Creation of Atmosphere in William Shakespeare's Macbeth
This Essay will provide two main purposes; To show how Shakespeare
Develops atmosphere in Macbeth and secondly how I could introduce new
Stage directions to emphasise the atmosphere even more.
As the audience knows, A terrible deed is about to be performed in Act
2 scene 1 and therefore he tries to create an air of terrible tension
and the characters are obviously nervous.
"Give me my Sword- who's there?" -Line 10 Scene 1.
Even though Banquo, as yet, has no idea about the murder, he is still
jerky. He could be feeling the tension because of the eerie atmosphere
created by Shakespeare with the use Of Sound as well as other
characters mentioning the eerie night. As soon as he senses someone he
immediately goes for his sword. This shows Banquo is immediately
assuming that the other person is an enemy. His body language shows
aggression and challenging behaviour. After this Macbeth immediately
responds to Banquo by saying "a friend" (Line 11). This is ironic, as,
although they are friends at this point, Macbeth is about to perform a
deed that would certainly ruin their relationship.
"I think not of them; Yet when we can entreat an hour to serve" Line
22.
This is the response by Macbeth after Banquo is, honestly, stating
that he has been thinking about the Witches prophecies. Macbeth
blatantly lies and says that he hasn't thought about it. Shakespeare
has continued to create the atmosphere of tension by including this,
we have all lied under pressure. It also makes an interesting contrast
between the 2 characters. Banquo is being open and maybe more honest
and brave while Macbeth is being Cowardly by not letting his feelings
out. This contrast is a start for what is continued at the end of the
play. The audience are more than likely going to see the Irony in this
as Macbeth has been spending nearly the whole play thinking about the
Prophecies.
In terms of stage directions I would suggest that all movement was
conclusion will include the end of the story that i stated at the beginning and sum up what I overall thought of the story and the parts I analyzed.
end. This essay will further show how both stories shared similar endings, while at the same time
Without a general supernatural stigma from the witches, the story would not be as interesting as it is and wouldn’t lay a clear foundation. The reader can enhance their experience by making predictions about the prophecies, thus grabbing the readers attention to continue to read. The role of supernatural is to also create suspense. Suspense of the prophecies gives the reader a sense of what’s to come next. In contrast this will make the reader have motivation to continue as it is a difficult text to understand. The following quote creates suspense as it shows the reader Macbeth is at decline point while constantly relying on the prophecies to save him The mind I sway by and the heart I bear. Shall never sag with doubt nor shake with fear.
In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, the protagonist, Macbeth, murders the king of Scotland and eventually murders several other people. In the end, Macbeth meets his tragic fate of being killed by the nobleman Macduff. Throughout the play, Macbeth makes decisions that affect his fate, but other characters manipulate his choices and his actions. Early in the play Macbeth, Macbeth has control over his actions, but due to the influence of other characters and his subsequent insanity, by the end of the play, Macbeth has no control over his fate.
Noah Webster, author of Webster’s Dictionary, defines mood as the “temporary state of the mind in regard to passion or feeling“ and “a morbid or fantastic state of mind.” E. L. Thorndike and Clarence L. Barnhart, authors of Scott, Foresman Advanced Dictionary, define mood as “the overall atmosphere or prevailing emotional aura of a work.” Shakespeare’s Macbeth, especially the pivotal and ominous second act, exemplifies both denotations of mood. The act has an “overall atmosphere,” even though the mood shifts, while this mood places a sense of cliff-hanging anxiety at the beginning, an ambiance of hysterics towards the middle, a feeling of tragic realization directly following, and an unsure aura of occult extractions. Shakespeare cleverly uses six key elements to further shape and add to the mood: the characters, the imagery, the setting, the sounds, the characters’ actions, and the characters’ dialogue.
...it up to each reader to draw their own conclusions and search their own feelings. At the false climax, the reader was surprised to learn that the quite, well-liked, polite, little convent girl was colored. Now the reader had to evaluate how the forces within their society might have driven such an innocent to commit suicide.
the beginning of all the bad events that occur in the remaining of the novel.
"Is 't night's predominance or the day's shame / That darkness does the face of Earth entomb / When living light should kiss it?" (Macbeth 2.4.9-11).¹ The reversal of night and day in William Shakespeare's Macbeth represents a reversal far more permanent and unnatural: that of a nation's hierarchy. When the title character makes the tragic decision to commit regicide and begin a dishonest ascent to kingship, the destruction of the natural order of Scotland commences, and this turn of events is reflected by the violent reaction of natural phenomena in the country. William Shakespeare, as an author contracted by King James I, sought to preserve a conservative monarchical system, promote the philosophy of the Divine Right of Kings, and please his patron through Macbeth: Pairing Macbeth's murder of Scotland's King Duncan with a series of unnatural events, Shakespeare illustrates to audiences the severity of such a crime and the displeasure of nature and God with its perpetrator. The use of violent natural imagery in Macbeth solidifies a monarch's place as the divinely appointed leader of a nation by displaying God's consternation with Macbeth, embodying the interruption of a nation's natural hierarchy, striking terror into the hearts of those disloyal to their monarch, and portraying the witches as supernatural forces of evil upon Earth.
Macbeth: Appearance and Reality. The theme of appearance versus reality is very important in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. The characters of Duncan, Macbeth, and Lady Macbeth are unable to differentiate between appearance and reality, resulting in tragic consequences. Poor judgment is evidenced by Duncan, who trusts Macbeth too much; Lady Macbeth, who is fooled by the witches; and Macbeth, who is tricked repeatedly by others.
There are various factors that contribute to Macbeth’s downfall, but the light and dark play the largest role. The Tragedy of Macbeth by Shakespeare illustrates lightness and darkness as it is incorporated through the witches, Lady Macbeth, and Macbeth himself.
In today’s rational and scientifically explainable world, it would be hard for us to believe in supernatural intervention in our every day lives unlike during the times of the Shakespearean plays. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, there are three examples of this kind of thing: one with the witches, one with a ghost of a best friend, and one with the a few apparitions.
turn into animals but when one of them turns into a rat it has no tail,
to go on. This is the most important event in the book, and the most
Regardless of your position on supernatural events in our world, you have to acknowledge the supernatural forces at play in Shakespeare’s Macbeth. In our society, we hear the occasional ghost stories or urban legends, hinting at an entanglement between our world and one more supernatural. However, when you look into the world of Macbeth, you are thrown into a world of witches, ghosts, and prophecies, all of which have very real influence upon their world. These supernatural forces pull the strings, manipulating the natural world for their liking, or benefit. This is seen in the witch’s manipulation of Macbeth, which drives the main plot of the play. Macbeth is manipulated by supernatural forces into preforming acts that went against his, and the world’s nature, causing his humanity to wither away and making him just as unnatural as his manipulators. Humanity is made up of what comes naturally to all humans: love, emotions, relationships, and ambition. The supernatural forces in the play cause these characteristics (his humanity) to diminish. Specifically his capacity to love is erased, as seen with his relationship with Lady Macbeth, and his natural ambition is replaced with an unnatural sense of destined entitlement, which leads him on his crimson-stained rise to power.