On the question of agency in Macbeth by Shakespeare
I recently listened to the Macbeth episode from the Approaching Shakespeare series, and Emma Smith brought up several interesting points. Before I listened to this episode, I had already formed quite an opinion on the question of agency in Macbeth—precisely that Macbeth exercised great agency in killing Duncan, and that his agency can be seen as a form of emancipation from a world weighed heavy with ideals of divine rights and public esteem. I must concede that David Blair's What happens in 'Macbeth' Act I scene VII shaped the bulk of my stance on the subject. That said, Smith's talk on the matter has made me reflect on certain aspects of my interpretations. So, I thought it would be interesting to present some of the points that speak to me from the two sources, placing them in a dialogue manner. Blair starts out with a commentary on a specific choice of the word 'and' in the last sentence of Lady Macbeth's little attack on Macbeth for backtracking on...
