Masterful Management of the Atmosphere in Macbeth
Shakespeare in his tragedy Macbeth shows himself to be a playwright who can manipulate the atmosphere at every turn in the road. The atmosphere of this play is a choreographic work of art which is synchronized with the action of the play.
Blanche Coles states in Shakespeare's Four Giants that he agrees with G. B. Harrison, that this play contains one of the finest examples of atmosphere ever created in drama:
Macbeth is overwhelmed with the significance of his filthy deed. His wife is concerned only with the details of what must be done next - with facts. She has no imagination. The passage between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth after the murder is one of the finest examples of atmosphere ever created in drama."(62)
Lily B. Campbell in her volume of criticism, Shakespeare's Tragic Heroes: Slaves of Passion,
explains how the atmosphere of terror and fear is built up:
Macbeth is, however, not only a study of fear; it is a study in fear. The sounds and images in the play combine to give the atmosphere of terror and fear. The incantation of the witches, the bell that tolls while Duncan dies, the cries of Duncan, the cries of the women as Lady Macbeth dies, the owl, the knocking at the gate, the wild horses that ate each other, the story, the quaking of the earth - all of these are the habitual accompaniments of the willfully fearful in literature. (238-39)
Charles Lamb in On the Tragedies of Shakespeare comments on the atmosphere surrounding the play:
The state of sublime emotion into which we are elevated by those images of night and horror which Macbeth is made to utter, that solemn prelude with which he entertains the time till the bell shall strike which is to call him to murder Duncan, - when we no longer read it in a book, when we have given up that vantage-ground of abstraction which reading possesses over seing, and come to see a man in his bodily shape before our eyes actually preparing to commit a muder, if the acting be true and impressive as I have witnessed it in Mr. K's performance of that part, the painful anxiety about the act, the natural longing to prevent it while it yet seems unperpetrated, the too close pressing semblance of reality,give a pain and an uneasiness [.
The suffering of Macbeth throughout the play is a disconsolate process. Throughout the stages of his grievous downfall essential truths about humanity are dubiously displayed. Macbeth’s ordeal reveals the ev...
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In brief, the three scenes discussed above are illustrations of the compunction the two Macbeths are equally afflicted with after they preside over the murders of their king, a close friend, and an entire innocent family. Neither one was expecting such a strong impact on their minds, but neither could hide from their guilty consciences after the fact. Inevitably, Lady Macbeth is overcome with despair and commits suicide, not surprising given her poor, ravaged mind. Macbeth, too, seems to succumb to his inexorable destiny by Macduff’s sword, solidifying the pervasive theme that unchecked ambition must lead to an unpleasant end.
The legendary plot of Macbeth, like those of many Shakespearean plays, relies heavily on the influence of the supernatural. The play itself reflects on the dark inane tendencies of humans to be evil, especially when faced with a thirst for power. Throughout its course, the reader is able to witness a man’s transformation from a brave soldier to a murdering madman. Without the impact of certain apparitions, hallucinations, and three bearded witches, the events of the story would not have unfolded as they did. The root evil is first planted in the minds of two ambitious people, creating in their minds a projection of how things will turn out. Unbeknownst to our two leading lunatics, the eventual outcome of the play will not be the scenario drawn up in their twisted minds.
Warren, Roger. Shakespeare Survey 30. N.p.: n.p., 1977. Pp. 177-78. Rpt. in Shakespeare in the Theatre: An Anthology of Criticism. Stanley Wells, ed. England: Oxford University Press, 2000.
..., but her “crisis” still arrives “ever more terrible” (Garber 712). At the time of Duncan’s death, Lady Macbeth guided her husband to clean his hands of blood. Towards the Tragedy’s end, she begins to see visions – visions that will lead to her death – of blood on her hands while she sleeps. She becomes terribly distraught, much like Macbeth had previously displayed, and by this time Macbeth has been hardened from merciless killings and obsession with “lifeless materiality” (Arthos). They each experience both sides of the sword – the sense of power that springs from greed, and the terrible guilt that results from injustice – and, regardless of its timing, they both are unable to sustain themselves at the hand of evil. They lose far more than they ever could have hoped to gain, their lives empty and fruitless, and so they die; of madness, of insanity, of selfishness.
...elm. Criticism on Shakespeare s Tragedies . A Course of Lectures on Dramatic Art and Literature. London: AMS Press, Inc., 1965.
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William Shakespeare’s dramatic and poetic techniques and his use of hyperbole are used to describe the characters emotions and weaknesses. The use of dramatic irony is used to create personal conflict. This is done throughout the play to describe the characters concerns and their situations.
The character of Macbeth is the battlefield on which we witness one of the most intense struggles in the whole play, forming our tragic hero. In the beginning of the play, Macbeth is called honorable and brave because his fearless fighting in the opening battle. Indeed, Macbeth seems to be a worthy man. Yet, when faced with the opportunity to seize more power for himself through the use of wicked tactics, a war is kindled within him. Although he is pulled strongly towards the evil inside by his personal ambition and by the influence of his wife, Lady Macbeth, Macbeth's conscience and human kindness does not let him give in easily. In the heat of the battle, Macbeth's ambition is victorious when he chooses to commit the murder of Duncan. Though the first murder leads to others, Macbeth does not tur...
In the touching and gripping tale of John Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men, he explains many themes throughout the books. One of the major themes is loneliness, which is shown throughout many different characters, for example, Curley’s wife, the stable buck (Crooks), and Lennie.
In the play of “Macbeth”, Shakespeare gradually and effectively deepens our understanding of the themes and most importantly the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. The main theme of Macbeth is ambition, and how it compels the main characters to pursue it. The antagonists of the play are the three witches, who symbolise the theme appearance and reality. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s relation is an irony throughout the play, as most of their relation is based on greed and power. This is different from most of Shakespeare’s other plays, which are mostly based on romance and trust. There is also guilt that leads Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to the final consequences of the play. As the progresses, the constant changes in Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are exposed.
Ambrose Bierce once said “Prejudice is a vagrant opinion without visible means of support.” (This quote goes along with exactly what Steinbeck portrays throughout his well-known novel “Of Mice and Men.” As Steinbeck is writing the story he has many different goals, trying to show just how difficult it was for workers and people during the Great Depression era, and also help the reader better understand and connect with each character (Attell). He uses the many different character personalities to present major themes throughout, two of the major themes being powerlessness and prejudice towards many of the characters. During this time it was extremely difficult for individuals to find and have a set place to
of rebels and rebellions. It is not fair to say that the form of rebel
Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” explores a fundamental struggle of the human conscience. The reader is transported into the journey of a man who recognizes and acknowledges evil but still succumbs to its destructive powers. The character of Macbeth is shrouded in ambiguity that scholars have claimed as both being a tyrant and tragic hero. Macbeth’s inner turmoil and anxieties that burden him throughout the entire play evoke sympathy and pity in the reader. Though he has the characteristics of an irredeemable tyrant, Macbeth realizes his mistakes and knows there is no redemption for his sins. And that is indeed tragic.