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The Character of Tarquin in Macbeth and Cymbeline

Tarquins image as a man of dastardly action becomes part of both Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Cymbeline. As Iachimo emerges from a box in Imogen’s bedchamber he speaks, and his words reflect the feeling not only of himself but all trespassers in Shakespeare’s plays. Iachimo likens his actions to that of Tarquin, a Roman Tyrant who rapes the matron Lucrece. His trespassing in Imogen’s bed chamber while she is sleeping is to Iachimo like rape. He violates her space and privacy. Similarly in the play Macbeth, Macbeth before killing Duncan invokes the image of Tarquin, “With Tarquin’s ravishing strides towards, his design Moves like a ghost.

Thou sure and firm set earth hear not my steps” (2. 1. 55-58). Both plays use of the image of Tarquin reveals fascinating intricacies about the way in which Shakespeare takes traditional; images of rapists and murders and re-uses them to relate to the actions of the characters in the play. By invoking the image of Tarquin to describe Iachimo and Macbeth’s actions Shakespeare implicitly draws a link between them by showing that both possess a selfknowledge about their actions. In both cases the characters realize the severity of their actions while they are committing them or about to commit them.

They also acknowledge this only to themselves. In Macbeths monologue when he mentions Tarquin he is alone as Banquo has just exited the scene. Iachimo also is alone in the room except for his sleeping victim who cannot hear his words. The way in which the lines are laid out is also interestingly because they are so similarly written. In both cases the mention of Tarquin takes place within the context of long speeches (more than thirty lines long) which reveal how both Macbeth and Iachimo have thought at length about their actions.

And yet curiously despite the fact that they have thought about their actions they persist in committing them. In both passages where the image of Tarquin is invoked the long lines reflect to the reader the rationalizing and complex mind of Macbeth and Iachimo. The darkness of the night in which they both commit their deeds and utter their words seems to lend it’s self to the velvetization of their language as they wax poetically before committing their tragic deeds.

The silken lines in which is nestled the image of Tarquin creates a contrast between the cruelty of Macbeth and Iachimo’s actions and the smoothness with which they speak. By speaking the dignified tongue of the speakers with the baseness of the speakers acts the awfulness of Macbeth and Iachimo’s actions becomes more stark. The image of Tarquin in Macbeth and Cymbeline is very similar and there is a resonance between the two plays in this respect. In both cases Tarquin is presented as striding into commit his dreadful act.

In Cymbeline Tarquin is said to have, “softly press the rushes” as he moved in upon his victim. In Macbeth Tarquin takes, “ravishing strides towards” his victim. In both plays also the actor in this scene takes strides towards his victim: Iachimo walks about the room, and Macbeth immediately after finishing his monologue embarks up the stairs to Duncan’s room. The use of a character taking strides in this scene creates an image of action. Iachimo becomes freed from the cramped box he has been confined in, to stride around his victims room.

Macbeth becomes freed from his indecision and conscience that is prevalent in Act 1 to stride up the stairs of his castle and kill Duncan. Although Macbeth and Iachimo do not commit rape like Tarquin they act in a similar fashion to him. His image as a man of dastardly action becomes part of both Macbeth and Iachimo’s action. The way in which Macbeth and Iachimo similarly refer to the image of Tarquin before they commit their act shows the way in which both characters possess a self-knowledge about their actions.

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