Dramatic Tension in Act 2 Scene 2 of William Shakespeare's Macbeth
Between the times of 1603 and 1606 a wonderful play was written called
‘Macbeth’ by a man called William Shakespeare who discovered the
original story in a book called ‘History of Scotland.’ It was written
in the times when King James I was king of both England and Scotland,
which is where the play is set, so it was written with his interest in
mind. So having him in mind Shakespeare wrote it to include themes
that both concerned and interested King James I. What interested him
was the supernatural like witchcraft, apparitions (hallucinations) and
ghosts. It was seen as a colossal crime to practice witchcraft, so
Shakespeare’s audience most likely saw the witches as evil servant of
the devil and Macbeth’s dealings with them would have probably been
seen as a monstrous sin and crime. James the first believed in the
Divine Right of Kings, which is the belief that the monarchy were
appointed by God and were put on the earth to rule His deputies. James
I also felt any attempt to change the natural order pronounced by God
was like double crossing God and would end up causing chaos and
confusion. That is why Macbeth pays a high price in the play for his
disloyalty to King Duncan and his best friend Banqou who is based on
one of King James’s ancestors and is the hero in the play for that
reason, but in the original story Banquo joined Macbeth in the murder
of King Duncan. Shakespeare didn’t portray Banquo’s character that way
because it would make King James very unhappy. In this essay, however,
I’m going to analyse how Shakespeare builds up dramatic tension in act
2 scene 2
Act 2 Scene 2 is a very important scene in ‘Macbeth.’ In Act 2 Scene 2
the character of both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth is revealed. This scene
allows the audience to get to know the characters’ personalities. In
this scene a very tense atmosphere is set because it is a very dark
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.
Act 3 Scene 1 of William Shakespeare's Macbeth. Background King Duncan, has been murdered by Macbeth, and Macbeth is crowned King. of Scotland. Banquo is back in the royal castle of Forres, and we find. out, that he has been observing the recent events and is aware of the witches' prophecies.
king. In scene 2 act 2 we are shown Macbeth in a state of shock and
In this essay I will be examining how Act 1 Scene 5 of “Macbeth” would
direct Act 2 scenes 1 and 2 (the ones before and after the murder of
Act 2 scene 2 is the most violent and intense part of Macbeth although we do no 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. Everything that happens within the play appears to revolve around this particular scene. Not only is this important because it contains the murderous act, it also conveys to the audience the rapid disintegration of the relationship between the two main characters, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.
At the start of Act 1, Scene 2 Macbeth is shown brave and loyal with
William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth is truly a masterpiece of writing, and a great example of this is Shakespeare’s use of the writing technique Elision to create a feeling of suspense, as well as provoking imagery and emotion throughout the play. This writing technique is used by making key events take place of stage. These such events were the killing of king Duncan, the death of Lady Macbeth and the beheading of Macbeth.
The Dramatic Effect of Act 5 Scene 1 on the Play Macbeth In this scene the doctor and the gentlewoman wait for Lady Macbeth as it was reported to the doctor that she had been sleepwalking on previous occasions - "since her majesty returned from the field, I have seen her rise from her bed". It is reported by the gentlewoman that every time Lady Macbeth sleepwalks she writes something on paper and she had also seen Lady Macbeth continuously perform an action of washing her hands vigorously. Lady Macbeth enters holding a candle.
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.
important as the play unfolds beginning even with Macbeth’s opinions at the beginning of the
In Act 3, Scene 4 of Macbeth we are able to identify the disintegration of both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s characters in the overwrought scene. Throughout this scene Shakespeare uses a range of techniques to present their conflicting characters, creating dramatic tension. From the darkness of Banquo’s murder in the previous scene, there is a sudden tonal shift, as the scene abruptly changes to the bustle of the banqueting hall. The “Banquet Scene” is one of the most engaging scenes as it may be considered to be the pivotal point of the play. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth need the banquet to be a success as this is the first time they will be presenting themselves as monarchs and the rightful successors to the throne before society. However, this creates a sense of fundamental irony as the audience is aware that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are illegitimate figures and falsely usurped the crown. There is also a sense of comic relief as Macbeth publicly humiliates himself when he is confronted supernaturally by his sins. It is interesting to observe the changes within the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth and their shifting relationship after the appearance of Banquo’s ghost.
In a world where murder is seen as a way to check if the prophecies of the witches are real, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth get caught by greed, the only escape seems to be a murder that will stop the nightmare of the killings. Once the murder has been committed, the revolt against it becomes very absurd and very illegitimate, making Macbeth a tragedy of the dark that develops in the night. In Act II scene II, Shakespeare uses tension and dramatic interest along with stage effects and language techniques to illustrate how Macbeth, with the help of Lady Macbeth influencing him to do so, commit the dreadful murder of King Duncan, and the after effects of this deed.
At the start of act 1 we learn that Macbeth and lady Macbeth are in a
of the 'evil' witches as he was sure that witches were out to get him