Duncan: Macbeth couldn’t WAIT to get home to you! (1.6.20-31) #DaggerDrawn #SlowShakespeare

KING                           Where’s the Thane of Cawdor?

We coursed him at the heels, and had a purpose

To be his purveyor; but he rides well,

And his great love, sharp as his spur, hath helped him

To his home before us. Fair and noble hostess,

We are your guest tonight.

LADY                          Your servants ever

Have theirs, themselves, and what is theirs in count

To make their audit at your highness’ pleasure,

Still to return your own.

KING                           Give me your hand.

Conduct me to mine host. We love him highly,

And shall continue our graces towards him.

By your leave, hostess.

Exeunt            (1.6.20-31)

 

Yes, where is he? Having a shower and a shave, getting his story straight, not quite able to face Duncan for this bit, quick drink? It allows Duncan, once again, to name Macbeth as Thane of Cawdor—potential for Lady Macbeth to react in various ways (a proud smile; feigned misunderstanding, then delight?) We were right behind him on the road, Duncan says, we coursed him at the heels, chased him all the way; it would have been more appropriate (given how amazing he is) if we’d been his purveyor, riding ahead to make sure that everything was ready for him, not the other way around. Duncan flatters on… But—of course—Macbeth’s a fantastic rider, on top of everything else, and more than anything, he just wanted to get home to you! His great love, sharp as his spur, hath helped him to his home before us. Is Duncan’s comparison with the spur (and indeed Macbeth’s great love) knowingly sexual here, a little risqué flirty joke, or inadvertently so? (Either way, there might be the odd nudge and glance among the other men.) It’s not uncommon for Macbeth’s passionate desire for his wife, and hers for him, to be central to their characterisation and their relationship in performance, she turned on by his power and prowess, he totally in thrall to her. The image of the spur is one to which Macbeth will himself return, to describe his ambition, and a horse, here explicitly ridden at top speed, is almost always the passions, out of reason’s control.

So, fair and noble hostess, we are your guest tonight, as if he’s concluding the formalities. And she knows exactly how to answer: your servants ever have theirs, themselves, and what is theirs in count to make their audit at your highness’ pleasure, still to return your own. Basically, she’s won the exchange with that stream of pronouns: everything that we do, as your servants, everything that we have, we have from you, and we render it back to you; we’re only giving back to you what’s yours in the first place. And so the King asks for her hand, asks her to conduct him over the threshold, to his host, to Macbeth. We love him highly, and this is just the start of the favour that I’ll show towards him; there’s more to come. By your leave, hostess: after you.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *