In Act 5, Scene 5 of Macbeth, Seyton informs Macbeth that Lady Macbeth has just killed herself. This news prompts Macbeth to experience a moment of supreme disillusionment, as he realizes that the power he has committed murder in order to wield is meaningless. He delivers a nihilist statement in which man is characterized as “a walking shadow” and “a poor player,” and life is merely an absurd existence that ultimately, “signif[ies] nothing.” Macbeth indicates that all of man’s actions and beliefs are inevitably belittled and diminished by the passing of time, thereby rendering them meaningless. Macbeth recognizes that he is unable to exert complete control over his world and that he is not infallible. As a result, the extreme masculine authoritarianism to which Macbeth has subscribed crumbles. This brand of absolutism is revealed as an inadequate method of governance in which no real stability may be reached. After Macbeth kills Duncan, he finds that he must continue killing people to disguise the fact that he is culpable for the king’s death. The only end to the chain of events set in motion with Duncan’s death is Macbeth’s own demise. The total control that Macbeth attempts to exert over the situation proves impossible to maintain. This outcome sends Macbeth plummeting into disillusionment and demonstrates the futility of authoritarianism.
Caitlyn Chacon
Section 1B
TA: Ian Hoch
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