William Shakespeare's Language use to Create an Atmosphere in Act 2 Scene 1 and Act 2 Scene 2 of Macbeth

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William Shakespeare's Language use to Create an Atmosphere in Act 2 Scene 1 and Act 2 Scene 2 of Macbeth

The two scenes, one and two are based around the murder of King

Duncan. The plot, orchestrated by the three witches, to make Macbeth

and Lady Macbeth kill the king. The Three Witches did this to create

chaos and confusion and they help persuade Macbeth to fulfill his

ambitious intentions through their prophesies.

In Act 2 Shakespeare uses language to create a feeling of suspicion

and fear. This sets the scene and creates an atmosphere of foreboding

and impending doom, which continues throughout the play.

Act 2 is set at Macbeths Castle where Duncan is graciously received by

the "honoured hostess" Lady Macbeth. The scene is set at night,

although the play would be performed during the daytime through

suspension of disbelief. Words such as "night", "moon", "candles" and

"twelve", denote this. The audience senses an evil atmosphere through

the narrative, "The moon is down" and " their candles are all out"

which illustrates a feeling of darkness and malice.

In Act 2 scene1, Banquo's anxiety is immediately apparent. There is

nervousness about his conversation and he discusses his lack of sleep.

The words "A heavy summon lies like lead upon me, And yet I would not

sleep," suggests that Banquo is uneasy and predicts that something bad

is going to happen. Before Macbeth appears, Banquo says, "Give me my

sword", this action indicates uneasiness and tension. When Banquo

discovers Macbeth is still awake and restless, he feels suspicious and

this is expressed in his words, "What, sir, not yet at rest?" This

leads him to doubt and mistrus...

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...weak and nervous until

Macbeth has done the deed. After he has committed the murder she

becomes calm and organised, taking control of the situation.

In Act 2, scene 1 and 2, Shakespeare uses many forms of language to

create an atmosphere. He uses imagery related to sleep, blood, light,

dark and guilt. These images create a tense and anxious atmosphere

leading up to the murder of King Duncan. Shakespeare also uses rhyming

couplets and alliteration to keep the audience interested in the play.

It also creates an impression on their response to the events in the

performance.

In conclusion Shakespeare uses these conventions to suspend the

readers disbelief, creating a surreal atmosphere throughout the play.

His use of language and imagery helps to inspire and captivate the

audience in constructing the mise en scene.

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