“To Meet with Macbeth,” given by tutor Louis ... - St. John's College

ecognizes the voice, stops, and says half to himself: “Of all men else I have avoided thee” (4). Then he
turns. He doubles: front becomes back and left becomes right, past becomes present, and a line of
meaningless tomorrows curves in a semi-circle to meet its end at a distance. He tries to match the
thunder with four striding syllables: “But get thee back!” (5). Macduff stands his ground. Macbeth
offers a reason, as he did when he tried to say “no” to his wife. It is just as weak and impertinent: “My
soul is too much charged/With blood of thine already” (5-6). He has “supped full” of Macduff’s blood
and has no appetite to pay for more of it (V.v.13). Macduff rejects the paltry-reasoned warning and all
recourse to speech in four knocking syllables: “I have no words” (6). Though he does allow Macbeth’s
image of blood-glut: “My voice is in my sword, thou bloodier villain/Than terms can give thee out!” (7-
8). Macduff is hardly alone in sounding artificial when trying to find the right words to describe
Macbeth. But at least he knows it and defers to the sword.
The fight, which has two parts, now begins. Macduff rushes on Macbeth, delivering furious
sword strikes without remission. The voice of the sword sounds familiar and reassuring to Macbeth,
who parries every thrust until Macduff grows out of breath. Then Macbeth pauses to manifest in
speech the apparent truth of the prophecy. He is never content to let promises remain quietly inside
him, contemptuous of the inner life of private things as being of woman born:
Macbeth.
Thou losest labor:
As easy mayst thou the intrenchant air
With thy keen sword impress as make me bleed:
Let fall thy blade on vulnerable crests;
I bear a charmed life, which must not yield
To one of woman born.
(V.viii.8-13)
Macduff’s spent strength flashes into new breath as he recollects his terrible birth:
Macduff.
Despair thy charm,
And let the angel whom thou still hast served
54