Fear and the “dagger of the mind”

“Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible

To feeling as to sight? Or art thou but
A dagger of the mind, a false creation
Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain…”

Macbeth’s situation is that, just as the three weird sisters predicted, his
fondest wishes—his secret dreams of power—have all come true, but
so have his darkest fears. Shakespeare’s preeminence as a dramatist
rests in part on his ability to create vivid metaphors and images that
embody simple and powerful human emotions. We are going to
analyze the “banquet scene” to help understand how Shakespeare’s
language dramatizes one such emotion: fear.

The guiding question for this activity is:

Why is Macbeth, whom we know to be brave and ruthless in battle, so
afraid? How does Shakespeare dramatize Macbeth’s fear?

1. Using your handout copy of Act 3, scene 4, pay particular attention

to the entrances and exits of the ghost. Can you tell, from his
words, when and where Macbeth first sees the ghost? Make notes
next to passages in which Shakespeare uses imagery, metaphor,
and simile to reveal aspects of Macbeth’s psychology.
2. Do you think Macbeth actually sees a ghost or is the ghost a
metaphor for something inside of him—like the ‘dagger of the mind’
referred to above?
3. How do you imagine Macbeth looking and behaving upon seeing the
ghost? What are his facial expressions and body language? Do you
think it makes a difference in his reaction to the ghost that we are
told that Macbeth is no coward?
4. If you were to stage this scene, how might you set up the
characters? Where would Macbeth be sitting? Would you show that
there is actually a ghost? If you don’t show a ghost, where should
Macbeth be looking? Where would the murderers stand when they
speak with Macbeth? Where is Lady Macbeth in relation to her
husband?
5. You will now perform a wordless version of Act 3, scene 4. The rules
are: NO props, and NO speaking. All the emotion and action must be
conveyed through facial expressions, gestures, body language, and
movement. You WILL be performing this version for the class.
6. After watching the wordless version of Act 3, scene 4, revisit the
guiding question for this activity: Why is Macbeth, whom we know
to be brave and ruthless in battle, so afraid? How does Shakespeare
dramatize Macbeth’s fear?