The Great Chain of Being
and
Its relevance in William
Shakespeare's:
Great
Chain of Being defined:
The great of chain of being is the theory that everyone has their place
in the chain. There is a specific order assigned by God and breaking
it is defying the Lord. Kings are of high importance on the chain.
They walk in step with God.
This
page will discuss the following elements of the play:
1) The setting
2) Characters
3) Plot
4) Mood
5) Imagery
6) Irony
As well as other related articles and links.
Another way the setting affects the play is by the government of the time.
Kings were viceroys - earthly representations of God's rule. They
had a divine right to the throne. Macbeth, in usurping the kingship
committed a crime not only against the state, but a crime against God as
well. The results of this action cause turmoil for both the citizens
and the country of Scotland.
"wicked intentions must in the end produce wicked actions unless it is not merely revoked by the protagonist's better feelings, but entirely eradicated by his inmost will, aided by Divine grace."
Throughout the play,
there is a constant struggle for order in the play. Without the great
chain, where would the characters be?
Many
of the characters in Macbeth are disorderly and add to the
theme of disorder in 
the
Great
Chain of Being. Macbeth himself is a good example of this.
Because of his greed and ambitions, he stepped out of his place in the
chain and paid for it with his life. Had Macbeth not had these greedy
impulses, the chain would have been left in order and Macbeth would have
spared himself pain and even death. Lady Macbeth is another example;
if it wasn't for her conniving ways, Duncan would not have been murdered.
She herself is the most disorderly of all. Lady Macbeth suffered
an even greater punishment. She had not only her life but her mind
taken away from her. She went from a proud, strong willed character
to a weak, frail woman unable to sleep or even to control her own mind.
The character's personalities add to this theme. Had they not been
the way they were the chain would not have been broken at all.
There are many examples of when the plot in the play relates to disorder and the great chain of being. For example, the witches contribute to disorder because of their awkward presence and frame of mind. They use a lot of equivocation and seem very spooky and distant from other characters. Horses eating horses is another example. This seems unbelievable and rather disturbing. How often is it when horses eat their own kind?
Macbeth killing Banquo; supposedly his best friend is also disorderly.
Friends do not kill or harm each other. This goes to show what
frame of mind Macbeth was in after he murdered Duncan. Also, Macbeth
murders MacDuff's family; this is also wrong and weird.
The fact that Macbeth
felt no shame or pity towards his wife when she was ill shows more signs
of disorder. What husband wouldn't care if his beloved was dying?
It was as though Macbeth forgot about his main priorities in order to save
his life and to protect himself.
