A Critical Account of Macbeth Act 1 Scene VII
Shakespeare is often considered to be one of the world’s greatest
playwrights,
using his own style to back this up. He writes with poetic diction
using eloquent
words and phrases, he also uses lots of irony and drama to create and
sustain suspense
throughout his plays. Throughout this essay I am going to look very
closely at Act 1
in his play Macbeth, paying particular attention to Act 1 Scene VII, I
will be looking
to see how Shakespeare’s use of language enables the reader to become
a part of the
play.
Macbeth was written in Shakespeare’s usual formal manner, although
while this
play was meant to be performed and spoken, he wrote the dialogue in a
poetic
manner. Through reading this act closely I began to see how
Shakespeare was using
metaphors and imagery throughout the dialogue, this enabled me to see
just how
highly educated Shakespeare was in the English language. He carefully
places each
word to enable it to fit an iambic pentameter rhythm. This is very
clear right at the
beginning of Act 1 with the Witches first words:
‘Witch 1: When shall we three meet again?
In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
Witch 2: When the hurlyburly’s done,
When the battle’s lost and won.
Witch 3: That will be ere the set of sun.’ [1].
It is almost impossible to look at any scene closely within this play
without looking
at this first speech in the play. The witches immediately set the mood
of the play. We
can tell that the witches are creating some unpleasant magic, which is
to involve
Macbeth, le...
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...and evil. The witch’s prophecies spark
Macbeth’s ambitions
and then encourage his violent behaviour, Lady Macbeth provides the
brains and the
will behind her husbands plotting; and the only divine being to appear
is Hecate, the
goddess of witchcraft. Arguably Macbeth traces the root of chaos and
evil to women.
While the male characters are just as violent and prone to evil as the
women, the
aggression of the female characters is more striking because it goes
against prevailing
expectations of how women ought to behave. Lady Macbeth’s behaviour
certainly
shows that women can be just as cruel and ambitious as men. Whether it
is because of
the constraints within society or because she is not fearless enough
to kill, she relies
on deception rather than violence to achieve her ends.
The play starts out immediately with and example of this. Three witches are the first characters that appear on stage. They are conversing of when they will meet again to discuss some important information that will occur later in the story. At the end of this first scene, the three witches vanish into the wind.
the very beginning of the play the three witches are talking and the first witch
The Impact of Act 2 scene 2 of Macbeth & nbsp; Act 2 scene 2 is the most violent and intense part of Macbeth, although we do not actually witness the murder of King Duncan. It is interesting that Shakespeare chooses to have Macbeth kill Duncan offstage. We can only guess why he wrote the scene that way, I think that Shakespeare wanted to focus not on the murder but on Macbeth’s reaction to it; the bloody details supplied by the audiences imaginations will be much worse than anything that could be done onstage. It is also the most crucial part of the play; it is the first of many murders. This scene takes place at night; I feel the darkness represents what is unnatural, cruel and evil.
Lady Macbeth is one of William Shakespeare’s most famous and frightening female characters. As she is Macbeth’s wife, her role is significant in his rise and fall from royalty. She is Macbeth’s other half. During Shakespearean times, women were regarded as weak insignificant beings that were there to give birth and look beautiful. They were not thought to be as intelligent or equal to men. Though in Shakespeare's play, Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is the highest influence in Macbeth’s life. Her role was so large; in fact, that she uses her position to gain power, stay strong enough to support her unstable Lord, and fails miserably while their relationship falls apart. Everything about Lady Macbeth is enough to create the perfect villain because of her ability to manipulate everyone around her. It appears that even she can’t resist the perfect crime.
start, but in real life he was apparently not as good a king as is
When the play first opens we hear 3 strange witches standing in a field while it is thunder and lightening. They begin to chant spells and talk about their meeting with Macbeth as they vanish into thin air.
encouraged “To want to get on.” Most of us we would never go as far
The witches play a highly influential role in Macbeth, and their appearance in Macbeth’s life is uncontrollable. Although Macbeth chooses to believe the witches, they have a plan to destroy Macbeth that is out of Macbeth’s hands. He also cannot help that the witches are evil in nature, as evidenced by a conversation between the witches: “I will dra...
Throughout history women have fought for the same rights of men. In the time of William Shakespeare they were seen in society as weak and vulnerable. They were seen to be good, caring and not as powerful as men. Men were the superior and ruled the land. Shakespeare has taken the stereotypical image of the women of the time and turned it on its head in ‘Macbeth’. Lady Macbeth is shown as a very powerful, strong woman. She has an evil about her that Shakespeare has used to make ‘Macbeth’ a supernatural play. Women were seen to be good and not as powerful as men, in ‘Macbeth’ Lady Macbeth is the dominate character and commands and persuades Macbeth to commit the murders and crimes that he does.
Macbeth rejects conformation to traditional gender roles in its portrayal of Lady Macbeth’s relationship with her husband, her morals and their effect on her actions, and her hunger for power. Her regard for Macbeth is one of low respect and beratement, an uncommon and most likely socially unacceptable attitude for a wife to have towards her spouse at the time. She often ignores morality and acts for the benefit of her husband, and subsequently herself. She is also very power-hungry and lets nothing stand in the way of her success. Lady Macbeth was a character which challenged expectations of women and feminism when it was written in the seventeenth century.
In act 1 scene 1 it begins with the arrival of the three witches deciding to confront the great general Macbeth after his victorious return from battle. Banqou also stood before the witches as they began their significant prophecies about the events that will occur
The scene I chose was act 2 scene 2 of Macbeth written by Shakespeare. It was between two characters, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth. I played the role of Macbeth. In the scene, Lady Macbeth celebrates her plan being a success. Lady Macbeth waits for Macbeth to come with news that he has killed Duncan. Macbeth announces that he has committed the murder but he is so afraid that he brings the bloody daggers with him and Lady Macbeth takes them from him, to place them with the sleeping guards. Macbeth hears knocking sounds which frightens him so his wife comes to lead him away, they then wash the blood from their hands before they get caught. My character was challenging because I had to understand his emotions and find ways of interpreting that on stage. I chose to perform this act because Shakespeare was able to create tension, build the right atmosphere to show them Macbeth’s reaction to Duncan’s murder but also show the relationship between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth. Shakespeare’s use of imagery, dramatic irony, rhetorical questions helped emphasise the guilt Macbeth felt after the murder.
They challenge Macbeth’s character over the course of the play by giving him three simple prophecies about his life. The witches cause the play’s theme to start as very dark and gloomy because of their prophecies to Macbeth. If
Impressions of Macbeth in Act 1 At the beginning of the play, Macbeth, the honourable Thane of Glamis, is the “bravest” soldier, who fights for the King without mercy. He is a very successful and a highly respected member, who is always loaded with honours and praise. His rank and nobility are of great value, and his fighting for King Duncan is magnificent, and of course courageous. (Shakespeare describing Macbeth’s courage in battle: “Like valour’s minion carved out his passage till he faced the slave” (Act 1, scene 1, line 19)). Macbeth fights bravely, in hope that he will be known as a “valour’s minion” – Macbeth strongly values success because he recognises the fame and new titles he will gain from the public.
As the play begins, we are introduced to the witches. They speak in rhyming couplets, just as all supernatural elements in Shakespeare’s work do. This could have been to let the audience, which would have been aware of this technique, that the witches are in fact, or simply appear magical. The stage directions indicate “thunder and lightning,” every time the witches appear, this same stage direction is given throughout the play to set the intended atmosphere, this is pathetic fallacy.