So, who is Seyton in Macbeth? Seyton is Macbeth’s loyal servant. We know Macbeth is a major character in the Macbeth story and Seyton has a great role to play in adding depth to Macbeth’s character. Although Seyton’s actions, interactions, and background are very limited here, his scenes are enough to reveal his personality. His roles are even evident in the tragic events of Macbeth. For instance, he was dutifully carrying out the orders given by Macbeth during the war against Malcolm.
“The queen, my lord, is dead.”
His character shows blind loyalty towards his master, Macbeth. His master was engaged in multiple sins, and Seyton’s roles helped in highlighting the consequences of Macbeth’s deeds in this story. It was Seyton’s role that helped the audience understand more about Macbeth and Seyton.
Who Is Seyton In Macbeth?
Seyton is a minor character and one of the few attendants in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. His stage roles were very limited, and in his last stages, Macbeth was there, crying and calling Seyton’s name. He starred first in the scene when Seyton Macbeth was preparing himself for the war against Malcolm and his forces. All his assistance was getting him ready for the battle against Malcolm’s forces, including Seyton. Being a trusted servant of Macbeth, Seyton performs all the duties and orders given by him. This shows how dedicated and loyal he is to his master. However, the main purpose of Seyton was to inform Macbeth about the death of Lady Macbeth, Macbeth’s wife.
Contribution of Seyton in Macbeth
Refuses To Comply With Macbeth’s Demand
Seyton was a dedicated and loyal servant of Macbeth. Yet, we could see that he denied taking orders from Macbeth. There is a kind of diabolic nature to witches in Seyton, although the presence of witches is not highlighted in Act V.
Macbeth used to seek guidance from supernatural, evil forces. Besides, he was afraid of the damage that could befall on him during the war. So he desperately wanted to protect himself.
Macbeth: “I’ll fight till from my bones my flesh be hack’d. Give me my armor.”
Seyton: ” ‘Tis not needed yet.”
Macbeth ordered Seyton to give him his armor. Then Seyton said, “Tis, not needed yet.” Seyton refused to take this order because he thought it was too early to take the armor in hand. Because the battle hadn’t started yet, Seyton advised his master to take the armor beforehand.
Confirms The Demise Of The Queen
In the final act, Seyton confirms the demise of the queen that we know as Lady Macbeth, saying,
“The queen, my lord, is dead.”
Lady Macbeth encourages Macbeth to kill Duncan along with Macbeth. They both didn’t want Duncan to be the king. After a time, she was regularly coping with the erratic behavior of Macbeth. She is already feeling guilty about killing Duncan, besides, her husband is making her life more horrible. All these circumstances compelled Lady Macbeth to take her own life.
Seyton Macbeth could hear a sound of women lamenting, so Macbeth sent him to find out about the issue. Seyton goes and comes with the news that Lady Macbeth is no more. Hearing the news, Macbeth was quiet and dumb. Later on, he announces the queen’s demise. Meanwhile, Macbeth was shattered hearing the news. He told Seyton that he knew that the queen would die because she was unable to cope with the guilt of supporting Duncan’s murder.
Seyton and Macbeth Shares Mutual Bond
A Loyal Servant
Seyton’s all interactions were with Macbeth in this story. While preparing for the war, Macbeth, his servants, and Seyton were there. Then all the servants dispersed, only Macbeth and Seyton were left. Macbeth told Seyton that he was sick at heart. He shared to Seyton that this war is either going to give him a life or take his life. He also added that his life is falling apart and turning into a yellow leaf. He thinks that the curses of men are so deep that his life won’t be good in old age. Then Seyton asks Macbeth,
“What’s your gracious pleasure?”
Seyton’s Loyalty to Macbeth
Seyton was the witness to Macbeth’s deteriorating mental state, which was evident in Scene V. This scene not only depicted Macbeth’s feelings, but also the connection between Macbeth and Seyton. This shows that Seyton, being a loyal servant, is always there with Macbeth, even in his darkest times. He was with him until Macbeth died at the hands of Macduff.
Another interaction of Seyton Macbeth was when Lady Macbeth was no more. The queen killed herself because she couldn’t bear the guilt of her crimes. When Seyton brought the news of the queen’s death to Macbeth, he was gloomy and numb.
Symbolic Roles Of Seyton
Syeton Warns Macbeth
Seyton’s role tells us that Macbeth is engaged in evil, and is soon going to enter the gates of hell. Macbeth was scared a lot about his doings towards Seyton; that’s why the public could understand more about Macbeth’s sins. Macbeth’s biggest crime was that he broke the chain of divine rights for the kings. Malcolm was the rightful king, and God was trying to restore the forces led by Malcolm. Meanwhile, Macbeth relied on the devil for help.
Seyton’s important role was when Macbeth confirmed his thoughts. He said to Seyton that God was rejecting him, so he will suffer badly in his remaining days. He thinks that because he killed Duncan, God is refusing the blessing on Macbeth.
Seyton supports Macbeth in his bad time
The most important role of Seyton in Macbeth was to bring the news of the queen’s death. Macbeth could hear the sound of a woman crying. So he told Macbeth to see what the noise was. Then Seyton confirmed that the queen died.
Despite going through Macbeth’s atrocities, Seyton has never stayed behind in performing his duties. His corrupted power has also never led Seyton away from obeying him. Indeed, there was a huge contrast between Macbeth and Malcolm in this story. We could underscore that difference only because Seyton played his roles. Although the rokes were minor, Seyton showed a glimpse of the inner workings of the tragic heroes.
Final Thoughts
At first, we must have contemplated, Who is Seyton in Macbeth? Well, Seyton has a very minor role to play in Macbeth, yet, he left no stone unturned to show us the real personality of Macbeth. Seyton’s personality was also quite visible. He has an unwavering loyalty towards Macbeth. Macbeth descended to madness when he was preparing for the battle against Malcolm. He showcased his feelings about his sorrows to Seyton, like he trusted him blindly. Macbeth had no doubt about Seyton’s loyalty because he was coping with every order and duties of Macbeth despite his atrocities. However, his entire play had only one purpose, i.e. delivering the news of Macbeth’s wife’s death to Macbeth.
