MACBETH

ACT V

CHARACTERS:
- Gentlewoman
- Doctor
- Lady Macbeth
- Knights: Menteth, Catheness, Lennox, Angus
- Seyton
- Seyward
- Malcom
- Macduff
- Macbeth
- Messenger
- Young Seywars
- Ross

I SCENE
Considering the first scene we can find a doctor and a gentlewoman who are talking about Lady Macbeth and her madness. The stage directions introduce the protagonist of the scene: Lady Macbeth, arriving with a taper. The taper gives the reader the first idea of mystery. In her confused speech Lady Macbeth often uses words like blood that recall the semantic field of murder. Therefore the inteliigent reader can understand that Lady Macbeth’ madness comes from her sense of guilt for the murders committed. The function of the first scene is to reveal the responsible person for the two murders through Lady Macbeth's confused and mad speech.

II SCENE
It is made up of the knights’ speech and it has got the function to introduce the final battle, that is the main theme of the scene. We can understand it also from the stage directions that introduce some thanes with drums and colours underlining the importance of characters entering the scene that gives the reader an idea of joy. The Lords understand Macbeth is the guilty one. In particular you can note this in Angus's speech. This is the reason why the knights want to fight against Macbeth.

III SCENE
In the third scene the topic of the two predictions returns.In fact the servant informs Macbeth that Malcom’s army is arriving, but he isn’t worried because he is sure he is not vulnerable. You can also realize Macbeth is not interested in his !ife destiny. Moreover Macbeth asks the doctor to recover bis wife, but the doctor cannot help her. The scene seems to sum up the consequences of Macbeth's and the lady’s actions: the woman is mad and the English army is arriving to fight Macbeth . The stage directions in the III scene have got the function to introduce the different characters.

IV SCENE
The first and the oniy stage direction of the scene gives the reader the idea of the battle. The attention moves to the English army, where the thanes are organizing the attack. They decide to cut down a bough from the wood of Birnan. The reader understands that Macbeth's death is getting near because the prophesy is true. We also understand that all the kingdom is against Macbeth, the tyrant.
The war is starting.

V SCENE
In the fifth scene we understand that Macbeth has gone mad because when a servant tells him about the wife’s death, he doesn’t show any form of sadness. In the scene there is also the revelation to Macbeth that the prediction is coming true, so he is aware that his end is getting nearer and nearer. But he don’t lose heart, he wants to fight in spite of everything.
The function of the scene is to underline his obstinacy, in fact although he understanding that the prophesy can come true, he prefers dying in battle. The stage directions are so tragic: they refer to sad actslike the cry of women that announced Lady Macbeth’s death.

VI SCENE
The English army decides to attack and the thanes wish themselves good luck. The words used by Shakespeare belong to the semantic field of the family: “you, your, my cousin, son, uncle” , so we understand that there is a sort of union between the thanes that are determined to win. Also here, at the beginning and at the ending of the scene we can find stage directions referred to the battle.

VII SCENE
This is the last scene of the act and of the play. Here we can find the accomplishment of the prophesy. As a matter of fact Macduff, who was untimely ripped from bis mother’s womb, kills him and Malcom becomes king. Macbeth’s madness arrives to a climax: knowing he has to die, he decides to fight against the only one who is able to kill him. In this way Macbeth becomes a hero although he his a negatìve character! The alarm often appears in the stage direction of the scene, probably to let us understand that Macbeth’s end is by now near.
Act V is the last one. So it has the function to conclude the play and Macbeth's story, who becomes a herojust as he is defeated by Macduff. The act is complex and really tragic and not only for his ending: it starts showing Lady Macbeth's signs of madness, who dies in scene five. Moreover here we can find also Macbeth's madness: when a servant tells him about his wife’s death, he doesn’t show any sadness. After that the two predictions seem to be true and Macbeth dies. Also the atmosphere, created by the stage direction, is tragic and mysterious.