Analysis of Macbeth Essay

Shakespe be uses vivid and justly forms of imagery to let the audience visualize the setting. noblewoman Macbeth is portrayed as a strong woman who is attracted to power and would do anything to be in control she is anything but an elegant and sensitive woman. After the bloodshed begins, however, noblewoman Macbeth falls an easy prey to insanity and guilt. Her soliloquy (5.1.24-30) shows her dec post into violence when she says,out damned spotThere atomic number 18 many examples of visual and aural imagery throughout the play. The impinge on of Dun give the bounce is indicated by the clanging of a bell and the bang at the gate. Though they are not set forrad in the school text, the stage directions are enough to build up the tension. The knocking occurs between each line that is spoken in a singsong regularity. There is a great emphasis on the knocking because it startles Macbeth and doll Macbeth as they quickly try and cover up their involvement in the murder.To add to th e intensity, the fact that the entire scene (2.2) takes place at iniquity builds up the suspense as the darkness is used to bring up peculiar comp iodinnts like cruelty and the supernatural. Darkness as a thematic tool is instantly used by Shakespeare in the opening of the play. The tether witches enter in thunder and lightning which sets the mood of the play, which becomes Shakespeares habitual behavior of introducing the witches into a scene. Introducing the supernatural and the witches to the audience at the beginning, intensifies the significance of their role. The audience can now ascertain that even when the witches do not count instantly in a scene, the progression of the plot w complaint revolve almost their prophecies.Shakespeare reminds us of the gloominess of the play by creating uncertainty in maam Macbeths expectant wait for her husband, which soon becomes nervousness and excitement as he arrives. Animal imagery, a frequent motif, in this good example, the excla iming of the honker is considered as an indication that He is about it . The owl, like a raven, is considered an ill omen an omen of ending and represents natures messenger-the fatal bellman. This line appears to minimize the enormity of Duncans murder and seems that bird Macbeth is blaming the bellman.Blood is another(prenominal) motif throughout the play. The language used to describe Macbeths anguish state is extraordinarily effective in terms of imagery and detail. When Macbeth looks at his hands and thinks they are a sorry sight and his hand entrust rather the multitudinous seas incarnadine, making the green one red (2.2.58). Shakespeare uses prosopopoeia to manipulate Macbeths bloody hands as witnesses to the murder when lady Macbeth urges him to wash this filthy witness from your hands (2.2.50).Themes are fundamental ideas explored in literary work. In my chosen extract, there are no item lines that show the various themes in the play. However, the link between cruelt y and maleness is one of the first themes introduced to the audience. The murder of Duncan is the first in Macbeths farsighted line of consumeings. It soon becomes evident to us that Lady Macbeth provides the brains and the willpower rump Macbeths actions.Her behavior proves that women can be as ambitious as men, as she herself wishes to be unsexed (1.5.40) to become more masculine than feminine. tear down so, she depends on the manipulation of others, rather than using violence herself. Macbeth asks her to bring forth men children alone (1.7.73) and she says nothing to challenge this statement. The hired murderers were also persuaded to kill Banquo by being questioned about their manhood. These acts prove that both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth consociate courage or strength with violence they think alike. The witches predictions also start Macbeths need to continue the bloodshed as he is blind by his overconfidence in them.When Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are first introduced, they appear to have a very strong and caring relationship that seems to be based on trust (Macbeth tells her about the three witches in his letter). However, as Macbeths lust for remaining King grows, the audience knows that one murder always leads to another. Because of this, his relationship with Lady Macbeth weakens and is not able to flourish. We notice that whenever they are together in a scene, they are either pretending to be innocent or planning yet another murder.The scene aft(prenominal) the murder of Duncan, consists of a range of language techniques. The first clever region of this scene is Shakespeares use of a technique cognize as Elision. It does not allow the readers to witness the actual murder of Duncan. This is an age out of date tradition used by the Greek tragedians Sophocles and Aeschylus, to allow the readers mind to decide on the enormity of an unseen event, in this case the murder. This diverts the audiences attention to the reactions caused by the murder an d not the murder itself.Shakespeare uses specific haggling that have an impact on the readers mind. It was the owl that shriekd (2.2.3) is a very effective clock time. Shakespeare could have substituted this word for anything that meant to call and it would not have had the same effect. This is because the word shrieked not only contains plosive consonants (K & D), but also implies a high-pitched, piercing sound of terror or pain, contributing to the strength of the sentence and the recurring motif of death or blood.The order of the sentences used by Shakespeare, or the syntax, is hardly changed by varying sentence length and rearranging the order of the words for effectual sentences. A variety of techniques such as ellipses and antithesis are frequently used by Shakespeare throughout the play. The antithesis, in this case, is Lady Macbeth. Shakespeare emphasizes her courage to admit to herself that what hath quenchd them, hath given me fire- which shows that she has been drink ing too.Lady Macbeth Did not you speak?Macbeth WhenLady Macbeth Now.Macbeth As I descended?Lady Macbeth Ay.Macbeth HarkThis piece of text, taken afterward the murder, shows how Shakespeare uses monosyllabic words to build up the tension and intensity of Lady Macbeth and Macbeths staccato-dialogue discourse. Shakespeare also uses a traditional kind of verse known as the Iambic Pentameter (unrhymed). It consists of a ten-syllable line with an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one (da DUM). The majority of this play alternates between prose and neat verse.Blank verse resembles prose in that the last word of each sentence does not rhyme, however, there are the occasional rhyming couplets Hear it not, Duncan, for it is a knellThat summons thee to heaven or to hell The utilization of the iambic pentameter, gives the lines a certain rhythm, making them easier to remember when producing a play. However Shakespeare sometimes uses a style of writing called prose. Prose is a piec e of written or spoken language in its ordinary form without a lilting pattern or any metrical structure. An example of prose can be seen from lines seventeen and onwards. The sentence structure is short, simple and smart. Sentences like Ay and When? show that the conversation between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth is fast-paced and confirms that they are nervous.Lady Macbeth A stupid thought, to say a sorry sightMacbeth Theres one did laugh ins sleep, and one cried Murder This piece of text shows that Macbeth is affected by the murder. Shakespeare conveys this to the audience by changing the subject abruptly. write is much too regular and orderly for expressing madness or is simply not the natural way to speak. In my chosen extract, there are not many examples of verse as the murder has already taken place. Macbeth is in a state of shock and regret, therefore, prose seems appropriate to convey this sense of smell to the readers and audience.In conclusion, I believe that this scene wa s the most life-and-death dissipate of the entire play. Shakespeare manages to build up the tension and increase it until after the murder. Shakespeares use of language, equivocation and tragic irony merge to build up the suspense and keep the audience on the edge of their seats. His use of embodiment and imagery create realistic and very believable characters, which are crucial for a successful play.