Death, Be Not Proud”:
Macduff’s Contemptuous Condemnation of Macbeth In life, the most disarming fear experienced by mankind is of the absence of life. Death is the most frightening fate of mankind and the inevitable fate of all living things. The fact that death cannot be evaded, and that it is impossible for the living to have an accurate concept of death is the root cause of fear derived from it; all life will inevitably be consumed by the mysterious and destructive power of death. William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is punctuated by moments of murder and death caused by the hands of the power-delirious title character. John Donne’s Holy Sonnet X “Death, Be Not Proud” exhibits arguments that challenge the integrity of death’s power. The …show more content…
The warning “Death, Be Not Proud” in the first line implies this character is capable of having pride, a basic human vice, and the third line implies death is capable of thought and chooses its victims. From the viewpoint of Macduff, this personified form of death functions as an apt synecdoche using the death caused by Macbeth’s crimes to represent his entire character. Macbeth kills the current king in pursuit of the throne, settles doubts about his closest ally through murder, and shows nothing but gratification and satisfaction with these actions. Much of how Macbeth acquires and exercises power during his reign is through murder and other actions deserving the description of “dreadful.” Macduff’s perspective on Macbeth’s character corresponds with the speaker’s mocking tone; Macduff knows that many fear Macbeth’s appetite for destruction, however Macduff does not see Macbeth as one to be feared for his crimes, but simply as a criminal deserving of reprimand. This reflects in the words “Though some have called thee/Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so”. Since Macbeth’s character can be defined by his deliberate actions involving murder or destruction, Macbeth can appropriately be seen as a personification of death painted with all the ominous fear attributed to