This
castle hath a pleasant seat; the air
Nimbly and sweetly
recommends itself
Unto our gentle
senses.
BANQUO
This
guest of summer,
The temple-haunting martlet, does
approve,
By his loved mansionry, that
the heaven's
breath
Smells wooingly
here: no jutty, frieze,
Buttress, nor coign of vantage, but
this bird
Hath made his pendent bed and procreant
cradle:
Where they most breed and haunt, I have
observed,
The air is
delicate.
These
are the lines with which act I scene VI of Macbeth begin. King
Duncan, Banquo and others have just arrived at the gate of Macbeth's castle,
Inverness. Duncan's remark is highly ironical because he expresses
a deep sense of sweet calm in amn innocent admiration of the castle and its environment.
But he can hardly apprehend that the castle which he designates as "a pleasant seat" is
soon going to become a horror house of death for him. Duncan's lack of knowledge in this
regard and his spontaneous remark contrary to the impending event make the words spoken
by him so ironical.
Banquo's response is also a piece of
verbal irony. He too does not apprehend anything about Macbeth's
foul ambition as being activated by Lady Macbeth. Banquo continues in the same vein as
Duncan has just spoken. He refers to the " temple-haunting martlet" having
built its nest in some corner of the castle, believing it to be a safe and secure place
full of rest and peace, suitable for procreation and caring the little ones. Banquo too
refers, like Duncan, to the "nimble" and "sweet" air, and feels it to be
"the heaven's breath". But we know that in
actuality the castle is soon going to turn into a veritable
hell.
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