Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 145
THE ART OF POLITICAL HEALING IN MACBETH
That fled the snares of watchful tyranny;
Producing forth the cruel ministers
Of this dead butcher and his fiend-like queen,
Who, as 'tis thought, by self and violent hands
Took off her life; this, and what needful else
That calls upon us, by the grace of Grace,
We will perform in measure, time and place:
So, thanks to all at once and to each one,
Whom we invite to see us crown'd at Scone.
(Macbeth, 5.8.60-77)1
These stirring words are preceded by Macduff's and the lords'
acclamation and fitting prelude to Malcolm's speech: "Hail, King
of Scotland!" (5.8.59).
Strangely-and I find it very strange indeed-Jack Gold, director of the BBC production, follows Malcolm's speech with the
camera panning from the face of one Scottish lord to another, but
notably to Donalbain's, Malcolm's younger brother. What do we
see? A grim, vindictive, perhaps vicious aspect, barely concealing
bloody thoughts. The point, one may infer, is that Scotland had
better get ready for the next Macbeth, the murderous qualities
of the deceased tyrant being latent and ready to explode in one
who happens to be the next in line to the throne after Malcolm,
or in any and all the country's lords-become-earls. I have personally heard at least one professor argue that this presentation of
the ending was exactly right.
But how persuasive is such an interpretation? If Shakespeare's
point is that all men are so hopelessly corrupt that they cannot
help surrendering to their wickedest ambitions, then no one can
seriously complain that Macbeth himself does. But is that what
145
Modern Age - Fall 2015
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Modern Age - Fall 2015
Table of Contents
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - Table of Contents
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - Cover2
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 1
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 2
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 3
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 4
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 5
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 6
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 7
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 8
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 9
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 10
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 11
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 12
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 13
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 14
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 15
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 16
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 17
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 18
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 19
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 20
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 21
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 22
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 23
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 24
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 25
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 26
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 27
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 28
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 29
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 30
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 31
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 32
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 33
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 34
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 35
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 36
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 37
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 38
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 39
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 40
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 41
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 42
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 43
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 44
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 45
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 46
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 47
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 48
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 49
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 50
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 51
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 52
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 53
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 54
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 55
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 56
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 57
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 58
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 59
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 60
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 61
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 62
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 63
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 64
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 65
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 66
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 67
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 68
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 69
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 70
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 71
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 72
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 73
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 74
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 75
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 76
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 77
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 78
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 79
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 80
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 81
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 82
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 83
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 84
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 85
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 86
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 87
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 88
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 89
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 90
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 91
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 92
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 93
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 94
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 95
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 96
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 97
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 98
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 99
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 100
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 101
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 102
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 103
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 104
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 105
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 106
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 107
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 108
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 109
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 110
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 111
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 112
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 113
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 114
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 115
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 116
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 117
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 118
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 119
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 120
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 121
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 122
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 123
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 124
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 125
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 126
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 127
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 128
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 129
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 130
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 131
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 132
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 133
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 134
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 135
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 136
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 137
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 138
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 139
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 140
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 141
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 142
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 143
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 144
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 145
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 146
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 147
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 148
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 149
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 150
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 151
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 152
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 153
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 154
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 155
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - 156
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - Cover3
Modern Age - Fall 2015 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/isi/modernage_2018winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/isi/modernage_2017fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/isi/modernage_2017summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/isi/modernage_2017spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/isi/modernage_2017winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/isi/modernage_2016fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/isi/modernage_2016summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/isi/modernage_2016spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/isi/modernage_2016winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/isi/modernage_2015fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/isi/modernage_2014fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/isi/modernage_2014summer
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com