisation of Scotland, but also the juxtaposition of opposites (‘mother’ and ‘grave’; ‘sorrow’ and ‘ecstasy’ etc.).
Now ask students how Shakespeare uses language to convey the despair of the speakers on Resource Sheet 22: Malcolm the mender? and ask them to annotate the texts shown, looking at the way metaphors are used: Macbeth’s ‘sick’ regime; Malcolm as the ‘medicine’ that will make the weeds disappear and the garden better.
The importance of the language in developing ideas about Macbeth’s rule and the state of Scotland is that it adds to our overall understanding of the position he has sunk to. It also strongly endorses Malcolm’s ‘right’ to remove Macbeth, and contrasts his goodness with the evil disorder created by Macbeth.
Aim High
The idea of a world in chaos runs through Macbeth, but also appears in many other works of literature and in songs. ‘The World Turned Upside Down’ is both the name of a nursery rhyme about nature reversed and also the tune played by the marching British soldiers as they left Yorktown to surrender to the Americans during the War of Independence. Why might a ruling army play this tune? The Americans, apparently, played ‘Yankee Doodle Dandy’! There are many other references to this idea in 17th century England, which would be worth researching.
Moving On
Students could write a longer piece on the subject of ‘Order and chaos in Macbeth’ and how it is conveyed. To meet the requirement to cover A04, there would need to be some comment on views about kingship, the divine right of kings, and possibly James I’s apparent descendancy from Banquo – which explains a good deal!
Check the web
Check the original meaning of the word ‘Commonwealth’ as described on to see the link between the term and ideas of goodness and health.
Locate the following scenes and descriptions, then find the appropriate quotation that describes a chaotic, sick, disordered or mad situation.
Caithness is one of the lords marching with the Scots army to meet Malcolm. He says of Macbeth and his power over people:
Later, in the same scene, he speaks with Lennox as they prepare to meet Malcolm:
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