'Foil' characters: The Macduffs (2)

Hi all,

Is there likely to be a question on Lady Macduff? No. 

Why am I writing a blogpost on her? Because we are so ready for the exam that it's the only thing I can think of. Besides, I'm trying to show you that, whatever the question and whatever the extract, it is still possible to come up with a good response rooted in the key ideas and key characters you know so well.

If a minor character is mentioned in the question - or is included in the extract - you need to consider the significance of that character in the text. 

• What does the minor character represent?
• How does the minor character contrast with the protagonist?
• How does the minor character tie in with the themes of the text?
• What does the presence of the minor character add to the text?

Again, the word 'foil' is useful here. A foil is a character who is specifically designed to create a contrast with a protagonist. So, Banquo is an effective foil for Macbeth as he hears the same predictions as Macbeth but acts in a completely different way. Macduff is an effective foil for Macbeth because he is honourable and does not sacrifice his morality for power. He also maintains his humanity as Macbeth is losing his. 

So what about Lady Macduff?

1. She only appears in one scene: Act 4 Scene 2. Why develop a character just to kill her off? Why establish a sweet relationship with her son, just to have them butchered? Obviously, one answer is pathos. We have to like them and see a goodness in them so that Macbeth's decision to murder them seems more monstrous. In this scene, we see the very worst of Macbeth's brutality and butchery. After this, Macbeth cannot be redeemed.
2. She has some great lines. Her discussion with her son includes ideas about being a traitor, what it takes to be a good husband, and the injustice and moral sickness of Macbeth's Scotland.
3. She is a foil for Lady Macbeth. She is loving and moral, whereas Lady Mac just wants to 'catch the nearest way'. She is a caring mother, whereas Lady Macbeth would be prepared to 'dash the brains out' of her child for power. She is sickened by the moral state of Scotland, while Lady Macbeth actively calls for darkness, evil and cruelty to fill her up. Like Lady Mac, she feels isolated and abandoned by her husband. Like Lady Mac, she is critical of her husband. But unlike Lady Mac, Lady Macduff knows that her husband is good and is glad that he is not in the same 'unsanctified' place inhabited by the murderers.
4. She is a voice of reason, morality and goodness in the play. She most memorably sums up the injustice of Macbeth's Scotland and recognises a wider sickness in society:  I have done no harm. But I remember now I am in this earthly world; where to do harm is often laudable, to do good sometime accounted dangerous folly...
5. Her scene with her son is a rare moment of healthy family life in a very dark play. It is a reminder of the people who suffer under a tyrant.
6. When Lady Macbeth is mad in Act 5 Scene 1, she seems shocked and horrified about the death of Lady Macduff: 'the Thane of Fife had a wife, where is she now?' The child-like delivery of this line suggests that even Lady Macbeth is shocked by this brutal act of violence against a good and innocent person. 

You can find more about Lady Macduff and her role in the play here and here. I've written about her key lines and how she ties in to the theme of TRUTH here.

If you have any last minute questions, get in touch.

GOOD LUCK!

Mr M