How Does Shakespeare Use Dramatic Irony In Macbeth

Macbeth is a very interesting play with lots of twists and turns throughout the plot. Shakespeare uses many literary devices to convey his story and messages while adding more details to the play. In Macbeth, Shakespeare uses dramatic irony throughout the play to convey what happens to Macbeth and his wife's mental state, which then reveals the theme that things are not always what they seem. In the murder of Duncan, Shakespeare uses dramatic irony in the foreshadowing, and then again in the aftermath describing the mental state of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.

Dramatic irony shows the audience insight on events that may later occur. The use of irony in the murder of Duncan is very important. ¨This castle hath a pleasant seat; the air / Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself / Unto our gentle senses¨ (Mac.1.7.1-3). One can find dramatic irony in this because King Duncan describes Inverness, Macbeth's Castle, as pleasant and wonderful. Whereas the audience knows that Macbeth has planned the murder of Duncan to take place here. ¨O, never / Shall sun that morrow see!¨ (Mac.1.6.58-59). This quote backs up the dramatic irony because it is the action that his face will never see the sun again is providing the irony in his remarks. The use of this dramatic irony describing Inverness leads to the death of Duncan which causes Macbeth and

his wife to go insane.
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth end up murdering King Duncan. In the aftermath of the murder, Macbeth is upset and worried but Lady Macbeth comforts him. ¨These deeds must not be thought / After these ways; so, it will make us mad¨ (Mac.2.2.33-34). In this quote Lady Macbeth talks about what may happen to herself and Macbeth if they choose to ponder the murder. The dramatic irony lies in the fact that the audience knows that this murder and guilt will be the downfall of the Macbeths´.
Once Macbeth has calmed down Lady Macbeth goes to plant the evidence, daggers. ¨A little water clears us of this deed¨ (Mac.2.2.66). This quote is ironic because water may clean the physical aspect but it will not clean her memory or guilt. Later on the reader can see this guilt come back to haunt her. ¨Out, damned spot! Out, I say!¨ (Mac.5.1.31). Lady Macbeth tells the spot on her hand to leave, while sleepwalking she is trying to wash her hands. Her hands that are clean show nothing but she sees blood on them everywhere and this is representing her guilt. This quote back up the irony in the saying that water could clean up the mess they made.
One last piece of dramatic irony that is in the play was about Banquo.

¨Sweet remembrancer¨ (Mac.3.4.38). In this quote Macbeth says that he has a nice reminder of his friend Banquo, whom he just killed. The dramatic irony happens in two situations. The first one is that the banquet he speaks too does not know of Banquo's death and that Macbeth was the one who had him killed. The second situation is how the reminder is sweet, yet when Macbeth will see the ghost of Banquo he will be terrified. ¨If I stand here, I saw him¨”(Mac.3.4.73). This quote then backs up the irony because the reminder of Banquo in his seat terrifies him and is not

¨sweet¨.
Shakespeare´s use of dramatic irony adds a lot of detail to the downfall of Lady Macbeth and Macbeth, while revealing the theme that things are not always what they seem. Shakespeare revealed his theme that things are not always what they seem through the irony of events that occurred. When Macbeth and his wife killed people not knowing that it would haunt them forever and be their downfall. This shows one the theme because when they committed the acts they assumed it would all play out in their favor, but in reality the audience knows that things will come to an end while haunting them. Things are not always what they seem is an interesting concept because throughout the play with twists and turns of guilt one can see new things that appear in the plot. These twists and turns are not possible without the use of dramatic irony. In conclusion, the use of dramatic irony helps convey the message of the theme and the use of theme helps add detail to the outcome of the mental state of the Macbeths.