How does Shakespeare create dramatic tension for his audience?
How does Shakespeare create dramatic tension for his audience?
Shakespeare´s play 'Macbeth´ is set in the heart of Scotland. The king at the time is king Duncun, a noble and honest king. He has two sons and many Thanes and noble men, one being Macbeth. Macbeth has fought his way up the ranks of the army to become one of Duncun´s most trusted Lords, but an encounter with three witches puts wickedness into the heart of an otherwise noble and loyal man.
In act 1, scene 1, a scene of three witches confronts us. This alone would have created mystery and fright to the audience, setting the scene of the play to come. 'Macbeth´ was written in a period when there was a high interest in witchcraft and the supernatural. People were confused and scared by the supernatural, so the sight of three witches would have told the audience that the play would be full of evil and lies. This scene is a short opening to the play. It is long enough to awaken curiosity, but not to satisfy it. The mood of the play is set, although the action and the introduction of the leading characters do not start until the next scene.
In act 1, scene 2, we learn about the tough battle which Macbeth and Banquo have fought, and win for the victory for Scotland. Duncun rewards Macbeth for his courage by giving him the title 'thane of Cawdor´,
"...with his former title greet Macbeth."
Let us not forget that a 'most disloyal traitor´ first owned this title.
This scene tells us that Macbeth is thought of as a brave and valiant man because he has killed so many people and won the battle almost single-handedly. The language used is quite horrific and the deaths of Macbeth´s victims are explained in all their gory detail. This may not have shocked the audience but it would tell the audience that such horror so early on in the play would ensure much more gore to follow.
The audience knows that Macbeth has been entitled 'thane of Cawdor´ before Macbeth actually is told himself. This creates dramatic irony that, in turn, creates tension in the next scene.
In act 1, scene 3, the witch´s malice and magic is shown, as they await Macbeth and Banquo on the lonely moor. The two men hear the witches prophecies with amazement. They tell that Macbeth shall be 'Thane of Cawdor´,
"Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!"
And that he shall become king,
"...that shalt be king hereafter..."
They tell Banquo that he will ...
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The audience knows that Macbeth has been entitled 'thane of Cawdor´ before Macbeth actually is told himself. This creates dramatic irony that, in turn, creates tension in the next scene.
In act 1, scene 3, the witch´s malice and magic is shown, as they await Macbeth and Banquo on the lonely moor. The two men hear the witches prophecies with amazement. They tell that Macbeth shall be 'Thane of Cawdor´,
"Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!"
And that he shall become king,
"...that shalt be king hereafter..."
They tell Banquo that he will be father of kings but will not be king himself.
"Thou shalt get kings..."
Banquo does not dwell on the witches´ prophecies but Macbeth is entranced. The audience can judge the witches better than Macbeth can, we know that Macbeth has become the thane of Cawdor because he is brave and not because of the witches magic, and we are not surprised, as Macbeth is, when Ross calls him by his title. Macbeth believes now that because one prediction is true that, perhaps, the others may too. Macbeth speaks his thoughts aloud in a soliloquy. These thoughts are of regicide. This would create tension for the audience because it was an absolute sin to even contemplate the murder of a king because it was thought that the King was a man chosen by God and so, was holy. 'Macbeth´ was supposedly written for the king of this period, James I. James I himself was greatly interested in witchcraft, he had written a book about them called 'Demonology´. The witches, again in this scene, would have created a feeling of evil and terror. The audience would think that the witches´ prophecies may all become true but would all have an evil, twisted outcome. It was thought that witches were purely evil and so could not predict anything of happiness.
In act 1, scene 4, Macbeth praises the king aloud but the audience knows that Macbeth has had visions of regicide. Duncun, then, names Malcolm, his son, as the successor to the throne. When Macbeth hears this he says to himself that this is another obstacle in his path to the throne,
"...that is a step
on which I must fall down, or else o´er leap".
This scene creates quite a lot of tension between the audience and Macbeth by using dramatic irony. We know that Macbeth has evil in mind and that his ideas are now becoming more serious but he is still quite scared of the evil thoughts he is having.
Act 1, scene 5, introduces us to Lady Macbeth, Macbeth´s faithful wife. We gather from the letter that Macbeth sends Lady Macbeth that they keep no secrets from each other. He addresses her as,
"...dearest partner of greatness..."
Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth of all that has occurred. He commences with how the witches´ prophecy of him becoming 'Thane of Cawdor´ became true and how he 'burned in desire´ to question them further. Then he tells her of the prediction that he will become King. We gather from this letter that he now believes that the witches´ predictions will come true.
Lady Macbeth understands her husband well. She knows, as we do, that he has great ambitions, but she also knows that he would not like to betray his king after Duncan is so kind to him. She knows that she will have to urge her husband on to become king, so she calls for evil spirits to help her. This would have created tension because it is of supernatural leanings again.
Lady Macbeth talks about how she will give up her tender, gentle womanly qualities, so that she can become sexless and pitiless,
"...unsex me here,
and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty"
Lady Macbeth uses violent imagery in here monologue. She uses images of blood and darkness such as,
"...make thick my blood,
stop up the access and passage to remorse..."
This meaning how she would make herself insensitive by blocking up all the pathways by which remorse can reach her heart. This language would seem very unwomanly to a Shakespearean audience.
Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth that Duncan is to visit their castle tomorrow night. Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth to leave everything up to her.
"This night´s great business into my dispatch"
In the next scene, (act 1, scene 6), Lady Macbeth plays the dutiful housewife. She welcomes Duncun and his court to her home thus being two-faced. The audience know that she is really plotting murder. Duncan commends the castle and its hosts.
In act 1, scene 7, Macbeth has second thoughts. At first the murder had been only a dream, but now it is a real moral problem. He knows that the crime must be punished. He is not afraid of punishment in a 'life to come´ but of punishment in this earthly life. He then considers his duties to his king,
"...I am his kinsman and his subject"
Macbeth has a vision of the heavens being horrified by this murder which is personified as a 'naked new-born babe´. The speech builds up to a mighty climax and then suddenly the power fails, and all Macbeth can think of as a motive for this treacherous murder is his own vaulting ambition and even now he realises that too high a leap can only lead to a fall.
"Vaulting ambition, which o´er-leaps itself
And falls on the other."
Shakespeare uses this scene to provides the audience with a 'will he? Won´t he?´ situation so increasing tension.
When Lady Macbeth enters Macbeth tells her that he has made up his mind and that they will,
"We will proceed no further in this business".
He is not prepared for her fury. She calls him a coward and insults his masculinity,
"When you durst do it, then you were a man".
Defeated by his wife and persuaded by her encouragement, Macbeth agrees to murder his king. This scene creates tension by the indecision of Macbeth
Act 2, scene 1, introduces us to Banquo and Fleance, his son. The witches have also disturbed Banquo for he calls for his sword will crossing Macbeth´s courtyard after hearing a noise. Macbeth also shows signs of stress for he replies very little to Banquo and when he is alone the strain clearly shows. When Macbeth hallucinates, seeing a dagger,
"a dagger of the mind, a false creation",
He is first alarmed but later seems to enjoy the horror. Shakespeare increases the tension in this scene by using language that is full of references to blood and darkness,
"And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood
Which was not so before"
This creates images of the horror to come.
In act 2, scene 2, the murder of Duncan takes place. 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.
