"I am in blood stepp'd in so far that, should I wade no more, returning were as tedious as go o'er." Discuss this quotation by Macbeth, in regard to his character and to the theme of the play.
Answer: Macbeth realizes that he has already killed king Duncan and Banquo, and that there is no use in giving up at this point.
Step-by-step explanation:
Macbeth is driven by a desire to become a king. In order to do so, he kills king Duncan. Later on, he kills Banquo, because the witches tell him that Banquo's sons represent a threat to the throne.
Macbeth utters these lines in Act 3, Scene 4, during the 'great feast' organized in honor of him becoming the new king. During the celebration, Macbeth sees the ghost of Banquo, and talks to him in front of the guests. He continues with analyzing his actions, and realizes that he has already killed Banquo, Duncan, and the guards, and that there is no turning back. He has already done 'the deed', and, as he states, it would be as hard to become a good person again as it is to continue killing people.
Does Lady Macbeth really faint or only pretend to do so?
Answer:
- It could be argued that Lady Macbeth pretends to faint in Act II, Scene III. She helps her husband kill King Duncan, but when Macduff arrives at the castle to see the king, the two of them pretend to be shocked upon this discovery. In this light, it is possible that Lady Macbeth pretends that she fainted, to give an impression that she has nothing to do with the murder. After all, it is her that plants the daggers on the guards and remains calm, as opposed to her husband, who is paranoid and consumed with guilt.
- On the other hand, it is also possible that she really faints. We should not forget that she hesitated to kill Duncan as he reminded her of her father. Perhaps the scene of Duncan's body lying on the ground covered with blood brought back the same feeling, and caused her to lose consciousness.