ABSTRACT
These words of Shakespeare are often quoted in the context of counselling because they so aptly express, even today, the value of putting deepest feelings into words, especially when those words can be heard and accepted by another person. Shakespeare also warns of the unhappy consequences, such as the sense of a broken heart, when feelings are not openly expressed. We could describe Macduff’s situation as follows:
Macduff is a Scottish Lord whose castle has been attacked in his absence and his wife and young children slaughtered by the agents of a certain Macbeth who fears being replaced one day by Macduff’s son. Macduff is a man of action who could easily respond without being fully aware of the feelings which motivate him. He might rush out to tackle Macbeth without forethought, thus putting his and others’ lives in danger. His old friend Malcolm knows how important it is for him to put his shock, pain and sorrow into words.
