What does 'Confusion now hath made his masterpiece' mean?

Answer 1

from Shakespeare's "Macbeth"

--------------------------------------

Yes, but he asks what it means, not where it's from. It's actually from Act II Sc3 [line 71 in my edition, but this varies in some editions].

'Confusion' [Chaos, &c.] is personified and has made 'his' masterpiece. One of the central themes of Macbeth is the idea that if you upset the Natural Order, you upset all nature. The Natural Order is a figurative triangle, with God at the top, then the Archangels, then Angels, Saints &c, in appropriate sequence, and stones and mud at the bottom, below worms and beetles and plants. The King comes somewhere below the Saints, but above other men . Having killed the King, Macbeth has committed three crimes at once: simple murder, treason [because the King personifies the country itself] and blasphemy [because the King is God's annointed]. This horrid deed against Nature sets in train a sequence of chaotic and unnatural events, which are described in the next scene - II.4. Well worth a read.

Shakespeare wrote Macbeth shortly after the gunpowder plot, which was intended to kill the King, to show the sort of consequences such a crime might have. 'Three' is another theme that runs through the play - it being supposed to be a number with magical properties. King James was interested in witchcraft, so bung in three witches. The very first line of the play, spoken by First Witch, is 'When shall we three meet again?', establishing that theme before all else.

Answer 2

This phrase, attributed to Shakespeare, means that confusion has reached its peak or achieved its highest form. It suggests that confusion has become particularly challenging or difficult to untangle.