Bellona’s Bridegroom

-

     Though the identity of Bellona’s bridegroom is not outright stated in Macbeth, the descriptions of contrasting actions on the battle field reveal that it is Macduff who possesses this identity, not Macbeth. In Act I Scene II, the bleeding captain recounts Macbeth’s gory success in killing Macdonwald and putting his head on display. Soon after, Ross recounts Bellona’s bridegroom’s proper success in capturing the Thane of Cawdor and requesting the King of Norway to pay before he is granted his dead. Through these facts of differing strategies on the battle field, it is evident that Macbeth, who is wrongfully credited by King Duncan as the new Thane of Cawdor, is not actually Bellona’s bridegroom. Instead, this unnamed character is Macduff.
     This can be reflected outside of the play when you consider math tests that do not have the students’ name on them. Even though you do not know the identity of the students right off the bat, you can examine the strategies that each used to complete the exam in order to reveal this fact. Once considering the contrasting processes that each student is characteristic in using, you are able to determine which student completed which test. Similarly, once considering the contrasting processes that Macbeth and Macduff are characteristic in using, you are able to determine which individual is Bellona’s bridegroom. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Symbolism of the Raven and the Martlet

-
Image
     In Act I, the different birds that Lady Macbeth and Banquo speak of reflect their own characteristics and the events they believe are about to unfold.  First, in Scene V of Act I, Lady Macbeth heard a raven croaking which reveals her harsh and evil personality.  The raven also symbolizes the death that Lady Macbeth is planning for Duncan.  Then in the next scene, Banquo speaks of a martlet, or martin, that leads him to believe the air is healthy which reveals his positive outlook on the dinner that is about to occur.  Through these contrasting bird experiences, Lady Macbeth and Banquo's differing personalities and expectations of the night are evident.
Read more

Lingering Harbinger of Bad News

-
     The amount of time it took Ross to tell Macduff that his entire family had been murdered was far too long.  In Act IV Scene III, Ross enters the scene just after Malcolm has declared he will come back to Scotland.  Macduff asks Ross how his family is, and while the audience knows that they are not doing well, Ross states just the opposite.  It is not until after Ross hears that Malcolm, Siward, and 10,000 troops will be coming to Scotland that he reveals the news to Macduff.  After delaying it even further by pleading for Macduff not to hate him after he has stated what he must, Ross finally spits out what has occurred.  Following his dancing around the topic for far too long, Ross only took the chance to tell Macduff about his family after good news was spread.  Nevertheless, Ross knew the entire time that Macduff's family was not well, but he waited an eternity to reveal it.      This can be reflected outside of the play when an individual needs to ask their parents for pe
Read more

Double Agent Lennox

-
     Lennox's occupation in Scotland was not only to be a thane to the throne, but also a double agent.  In Act III Scene VI of Macbeth , the audience witnesses a Lord tell Lennox that Macduff has gone to England in search of Malcolm.  Then after Macbeth has spoken to the witches in Act IV Scene I, Lennox tells him that a few men rode by on horses, bringing the information that Macduff went to England.  These contradictory events may at first lead the audience to be puzzled; however, the only explanation for these unaligned circumstances is that Lennox is an agent for both sides.  He was spying for Macbeth when he gathered information of Macduff from the Lord, but he was also spying on Macbeth when he communicated his information to the individuals on horseback.  Through the events that take place at the end of Act III and the beginning of Act IV, the role of Lennox as a double agent becomes evident.      This can be reflected outside of the play in other fictional spies.  Amo
Read more