Examine the dramatic importance of Act 2 Scene 2
Adam Burrows
Examine the dramatic importance of Act 2 Scene 2
Scene two starts off stage with Macbeth murdering King Duncan. Lady Macbeth's soliloquy at the start of scene two helps us to visualise the scene of the murder, she tell us
"that which hath made them drunk hath made me bold. "
The audience should be on the edge of their seats by now, wondering if Macbeth will actually have the nerve to murder his king.
Lady Macbeth drugs the guards and takes their daggers. She then lays them ready for Macbeth. She would have murdered Duncan herself if he had not resembled her father. Macbeth returns having murdered Duncan.
Shakespeare's use of language and structure manages to create tension right up to the murder of King Duncan. He manages to gradually build it up and then release it a little, and then increase it until finally the act of regicide takes place. His use of dramatic irony, the supernatural and indecision all combine to keep the audience on the edge of their seats throughout these scenes. His use of the right language in the right places helps the characters and the play to become really believable.
Throughout the play, the supernatural plays a major role. A wise choice by Shakespeare at the time and it still works today.
At the start of the scene, the first sign of tension is when the owl shrieks. In Shakespeare time people thought that when an owl shrieks it symbolised someone's death. Before macbeth enters the scene Lady macbeth mentions the owl shrieking, at this point, the dialogue is written in punctuation, this also creates tension early in the scene to build the audiences awareness to show something dramatic is about to happen. Macbeth is sent to kill Duncan. He does the deed and comes back with the daggers and blood all over himself.
" I heard an owl scream and the crickets cry." It's said that when a cricket cries it means whispering of dead souls. After Lady Macbeth has said this quote, her and Macbeth's speeches are very short due to tension. The natural world has been turned upside down because of Macbeth's deed.
When Macbeth returns, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth refer to the murder in euphemisms, using the words "it and deed" They treat the word 'murder' as a taboo subject and it could be said that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are equivocators, they use ambiguous language in ...
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" I heard an owl scream and the crickets cry." It's said that when a cricket cries it means whispering of dead souls. After Lady Macbeth has said this quote, her and Macbeth's speeches are very short due to tension. The natural world has been turned upside down because of Macbeth's deed.
When Macbeth returns, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth refer to the murder in euphemisms, using the words "it and deed" They treat the word 'murder' as a taboo subject and it could be said that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are equivocators, they use ambiguous language in order to mislead and disguise the fact that they have both committed murder. This suggests that they do not want other people to over-hear what they are talking about, and arise suspicion. On line fifteen Lady Macbeth asks Macbeth if he spoke, they then speak as if two worried minds run together,
"Did you not speak?"
"When"
"Now"
"As I descended?"
"Ay"
"Hark, who lies in the second chamber?"
"Donalbain" This suggests that Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are extremely anxious. Each word is just one syllable long suggesting tension.
These quotes are stichomythia. Half way through act 2 scene 2 Macbeth cannot sleep because of guilt. Beforehand in the scene, sleep was mentioned 7-9 times; this shows that guilt is taking its toll on Macbeth.
"Wash this filthy witness from your hand"
This is ironic, the blood symbolises guilt.
"Go carry them and smear the sleepy grooms with blood."
"Ill go no more," Macbeth is showing fear at this point and lady Macbeth is in more control.
There is a knocking within the castle; Macbeth is getting worried because he thinks he may get caught.
"Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood away from my hands?" Macbeths thinking irrational will ever get the blood from my hands, he is spreading his guilt by washing the blood away. These questions Macbeth keeps asking himself are Rhetorical. Another knocking within the castle, the knocking is more rapid.
Act 1 was spent creating suspense for this act of murder. The audience would be anticipating the deed, as they have been already been informed about lady Macbeths and Macbeths planning. Macbeth has already tried to get out of the deed and lady Macbeth had to use emotional black mail to get him to continue. Therefore the audience at the beginning of act 2 scene 2 will be waiting to see if he's actually done it, so it creates more tension.
When Macbeth says,
"This is a sorry sight," revealing his bloody hands
Lady Macbeth replies,
"A foolish thought, to say a sorry sight."
This suggests that Macbeth feels very guilty and pressured about what he had done while on the other hand his wife tries to tell him that it is a "foolish thought" to say that it is " a sorry sight," his guilt is reiterated later when Macbeth says that all "The multitudinous seas" could not clean this blood from his hands, Lady Macbeth says,
"A little water clears us of this deed:"
This is a strong contrast and shows us that Lady Macbeth has much more mental strength than her husband.
When Lady Macbeth says that it is a foolish thought he suddenly changes the subject and goes of on a tangent about how he could not pronounce "Amen." Lady Macbeth tries to show pity to Macbeth during these lines, trying to comfort him by saying,
"Consider it not so deeply." However this is ironic as eventually it is her who is unable to hide her guilt when she is sleepwalking in act five.
Macbeth's reaction could almost be classed as comic, Macbeth returns from the murder of Duncan covered in blood and says that he could not pronounce "Amen" this just emphasises how much stress and pressure Macbeth is under.
action reaction
We now have a pattern the thought leads to the action, the action leads to a reaction.
Lady Macbeth notices that Macbeth has not left the daggers and asks him to take the daggers back, he refuses, and he states that he is afraid to think what he has done. She takes control and tells Macbeth to give her the daggers, this implies that she is exasperated with him.
When she returns the pair hear knocking, this suggests, tension and judgement, they would have been asking themselves, who is it? who could it be at this time of night? Remembering it is the early hours of the morning.
Finally, when Macbeth hears the knocking again he says,
"Wake Duncan with thy knocking: I would thou couldst!"
This means, Wake Duncan with your knocking: I would if I Could, this suggests an enormous amount of guilt on Macbeth's part and it is clear that he shows regret for what he has done.
I think that the one thing that creates dramatic tension is the way language is written, and depending on how it is supposed to be produced makes a big difference comparing to the speed and what tone it is spoken in.
