Compare the opening statement of Macbeth in scene iv, in which the guests are told how they are to be seated, with the lines Lady Macbeth speaks telling them how they are to depart (118-119). How does the contrast epitomize and symbolize the kind of world Macbeth has created in his kingdom?
The moment that Macbeth kills King Duncan, the Elizabethan universe is upended. God's order has been disturbed so everything is out of sorts. This includes the hierarchy of seating. Men are supposed to enter the eating hall by order of importance. Higher thanes sit first. After the chaos of the meal, Lady Macbeth just wants her guests to leave,
Stand not upon the order of your going,. But go at once.
This disorder reflects the chaos that has befell both Macbeth and the Kingdom.
