A post Renaissance phenomenon, the literary and artistic movement of Romanticism enveloped some of the greatest works of modern western history. Shakespeare, an Elizabethan writer of the Renaissance, published Macbeth in the early years of the 1600s. While the literary movement of Romanticism would not be distinctively present until the end of the 18th century to the beginning of the 19th century (English Literature), Shakespeares Macbeth can arguably be categorized as a precursor to a sub-genre of Romanticism.
The Gothic movement in literature and art developed as an aspect of Romanticism between the mid-late 1700s and the early-mid 1800s. Perhaps considered, if not accepted, as a sub-genre of Romanticism, the Gothic movement adhered to the Romantic throw back to the often medieval oriented sense of human spirituality and emotion while heavily adopting an emphasis on the horrible, gloomy, and supernatural (English Literature, Melani par. 6, Romanticism). While Macbeth was published nearly a century and a half before the Gothic novel swept through England, an 1812 depiction of a scene from Shakespeares play by John Henry Fuseli stands testament not only to the transhistorical nature of Shakespeares fame, but to the Gothic nature of Macbeth as a literary piece. The painting, titled, Lady Macbeth Seizing the Daggers (Levey, 259), along with Macbeth, according to the description of Professor Lilia Melani of Brooklyn College, both attain the tributes of Gothic work. Melani maintains that in order for any work to be categorized as Gothic work, it must have a combination of at least some of these elements, and she lists them to be a castle, ruined or intact, haunted or not or ruined buildings which are sinister or which arouse a pleasing melancholy with labyrinths, dark corridors, and winding stairs, and shadows, a beam of moonlight in the blackness, a flickering candle, or the only source of light failing. Her list continues to entail an extreme landscapes, like rugged mountains, thick forests, or icy wastes, and extreme weather, omens and ancestral curses, magic, supernatural manifestations, or the suggestion of the supernatural, and a passion-driven, willful villain-hero or villain. Also, she mentions the obvious trait of horrifying (or terrifying) events or the threat of such happenings (Melani par.6).
Macbeth, as a play, entails a castle with dark corridors, extreme weather, thick forests, prophecies by the supernaturally empowered witches, a passion driven villain, a possible haunting (or hallucination) and many, many terrifying events. John Henry Fuselis painting, which is not the only work of his tied directly to Macbeth, is in and of itself Gothic in that it creates feelings of gloom, mystery, and suspense and tends to the dramatic and the sensational (Melani par. 7).
The heir to a clan of Fsslis who were painters and miniaturists, Fuseli was a byproduct of a childhood that seemed to have been one of repression where Fuselis Father resolved that Fuseli should be a Scholar, and that his brother should be a Painter, whereas, in Fuselis opinion, it should have been reversed. Fuseli himself said that He passed those early days in crying drawing every day floods of tears at being forced to read, which were relieved by stolen hours for his favourite amusement (Todd 67). Swiss by birth, Fuseli early settled in England and held important posts at the Royal Academy after he had traveled to Italy where he was heavily influenced by the Romanticized work of Michael D Angelo (Levey 259, Todd 67-9). According to an article from the American Theatre, Henry Fuselis supernatural characters and baroque fantasies--his dark, guilt-ridden figures in Lady Macbeth Seizing the Daggers of 1812--were suggestive and inspiring for actors. The Victorian taste for vulgar fantasy produced images of fairies, nubile sylphs and grotesque trolls (Gerner par. 6).
Despite discussing Fuselis work and Lady Macbeth Seizing the Daggers specifically from the standpoint of the performing arts, this description of Fuselis work further establishes him as a GothicRomantic artist. Whether Fuselis ability to create a Gothic depiction of a scene from Macbeth is what lays the foundation for the idea that Macbeth was a precursor for Gothic literature or whether the nature of the play lays down that foundation for itself is open for debate. What is of a clearer nature, however, is the unambiguous reference in Lady Macbeth Seizing the Daggers to act two, scene two of Macbeth.
In Lady Macbeth Seizing the Daggers several things jump out at the onlooker at first glance and the most pronounced of those things are choice in color and the depiction of lighting. Mostly a dark image predominately painted in black, the only other colors used in this painting seem to be grey and a hint of yellow and red to indicate both a minute amount of lighting and King Duncans Blood. When we consider the motif of violence in this play and how much blood recurs in many of the scenes, it is surprising that Fuseli chose not to indicate any major emphasis on blood in this painting. What this may mean, however, is that Fuseli wants to emphasize the psychological impact of the deed upon Macbeth and the post-murder temperament of Lady Macbeth as opposed to focusing on the deed itself. Also, as it happens throughout this play, the actual deeds of murder are never fully exposed for the reader or the audience but are illustrated verbally through the characters before and after the crime leaving the actual deeds themselves to the power of suggestion thereby allowing them to be more terrifying. This concept could also have played a role in why Fuseli chose to paint this particular post murder scene.
Another distinct Gothic trait to this painting as described by Melani is the single source of light coming in from behind Lady Macbeth. As Lady Macbeth walks into closer proximity to the murder, she walks into an increasing darkness with her back to the light. The dim light that does shine through from behind her is enough only to highlight the little blood that is in the painting as being on Macbeths hands. Macbeths face is not focused on in the light, but is lit enough for the viewer to see the state of psychological unrest that he is in. The blood stains on Macbeths shirt as well are shown in the light along with his hands. The image of Lady Macbeth, on the other hand, who is walking away from the light source, is physically lit just enough to demonstrate the fact that she is a female. While Fuseli does not show anything to be unique about Lady Macbeths feminine figure, it raises the question as to whether or not Fuseli was consciously making it clear that it was a woman who came to this man whose face was distorted with guilt and disbelief while her face was one of expressionless, if not serious, calm. If it was a conscious effort, what was it that Fuseli was trying to say about the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, and furthermore, about the nature of men and women in this play
In acts 1 and 2 of Macbeth the audience is exposed to the dialogue that occurs between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth prior to the murder of King Duncan. Early on in act 1 scene 7, Macbeth says in these cases we still have judgment here, that we but teach Bloody instructions, which being taught, return to plague thinventor. This even-handed justice Commends thingredience of our poisoned chalice to our own lips (lines 8-11, p. 118). Pragmatically if not morally inclined, Macbeths initial stance when confronted with the Kings murder is to be opposed to the act, but Lady Macbeth, on the other hand, pushes him onward. In the same scene of act 1, Lady Macbeth says was the hope drunk wherein you dressed yourself Hath it slept since And wakes it now to look so green, and pale, at what it did so freely From this time, such I account thy love. Art thou afeard to be the same in thine own act and valour as thou art in desire Wouldst thou have that which thou esteemst the ornament of life and live a coward in thine own esteem letting I dare not wait upon I would like the poor cat ith adage (lines 35-45, p.119).
Lady Macbeths degree of responsibility for Macbeths final decision to go through with murder is open for discussion, but there is no doubt as to her depicted lack of moral scruples. This is evident towards the end of act 1 scene 7, whereas Lady Macbeth says to Macbeth I have given suck, and know how tender tis to love the babe that milks me I would, while it was smiling in my face, have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you have done to this. (lines 53-58, p.120). With this horrible image in mind, the audience and reader is left to wonder about her ruthlessness not only as a character, but as a female character despite Lady Macbeths own association of masculinity with that ruthlessness. In lines 46-50 of act 1 scene 7 Lady Macbeth says to Macbeth what beast wast then that made you break this enterprise to me When you durst do it, then you were a man (p.120). The ability to kill here is expressed by Lady Macbeth as not only being a manly thing to do, but one that requires the courage of a man. Even though such acts, according to Lady Macbeth and possibly the audience of the time, were to be expected of men, what the play is demonstrating about the nature of both men and women is their equal aptness for evil deeds and guilt alike. What Fuselis painting does, however, is reverse the expectation that the man would be more accepting of the crime committed by covering Macbeths face in an overdramatized state of disbelief and hysteria. Macbeths hair is disheveled with bulging eyes and his face is lined with terror at himself as he holds the two daggers as far away from himself as possible. On the other hand, Lady Macbeth, who could very possibly be the source of Macbeths terrified expression if this piece had been taken out of context, is shown to have a very calm, set, and stern face as she puts a finger to her lips to silent Macbeth upon her approach. By reversing the expected gender roles in this scene, Fuseli compliments the play in Macbeths demonstration of men and womens equal aptitude for violence and evil deeds.
With regards to Macbeths decision to embark on his path of over ambitious murder (because King Duncans death is not the last), Professor Ian Johnston of Malaspina-University College writes that
In a sense, Macbeth is never entirely satisfied with or firm about what he needs to do
to become king or what he really wants to do. When he goes out to commit the murder,
he is hallucinating the sight of a dagger leading him toward the deed, and he is filled with
a sense of horror at what he is about to do. He is, it seems, in the grip of his imagination
and is not serving some conscious rational decision he has made. But, in the very act of
letting his imagination lead him on, he is aware that what he is doing is wrong. Its as if the
dagger is pulling him toward the murder (against his will)--hes following an imagined
projection of his desires, rather than being pushed into the murder by some inner passion.
(par. 15).
What Professor Johnston points out here is vital to the understanding of the Gothic nature of both the play and the painting. He describes Macbeths internal dilemma as a schism between his realistic morality and his imaginative desires. Whats important here is that Professor Johnston illustrates, based on Shakespeares scene, a world dominated by the internal, delving into the dark possibilities of the human mind and allowing for the dark fantasies of desire to envelop the characters in the scene and dominate their outwardly actions. The play creates this atmosphere by its motif of continuous hallucinations and Lady Macbeths troubled sleepwalking. The painting captures this sentiment by its use of dark colors, simplistic imagery (only Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are pronounced in the image along with the daggers), and the faint, almost ghost like nature of the objects of the painting.
The predominance of black allows the viewer to automatically zoom in on Macbeth and Lady Macbeth the way one would mentally zoom in on a particular thought furthermore filling the image as well as the mind with the psychological impact of Macbeths expression ultimately emphasizing the internal and the terrible.
Whether or not Macbeth or Lady Macbeth Seizing the Daggers were agreed upon as works of a Gothic nature by scholars is of course open for continuous debate, but both works are magnificent contributions to the literary and artistic caliber of the modern western world. Both the play and the painting have left us with images that will forever resonate in our collective memory.
Lady Macbeth Why did you bring these daggers from the place They must lie there -- go carry them, and smear the sleepy grooms with blood. Macbeth Ill go no more am afraid to think what I have done look ont again, I dare not. Lady Macbeth Infirm of purpose give me the daggers the sleeping, and the dead, are but as pictures tis the eye of childhood that fears a painted devil. If he do bleed, Ill gild the faces of the grooms withal, for it must seem their guilt (Shakespeare, 2.2 lines 46-57, p. 128).
