When Lennox shows Macbeth the seat he had been saving for him, Macbeth appears to see the ghost of Banquo in his seat. None of the other guests can see this and this helps to create tension as we are unsure if Macbeth can actually see the ghost or if it is just in his mind. When Macbeth can see the ghost he obviously feels trapped as he says ‘but now I am cabined, cribbed, confined.’ This shows us his emotions and that he cannot cope with seeing the ghost as it is a reminder that he ordered his best friend to be murdered. When the ghost is in Macbeth’s seat, he does not talk much, only saying a few lines at the most. This could show the tension and anxiety felt when the ghost is present as Macbeth had previously told Banquo that he had to be present at the banquet. This could be dramatic irony as Banquo has listened to Macbeth and turned up to the Banquet. Once the ghost disappears Macbeth returns to his normal state of mind but only to be interrupted again by the ghost’s appearance. After the ghost reappears and Macbeth has his first ‘fit’ Lady Macbeth tries to reassure the guests that he is okay and that he just needs a few minutes. Lady Macbeth can obviously see the state of Macbeth and is worried that he may say something about the murders so she has a quiet word with him and tries to pretend that everything is okay. When the ghost disappears and Macbeth tries to restore order but Lady Macbeth can now see Macbeth’s true state of mind and how vulnerable he is at this time.
Macbeth’s character and feelings change a lot through the scene which could help to create tension and suspense as you never know how his mood will change next and how it will affect the scene. Throughout the whole scene Macbeths use of language helps to reflect his mood. At the start of the scene Macbeth says ‘but now I am cabined, cribbed, confined.’ This is use of alliteration and it reflects that Macbeth feels trapped and like he cannot escape. Later on in the scene Macbeth conveys images of evil when talking about Banquo and Fleance as he refers to them both as snakes which could represent evil as he is fearful of them and Fleances power as he escaped.
The appearance alone of the ghost in the scene could create tension or suspense as the ghost can reflect elements of the supernatural. The idea of supernatural occurs many times in the play, such as the air drawn dagger or the witches, but this particular occurrence could cause more tension than others, as only Macbeth appears to be able to see the ghost of Banquo. This is more likely to put doubts in people’s minds as they are unsure if he is telling the truth or not, and if he is then why is it only Macbeth that can see it. All of these questions add to the build up of tension and Macbeth’s mental state in the scene.
Shakespeare also uses dramatic devices to help create tension and suspense in the scene. Entrances and exits of characters during the scene help to do this by adding confusion as you never know who is in the room at the time, so therefore you never know who is listening to what characters are saying. Therefore many characters may feel uncomfortable especially when Banquos ghost is present. The constant exits and entrances of characters worries Lady Macbeth as she can see that Macbeth has less control over what he is saying as the scene progresses and she is worried that he may say something about Banquo’s murder as the ghost of Banquo is present. This is a good way of creating tension and suspense as Macbeth’s character suddenly changes on the appearance of Banquo’s ghost. Before the ghost Macbeth was very in control and seemed very organized, once the ghost had been seen by Macbeth all signs that he was in control disappeared. Macbeth seemed to be in a very unstable state and Lady Macbeth appeared to have control over the banquet. Even after the ghost had left and Macbeth and regained some of his control, Lady Macbeth still had more power as Macbeth could very easily change again, which he does when the ghost re-appears.
After the ghost has disappeared for the second time, despite Macbeths constant attempts to stay in control, Lady Macbeth can tell that he is no longer in a fit state to be in the company of the guests as he is very unstable. Lady Macbeth then asks the worried guests to leave immediately. This worries the guests as they are not told what is going on and this could therefore create suspense and tension within the audience, as they may know more than the guests but they are still unsure what may happen with Macbeth’s character and emotions. Once the guests have left Lady Macbeth talks to Macbeth about his behaviour as he tries to explain what happened, but it is still unclear in places. This is where the audience can see another major change in Macbeth’s character.
By the end of this scene Macbeth’s personality is very different to how it was when the scene started. At the beginning of the scene Macbeth felt very in control and you could see this and the audience would be relaxed not expecting the sudden change. The appearance of the ghost changes the atmosphere but does not necessarily build tension. The suspense is built up during Macbeths two ‘fits’ as the audience do not fully understand what is going on, and as they try to understand the atmosphere it changes, so nothing is ever certain in this scene and this uncertainty creates lots of tension and suspense.
