Elements of Darkness in Macbeth by Shakespeare

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Elements of Darkness in Macbeth by Shakespeare

William Shakespeare's Macbeth is a play of darkness. Throughout the play, three things in particular play a part in setting this stage, so to speak, of darkness. These three things are characters, theme and mood. Each has its own part in setting up the darkness. The characters (the title character in particular) are dark in their actions, the theme is dark in its subject matter, and the mood is dark in its essence.

Macbeth in particular, is very dark in his actions. To prove this, we will look at the beginning of the play. In act 1, scene 3, the witches, who met Macbeth on a dark heath, gave him some truths and some lies - "All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane/ of Glamis!", "All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane/ of Cawdor!", "All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter!" (I, iii, 49-53). The witches in their evil way prompted Macbeth's ambition to be king. They planted the thought that he could be king if Duncan died.

... My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical,

Shakes so my single state of man

That function is smothered in surmise

And nothing is, but what is not. (I, iii, 151-154)

Once Duncan is killed, Macbeth can't stop. He must kill everyone and anyone who stands in his way. He even kills Banquo and Macduff's family. (News of Banquo) "My lord, his throat is cut. That I did for him." (III, iv, 18) (News of Macduff's family) "Your castle is surprised, you wife and babes/ Savagely slaughtered." (IV, iii, 233-236) He then thinks that he is invisible because the witches told him "...The power of man, for none of woman born/ Shall harm Macbeth" (IV, i, 88-89) and " Macbeth shall never vanquished be, until Great Birnam Wood to high Duns...

... middle of paper ...

... horror from the time, / Which now suits with it. Whiles I threat, he lives. / Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives." (II, i, 67-69) Then, for a final example of the dark mood, we have the banquet scene, which should be fun and happy, but there is no joy because Macbeth keeps seeing the ghost of Banquo --

Avaunt, and quit my sight! Let the earth hide thee!

Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold;

Thou hast no speculation in those eyes

Which thou dost glare with. (III, iv, 111-114)

Shakespeare's Macbeth is definitely a play of darkness. By looking at the characters in the play (Macbeth in particular) and their actions, the theme's dark subject matter, and the mood's dark essence, Shakespeare made it very clear that this is play of darkness. Whether it had been intended or not, it is very obvious that he was very successful in doing so.

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