Soliloquy in Macbeth act 1, scene 3

 

Soliloquy in Macbeth act 1, scene 3

Here are the soliloquies and asides spoken by Macbeth in Act 1, Scene 3. In this scene, Macbeth primarily reveals his inner thoughts through asides (spoken while others are on stage but not hearing him) rather than a full, lengthy soliloquy alone. However, they function identically, giving the audience direct access to his turbulent mind.

The key passages are:

1. First Aside: The Shock of Prophecy Fulfilled

(After Ross and Angus name him Thane of Cawdor)

MACBETH, [aside]
Glamis, and Thane of Cawdor!
The greatest is behind.

  • Analysis: This is his immediate, stunned reaction. The prophecy is partially true, so "the greatest" (the kingship) now seems a real future possibility. His mind leaps ahead instantly.

2. The Major Soliloquy/Aside: Internal Turmoil

(After Banquo warns about the "instruments of darkness," and as Ross and Angus stand by)

MACBETH, [aside]
Two truths are told
As happy prologues to the swelling act
Of the imperial theme.—I thank you, gentlemen.
[Aside.] This supernatural soliciting
Cannot be ill, cannot be good. If ill,
Why hath it given me earnest of success,
Commencing in a truth? I am Thane of Cawdor.
If good, why do I yield to that suggestion
Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair
And make my seated heart knock at my ribs
Against the use of nature? Present fears
Are less than horrible imaginings.
My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical,
Shakes so my single state of man
That function is smothered in surmise,
And nothing is but what is not.

  • Analysis: This is the core psychological revelation of the scene.

o   Theatrical Metaphor: He frames the prophecies as "happy prologues" to the "swelling act" of becoming king, showing he already sees his life as a dramatic narrative moving toward that goal.

o   Logical Paradox: He tries to reason out whether the witches' influence ("soliciting") is good or ill, but is trapped in a paradox. Their truthfulness tempts him toward belief.

o   The Horrid Image: Crucially, his mind immediately jumps to murder ("my thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical") as the means to the crown. The prophecy itself doesn't suggest murder; Macbeth's own ambition supplies the method. This reveals his latent capacity for evil.

o   Psychological Chaos: The physical description of his fear ("unfix my hair," heart knocking his ribs) shows profound terror at his own thoughts. His "single state of man" (his unified self) is shaken, and his ordinary function is paralyzed by wild speculation ("surmise"). The final line—"And nothing is but what is not"—captures the essence of his confusion: the only things that feel real to him now are the future promises (what is not yet), not the present reality.

3. Subsequent Asides: The Struggle Continues

(Moments later, after Banquo comments on his rapt state)

MACBETH, [aside]
If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me
Without my stir.

  • Analysis: Here, he briefly clings to a passive hope—that fate will deliver the crown without him having to act. This is a moment of potential retreat from the terrifying thought of murder.

MACBETH, [aside]
Come what come may,
Time and the hour runs through the roughest day.

  • Analysis: This sounds like a resigned proverb, but it's deeply ironic. He is trying to adopt a posture of patience, but the audience has just seen the violent upheaval in his soul. The "roughest day" is already within him.

Function of These Soliloquies/Asides:

  • Character Genesis: They mark the birth of Macbeth's tragic ambition. We see the precise moment the "horrid image" of regicide takes root.
  • Dramatic Irony: The audience is made a confidant to his secret thoughts, while other characters (like Banquo and Duncan) see only the heroic exterior. This creates immense tension.
  • Theme of Appearance vs. Reality: They deepen the "fair is foul" theme. The "fair" news of his new title triggers "foul" and murderous internal imaginings.
  • Establishing Internal Conflict: The soliloquies showcase the classic Macbeth conflict between his ambition (driving him toward the crown) and his conscience (manifested as horrific fear and moral paralysis).

 

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