Saturday, October 26, 2013
Birds, Birds, Birds
I noticed in Act 4 Scene 2 that birds are mentioned several times. This is the scene in which Ross talks to Lady Macduff about her husband fleeing and leaving his family behind defenseless. It is first mentioned when Lady Macduff says, "for the poor wren/(The most diminutive of birds) will fight,/Her young ones in her nest, against the owl" (4.2.11-13). She is saying that even the smallest and weakest of birds is willing to hold its own against a bigger and stronger bird if it is to protect its family. The motif is then continued when Lady Macduff explains to her son that Macduff is dead. He says that he will live like birds do. Lady Macduff says to her son, "Poor bird, thou'dst never fear the net nor lime,/The pitfall nor the gin" (4.2.40-41). She is upset that Macduff left them alone and she believes that her son is helpless and in danger. Her son replies, "Why should I, mother? Poor birds they are not set/for" (4.2.42-43). He believes that the murderers would not want to kill him because he is small and insignificant. When the murderer arrives, he says to Macduff's son, "What, you egg?/Young fry of treachery! (4.2.94-95). He says that he will kill the boy because he is the son (or the egg) of the traitorous Macduff. I believe Shakespeare uses so many bird metaphors here because this is the scene in which Macduff has "taken flight" and abandoned his family at the defenseless nest. Lady Macduff is wondering whether she should do the same.
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The birds motif is present earlier in the play as well. Comparing others to birds seems to be a way of saying they are weak or young. When Lady Macduff compares Macduff to a wren in Act 4 Scene 2, she is presenting the bird as a weak creature to prove how weak or cowardly she believes Macduff is. The other bird references in this act are directed at Macduff's son, which shows how birds are also uses to represent youth. This idea of birds as youth appears in Act 3 Scene 3. While Banquo is being murdered, he says "Fly, good Fleance, fly, fly, fly!" (3.3.25). Although Banquo is telling Fleance to flee, his use of the word "fly" relates to birds. Fleance is presumably young like Macduff's son. Because birds are used to represent both weakness and youth, their purpose as a motif may be to signify that younger or childish people are somehow weaker.
ReplyDeleteReally interesting post, Ben. I had never noticed this motif before. One more connection I wanted to point out to add to your's and Sarah's ideas of birds representing youth, and say that when Ross is talking to Macduff and Malcom, and tells Macduff his children are dead (act 4 scene 3) Macduff yells, out of grief, "What, all my pretty chickens and their dam at one fell swoop?". He compares his precious children to birds.....just something to think about.
ReplyDeleteAnother example of birds in Macbeth is when Banquo and Duncan arrive at the Macbeth castle, Banquo says to Macbeth that, "This guest of summer, / The temple-haunting martlet, does approve / By his loved mansionary that the heaven's breath / Smells wooingly here... this bird / Hath made his pendent bed and procreant cradle. / Where they most breed and haunt, I have observed / the air is delicate" (1.6.3-9). Banquo is using birds to describe how nice the air is at the castle. He says that the summer bird makes its nest here because the air is actually heavens breath.
ReplyDeleteBirds are being used to express delicacy.