William Shakespeare's Use of Language to Heighten Drama in Macbeth

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William Shakespeare's Use of Language to Heighten Drama in Macbeth

For my essay I am going to compare the tragedies of Macbeth and Lady

Macbeth and decide whose is the greater. I will look at how

Shakespeare exploits language to heighten drama and tragedy for the

audience.

William Shakespeare wrote 'Macbeth' around the year 1606. It is widely

thought that the play was written for the King of Denmark, who was in

Londonon a visit to his brother-in-law, James I. Shakespeare found the

nucleus of the play in a book, which he used many times in writing his

historical plays: Ralph Holinshed's 'Chronicles of England, Scotland

and Ireland' published in 1577. According to Holinshed, Duncan I was a

weak king, and Macbeth a rival chief with a genuine grievance. Macbeth

had met 'three woman in evil apparel', who had made certain

prophecies. Encouraged by his wife, and aided by a certain Banquo and

some friends, he killed Duncan and reigned honourably for seventeen

years. Also in Holinshed's 'Chronicles' there is a story of an old

warrior chieftain called King Duff, who was murdered by a man called

Donwald and his wife, when the King was staying in their castle as a

guest. Shakespeare combined the two stories in composing the plot of

Macbeth. Although there was a historical Lady Macbeth, she had one

son, Lulach 'the simple', this may explain the child whose brains she

would have 'dash'd out had she so sworn'.

The traditional criteria for a tragedy are that the main character has

to occupy a weighty and well-respected position. The main character

would suffer from a fatal flaw that would eventually lead to their

demise. To speed up this proc...

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... from the audience. His wife may have played the

'Roman fool' but he was not about to follow her path. At the time of

Macduff's confrontation Macbeth's demise is now in sight. The audience

can see this and sympathise with Macbeth, which is the key ingredient

to a tragedy.

In examining the facts before me I believe that Lady Macbeth suffers

greater tragedy than Macbeth does. She suffers far greater inner

turmoil than Macbeth. It is not until after Lady Macbeth has died does

Macbeth finally begin to show signs of repent and guilt. Penny

Woolcock's 1996 adaptation of 'Macbeth' supports my views; she also

saw that it is Macbeth that is her fatal flaw. Shakespeare makes sure

through his language, that the audience feels the suffering of the

main characters; he exploits language well in order to heighten

tension.

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