commentary on McB

Macbeth commentary

This passage, page 119 line 12 to line 53 of scene four, is the moment the King first meets the brave and loyal Macbeth after the brutal and bloody battles meticulously described in the last scenes.
The king begins with a powerful statement, ¡§There¡¦s not art to find the mind¡¦s construction in the face¡¨ to describe the disloyal and executed Thane of Cawdor. The king then continues with ¡§on whom I built/An absolute trust¡¨. All together, the statements possess hatred and betrayal. However, dramatic irony seems to be hooked with the statements because they also apply to the brave Macbeth. Although Macbeth is noble in the eyes of the king for restoring his right order, his thinking is ignoble which we realize in Macbeth¡¦s aside at the end of this passage.
At their first encounter, the king greets Macbeth with such loyalty by addressing him as ¡¥my worthiest Cawdor¡¦, ¡¥O worthiest cousin¡¦. The king seems extremely jubilant and thankful...