By Katie Sullivan (a.k.a. Snowfur)
Written for Advanced Placement English 12 after my teacher was crazy enough to let me write my Macbeth essay on anything I wanted to write about!!! ;-)
It may seem odd to compare one of the
greatest literary works of all time with a series of novels about talking animals.
Indeed, at first glance, Shakespeare’s Macbeth and the Redwall series
by Brian Jacques have little in common. The former is an Elizabethan tragedy filled
with metaphor and high drama, while the latter features talking mice, shrews, moles and a
myriad of other woodland creatures. But upon further inspection, Macbeth and Redwall
share many traits of characterization, mechanics and plot.
Shakespeare may be more famous for his timeless characterization,
but Brian Jacques also does a superb job in that area. The books of the Redwall
series have a much larger cast of characters than Macbeth, but many of the
characters are similar. Shakespeare often throws in “generic” characters
such as Angus, Menteith and Caithness to serve as companions to highlight his main
characters. Jacques does much the same thing, especially in the case of the hares
and the moles. Both creatures have a distinct method of speech, and many times these
characters seem interchangeable. For instance, in The Long Patrol, a hare
characters says, “Permission t’go with you, Cap’n. Please, marm,
I’d like a chance t’be a real part of the patrol!” (103). In another Redwall
book, Salamandastron, a similar hare says, “Just say the word and we’ll
stick t’you like slime on a toad’s back, it you’ll pardon the pun, old
lad!” (131). The differences are scanty. The
case is much the same with the moles, who nearly without exception speak in rustic tones
like this: “Yurr, stan’ on moi ‘ead an’ climb owt now,
Roser” (Martin the Warrior 55).
Both works also harbor characters of questionable sanity.
The main villain of Mariel of Redwall, Gabool the Wild, is a raving lunatic, and
the title character of Macbeth exhibits many of the same insane characteristics,
including insomnia. As Jacques described it, “Gabool the Wild was not
affected by sleep anymore. He was driven night and day by an insane nervous energy,
roaming the rooms of Fort Bladegirt” (Mariel of Redwall 204). It is
remarkably similar to Macbeth’s lament of “...and sleep/In the affliction
of these terrible dreams/That shake us nightly” (3.2.17-79). Thus do characters
from each work share sleep-related ailments brought on by insanity. The mental
instability is not limited by gender, either. Female characters in both Macbeth
and the Redwall series suffer from insanity, as well. Lady Macbeth has fits
of anxiety and sleepwalking. “What, will these hands ne’er be clean?
No/more o’ that, my lord, no more o’ that! You mar all/with this
starting” (5.1.44-46). Queen Tsarmina Greeneyes experiences similar episodes
due to her hydrophobia. “That night, as Tsarmina sat huddled in her chamber;
dripping water echoed in her imagination, never letting up. When the fear of water
was upon her, the daughter of Verdauga was no longer Queen of Mossflower, Lady of the
Thousand Eyes or Ruler of Kotir. She was reduced to a crazed, terrified kitten,
trembling at the sound of dripping water in the darkness, longing for morning light
to come stealing over the horizon” (Mossflower 359).
Another strain of characterization which Macbeth and Redwall
share is that of dead characters appearing to participate in the story. The
appearance of Banquo’s ghost can be interpreted as a hallucination on the part of
Macbeth, but its presence is still important to the play. “Prithee, see
there!/Behold! Look! Lo! How say you?/Why, what care I? If thou
canst nod, speak too./If charnel houses and our graves must send/Those that we bury back,
our monuments/Shall be the maws of kites” (3.4.69-73). The numerous visits by
the benevolent ghost of Martin the Warrior are often central to the plot in Redwall
books. One of many such instances is Martin’s visit to Redwall’s blind
herbalist, Simeon. The mouse describes the experience as a pleasant one, in contrast
to Macbeth’s panic. “The blind mouse felt a light touch against his
paw. All around was the scent of woodland flowers, columbine, wood anemones, bryony,
honeysuckle and dog
rose. The voice spoke again” (Mariel of Redwall 129).
Also, warrior virtues are common in both works. Loyalty, honor,
revenge, bravery and friendship are prevalent themes. In Act Five of Macbeth,
Siward is grieved little by his son’s death, for it was an honorable one in
battle. While the characters in Redwall are usually more emotional about
death, even in battle, their warrior sensibility is present, too. The main plot of the
book Martin the Warrior is driven by the title character’s quest for vengeance
on the warlord who killed his grandmother and stole his father’s sword. In
addition, it is worthwhile to compare the mechanics with which Shakespeare and Jacques
wrote their stories. An obvious difference is that of language. No detailed
footnotes are needed to understand Redwall books, but Macbeth can at times
be nearly incomprehensible to the untrained eye.
Another clear dissimilarity is the fact that there are no humans
in Redwall. Just as Shakespeare’s plays might have been wildly different
if Macbeth were a rat and Macduff a squirrel, Jacques’ style is affected by the
animal cast. For instance, it would be difficult for Malcolm or Banquo to have
achieved what Cheek does on page 250 of Mattimeo. “Cheek could not deny
his birthright; he was an otter through and through. As skillfully as any fish, he
cut through the water surrounding the raft, appearing alongside Basil. The hare
looked at him suspiciously.” Such uniqueness adds sparkle to Jacques’
work. Also, Macbeth is dated in places by Shakespeare’s desire to please
the king. This is evident when the doctor discusses an issue of healing which
clearly referred to James’ contemporary situation. “There are a crew of
wretched souls/That stay his cure: their malady convinces/The great assay of art; but at
his touch,/Such sanctity hath heaven given his hand,/They presently amend”
(4.3.142-4).
In the tragedy of Macbeth, at least, Shakespeare is much
more stingy with his humor than Jacques. The only humor in Macbeth is droll,
subtle irony and the occasional play on words. Redwall, on the other hand, is
peppered with light moments. On page 40 of Mariel of Redwall, some young ones
drink an unexpectedly fizzy drink and burst into giggles. Their comments include
“Whah! Ooh, it’s gone right up my nose!” and “Woogolly!
It’s like having a tummyful of mad butterflies!” In addition, Gingervere
delivers the following silly lines: “Now, if a ferret looks like a ferret, or a stoat
like a stoat, or a weasel looks like a weasel, don’t trust him. But if a fox
that looks like a fox says that his name is Mask and he’s been sent by the Corim, we
must do exactly as he says, quickly and without question.” To which his young
companion replies, “Supposing it’s a stoat that looks like a weasel with a
ferret’s nose and a fox’s tail, Mr. Gingervere?” Such open
frivolity is plainly absent from Macbeth. Overall, Redwall takes
itself much less seriously than Macbeth.
Despite these differences, the mechanics of the two works do have
some aspects in common. A minor point is the nationality of the two authors, who are
both British. Both Redwall and Macbeth are set in a vaguely medieval
time, so the level of technology is much the same. This is especially evident in the
weaponry. In the final battle of Macbeth, Macduff mentions, “...bear
their staves. Either thou, Macbeth,/Or else my sword, with an unbattered edge,/I
sheathe again undeeded” (5.7.18-20). The same types of weapons are used in Redwall.
“Swift javelin thrusts and throws found their way around pikes and spears...” (Martin
the Warrior 348).
Another similarity lies in the rich sense of history, whether real or
fanciful, which pervades these tales. Macbeth has the luxury of drawing on
actual historical events. Indeed, much of the play is based at least in part on past
happenings throughout the British Isles. Jacques has to invent a history for his
lands, but does so with great detail. Some of this heritage is seen on page 26 of Salamandastron:
“They said that the family of Gonff lived down at old Saint Ninian’s church for
six generations.” Jacques frequently refers back to events in previous books,
as the series spans many generations.
Redwall and Macbeth share characteristics in plot, as
well. The supernatural figures in both, although it seems to have more importance in
Macbeth. It is especially interesting to note how alike the plots of Macbeth
and Outcast of Redwall are in this regard. In Macbeth, the title
character gains false confidence by the cryptic prophesies of the witches and the
apparitions in the first scene of Act Four. In Outcast of Redwall, the
primary antagonist, Swartt Sixclaw, is led into a false sense of security by his
seer’s prophesies. “You are not defeated yet, Lord. I follow my
visions. I see the badger laid low at your footpaws, you standing atop of a
mountain, smiling and victorious...” (Outcast of Redwall 309). This
comes to pass, but Swartt is eventually defeated on that same mountaintop, just as Macbeth
met his end in battle.
Readers of Redwall are encouraged to root for the
underdog, while Macbeth, in the style of a classic tragedy, centers around the
upper crust. Yet even here there are ties. Despite the difference in status of
the protagonists, they all get help from afar. Macduff journeys to England to ask
for Malcolm’s help. In the Redwall book The Long Patrol, a great
badger warrior and her army of hares travel across the land to assist the endangered
abbey. Also, in The Bellmaker, travelers from Redwall Abbey help free the
kingdom of Southsward from a tyrant’s rule. These are just two of many examples
of this theme in the Redwall series.
The source of the peril is often from invading forces. In Macbeth
it was the Norwegians who were attacking; in Redwall it is often rats who
invade. And once the battles commence, the amount of violence is about the
same. No gory details are described, yet acts of great violence do occur. At
the end of Macbeth, Macduff beheads Macbeth, much as Macbeth himself is described
doing in the play’s first act. Gabool the Wild executes a disloyal officer in
the same way. “Even the hardened searats moaned in horror as the head of
Bludrigg thudded to the floor” (Mariel of Redwall 17). In addition,
during those climactic battle scenes, the main hero and the main villain inevitably come
face to face. Macbeth growls to Macduff as their duel to the death begins,
“Before my body/I throw my warlike shield. Lay on, Macduff;/and damned be him
that first cries ‘Hold, enough!’” (5.8.32-34). This is certainly
reminiscent of the climax of Redwall, when Matthias the Warrior bursts through a
doorway and challenges the villain, “Cluny the Scourge, I have come to settle with
you!” (Redwall 341)
Not all deaths are so chivalrous, however. Both Macbeth
and Redwall tell of numerous characters killing to gain power. Some
characters hire murderers to dispose of enemies. Macbeth hires mercenaries to
kill Banquo and Macduff’s family. There are two cases of hired murderers in Redwall.
In Salamandastron, Ferahgo the Assassin hires a black fox named Farran to poison
his enemies. In Outcast of Redwall, Swartt Sixclaw hires the mysterious
Wraith to kill his foe. Neither of the aforementioned animal assassins have the
success Macbeth’s murderers met with, however. And, as Macbeth ordered
Macduff’s family killed, Ferahgo the Assassin killed Urthstripe’s family to
avoid opposition. There are also frequent assassinations of prominent figures to
attain personal
glory. The driving force of the play is, of course, Macbeth’s murder of King
Duncan and the consequences thereof. Macbeth proclaims, “I am settled, and bend
up/Each corporal agent to this terrible feat” (2.7.79-80) Tsarmina has her own
father poisoned to gain the throne. She asks her accomplice if the poison was
administered, and her accomplice replies, “Twice. Once before the mouse came
in, and just now before we left. He’s taken enough poison to lay half the
garrison low” (Mossflower 31).
Another recurring theme is that of trickery. The famous
incident concerning camouflage from Birnam Wood fooled Macbeth’s sentries.
“Let every soldier hew him down a bough/And bear ‘t before him. Thereby
shall we shadow/The numbers of our host, and make discovery/Err in report of us”
(5.5.4-6). Disguise is also utilized in The Long Patrol and Mossflower,
wherein two hares and an otter, respectively, infiltrate enemy strongholds. In Martin
the Warrior, a group of protagonists hold a fake magic show as a diversion while
others help slaves escape. They are all in disguise and use assumed names.
Another plot similarity between Macbeth and Redwall
is the idea of male characters journeying to get help from an absent patriarch. In Macbeth,
Macduff must bring Malcolm back from England to help their ailing home of Scotland.
“Let us rather/Hold fast the mortal sword, and like good men/Bestride our
down-fall’n birthdom” (4.3.3-4). In Mossflower, Martin and his
companions quest to bring back the long-absent ruler of Mossflower. Martin vows,
“Bella, I have decided. I will find Boar the Fighter--I will undertake the
journey to Salamandastron” (Mossflower 126).
In a myriad of ways involving characters, writing technique and
plot, Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Brian Jacques’ world of Redwall
are surprisingly similar. Although nearly four hundred years separate these two
works, they both take advantage of wonderful literary techniques. Their numerous
assets allow them to endure for the entertainment of generations of readers.
For those who care...I got an A. :-)
All page references for Redwall books refer to the American hardcovers, except for The Long Patrol, where I used the British hardcover.
© 1997 Katie Sullivan, except parts quoted from Redwall books, which are © Brian Jacques.