How does Shakespeare create dramatic tension inAct 2 Scene 1 and 2?
How does Shakespeare create dramatic tension in
Act 2 Scene 1 and 2?
In this essay I will discuss how Shakespeare uses dramatic
tension in Act 2 Scene 1 and 2, and the effects it has on the
audience. In the first scene, Banquo and his son, Fleance, are on
their way to bed after a leaving King Duncan in his room, in Macbeth's
castle. On their way they meet Macbeth with a servant, in the
courtyard. Banquo brings up in the conversation how he can't sleep
properly after hearing the witches prophesy. Macbeth hints that he
looks for Banquo's support in future, but Banquo makes it clear that
he will only act honourably. As soon as Macbeth is alone, he imagines
that he sees a dagger, which is leading him to Duncan's room.
Macbeth's mind is in turmoil as whether to commit the murder or not.
When he hears the signal his mind is made up, and he goes to Duncan's
room to murder him.
In the second scene, Lady Macbeth has finished making the
preparations for Duncan's murder and is waiting for Macbeth to return.
When Macbeth returns, he's distracted. He has murdered Duncan, and is
now plagued with thoughts of his eternal damnation. Lady Macbeth
instantly takes control of the situation and tells Macbeth to pull
himself together, before someone finds out what he has done. He then
reveals to daggers which he has brought away with him from Duncan's
room, this potentially endangers the plan. When he refuses to take
them back, as he can't face what he has done, Lady Macbeth agrees to
do it for him. Once she returns, with blood-stained hands, the silence
is disturbed by a succession of loud bangs at the Castle gates. They
both panic and devise a plan, to put on their nightclothes and go to
bed, which would alleviate all suspicion from them. Throughout the two
scenes there is a theme of witchcraft and evil.
Scene one starts in the castles courtyard, in the middle
of the night. Only Banquo and his son Fleance are present. Fleance is
carrying a torch, for guidance in the dark, this would cast an aura
around his whole body. This suggests that he is heavenly, and after
the witches prophesising he would become king, who was Gods
representative on Earth, could seem to back up their prophesy. Fleance
mentions to his father that it is after midnight, but he has not
`heard the clock'. This is an anachronism, as in the time of Macbeth,
1040, clocks had yet to be invented. Although Banquo is nervous in the
dark, he asks his son to hold his sword for him, as he goes and looks
up to sky. "Their candles are all out", this means that there is no
stars in the sky, this was a sign of evil in Jacobean times. The
nervousness creates tension, as if something bad is about to happen.
Banquo also mentions to his son that he has been having sleepless
nights despite the fact that he is so tired. He says that he is having
`cursed thoughts'. These are nightmares, which in Jacobean times were
considered to be the work of the Devil. This relates back to the three
witches and their prophesy, as witches represent all evil on Earth. He
then goes on to beg the, `Merciful powers', to stop all his nightmares
by driving them away. Although he doesn't actually state what his
nightmares are about, we can guess that they are about the witches
prophesy.
Macbeth then enters with his servant, this scares the
nervous Banquo, who turns quickly and asks, `who's there?' When
Macbeth replies, `a friend', Banquo seems to relax a bit. But to the
audience, who already know of Macbeth's plan, dramatic irony, this is
where we begin to see Macbeth's deceitful side, as he deceives his old
friend, into a false sense of security. Banquo questions why it is
that Macbeth cannot sleep, as he knows the King enjoyed himself at the
banquet. This suggests that Banquo is suspicious of Macbeth and doubts
his friend intentions, knowing of the witches prophesy. Banquo also
comments on the diamond, which the King gave to Lady Macbeth for being
such a good hostess. "This diamond he greets your wife withal". A
diamond was regarded as a charm against witchcraft and nightmares.
This is ironic as Lady Macbeth is corrupt by evil, and later has
nightmares, but Banquo who is loyal and honest, is having nightmares
which no one can prevent. Banquo seems to regain some trust in his
friend, when he tells him of his nightmares of the three witches.
Macbeth lies to him and says that he does not think about them; but he
is interested in knowing about Banquo's feeling towards them, "Some
words upon that business". This causes tension as we now know that
Macbeth is up to something and, although not directly, is asking if
Banquo will support him in any decisions he makes. Due to Banquo being
so honest and loyal, tension is created by us not knowing if he will
tell someone what Macbeth has done, should he suspect something.
When Banquo and Fleance leave, Macbeth then commands his
servant to leave and check on Lady Macbeth, so as she knows to ring
the bell, which is a pre-arranged signal. "Go bid thy mistress... She
strike upon thy bell." The use of imperatives show that Macbeth is in
command and has authority. The bell also creates tension as it gives
us the impression that he will go through with the plan, this creates
tension as we have to wait for the signal before the murder can go
ahead. This gives Macbeth time to talk himself out of it, or get
...
This is a preview of the whole essay
servant to leave and check on Lady Macbeth, so as she knows to ring
the bell, which is a pre-arranged signal. "Go bid thy mistress... She
strike upon thy bell." The use of imperatives show that Macbeth is in
command and has authority. The bell also creates tension as it gives
us the impression that he will go through with the plan, this creates
tension as we have to wait for the signal before the murder can go
ahead. This gives Macbeth time to talk himself out of it, or get
caught. Alone now, Macbeth is so obsessed by thoughts of the murder
that he starts to hallucinate. For the rest of this scene Macbeth
talks to himself in a soliloquy. This gives us an insight as to what
Macbeth is thinking. He begins to hallucinate, thinking he sees a
dagger in font of him. This he sees as a sign to go ahead with the
murder, this makes the hallucination seem more real to the audience.
He tries to grab the dagger, suggesting he is nervous and is beginning
to feel guilty about his intensions, therefore creating tension as to
whether he will go through with the murder or not.
Macbeth tries to build up his courage by reasoning with
himself, that although it's a trick of his mind, it is real to him and
is a sign. Macbeth is staring at the "dagger of the mind," meaning he
knows it is impossible to see this dagger floating in mid-air, but his
heart wants to believe it is true. As he stares at the dagger, thick
drops of blood appear on the blade and hilt. "[1]I see thee still, And
on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood, Which was not so before."
However, he's got enough sense to know what's happening to him and be
able to rationalise it: [2]"There's no such thing. It is the bloody
business which informs thus to mine eyes." Of course the "bloody
business" is the murder he's about to commit. This is an euphemism,
and shows that Macbeth doesn't really want to kill the King but
believes he has to. This casts doubt in the audience as to whether the
murder will be committed. From this point on there is a lexis of evil
and forward motion.
The darkness of the dark night suits Macbeth's purpose and
mood. In the dark nightmares become truths, witchcraft celebrates its
goddess Hecate by sacrifices, and Murder is a stalker. By personifying
murder as a stalker, Shakespeare creates tension by making murder seem
inevitable, a person able to influence, and a creature to fear.
"Withered murder, Alarumed by his sentinel the wolf, Whose howl's his
watch." In his imagination, Macbeth sees Murder as a withered man who
is "alarumed," called to action, by his sentinel, the wolf. Normally,
a sentinel would keep an eye out for danger and call out a warning,
but Murder's sentinel keeps an eye out for the opportunity to kill,
and his howl is his announcement that another victim has been found
for Murder. This creates tension as we know that Macbeth now sees
himself as Murder and Lady Macbeth is the wolf who will ring the bell,
howl. Macbeth describes Murder as moving "thus with his stealthy
pace," This suggests Macbeth is now pacing like Murder, like the
murderous rapist Tarquin, "like a ghost." Tarquin raped his hostess,
Lucretia, in the middle of the night, and is a parallel to Macbeth
killing Duncan. This is enjambment as there is no pause between the
lines, creating the sense that Macbeth is rushing through things
because he's beginning to get excited at the prospect of murder. This
suggests that he will kill Duncan. He asks the Earth to be deaf to his
footsteps, not to "prate of my whereabouts`," because the present
silence of the night suits the horror of what he's about to do. He
cant be discovered, and not by something so ridiculous as the echo of
his footsteps. Now we see in Macbeth a man who wants to be a silent
and a deadly figure of horror.
But Macbeth hasn't done the murder yet; he hasn't even
gone to the King's door. He tells himself that, [3]"Whiles I threat,
he lives: Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives". In other
words, while he's saying all these threatening things, King Duncan is
still alive, and his words haven't yet inspired him to actually commit
the murder. Then the bell rings, and Macbeth answers the call, finally
moving from horrifying words to a horrible deed only when his wife's
bell tells him it's time. This creates tension as we now know Macbeth
will kill Duncan but we are unsure as to whether he will be caught.
The last three lines of this scene are couplets. In the last line
Macbeth mentions "heaven or to hell." This is like the finality of the
scene, as whether you go to heaven or hell, it is the last place you
can go, there is nothing after, and nothing you can do to prevent
yourself from going there.
While Macbeth goes to murder King Duncan, Lady Macbeth
starts her own soliloquy, in scene 2. The courtyard is near the King's
room, Lady Macbeth listens intently, as though she could actually hear
the murder being committed. She is extremely excited. [4]"That which
hath made them drunk hath made me bold, What hath quenched them hath
given me fire". The "them" whom she refers to are the King's two
personal servants. She has given each of them a "posset," a mixture of
wine and milk. It's something you would drink just before going to
bed, to help you sleep, but Lady Macbeth has drugged the grooms'
possets, so that their sleep is the next thing to death. Lady Macbeth
herself has also had some wine, but she feels bold and fierce, not
drunk and sleepy. Not only did Lady Macbeth drug the grooms, she made
sure that they were fast asleep and that the doors to the King's
bedchamber were open. Then she rang the bell to summon Macbeth.
Because of all that she has done, she can practically see each step
Macbeth takes.
As she waits to discover if Macbeth has done the murder,
she hears something, the screech of an owl. [5]"Hark! Peace! It was
the owl that shrieked, the fatal bellman, Which gives the sternest
good-night. He is about it". When she says "Hark!" she's telling
herself to listen, and then when she says "Peace!" she's telling
herself to be quiet, so that she can hear what she's listening for.
The cry of an owl was thought to announce a death, and a "fatal
bellman" was a night watchman who rang a bell at midnight to call a
prisoner to his hanging. and she takes that as a good omen, because
the owl is nature's own "fatal bellman". This creates tension as we
suspect that Macbeth is committing murder. Lady Macbeth is glad to
hear the cry of the owl, believing that it signifies, her husband must
be "about it," committing the murder at that very moment. Now, where
Macbeth waited for his wife's bell, she waits for the news that he has
killed the King.
Suddenly she hears Macbeth, [6]"Who's there? what ho!"
Just as Lady Macbeth thinks she heard something, so now Macbeth thinks
he hears someone, and he's trying to check it out. Immediately, Lady
Macbeth assumes the worst, that the grooms have awakened before the
murder has been done, and that all will be lost. This causes tension
as Lady Macbeth doubts her husband which she has never done before,
and becomes nervous, worrying the audience. It also suggests that they
will eventually be found out. Lady Macbeth also assumes the worst
about her husband. She says to herself, [7]"I laid their daggers
ready, He [8]could not miss 'em. Had he [9]not resembled My father as
he slept, I had done't". She thinks that maybe her husband is so
stupid that he can't find the guards daggers, even though she put them
in plain sight. She comments on how she would have done it herself,
which she would have, had the King not looked like her father. This
comparison of Duncan to her father suggests that despite her desire
for power she sees her King as an authorities figure, who she must be
loyal to. This is where Lady Macbeth gives away the fact that she is
not as emotionally strong as she thought. This also causes tension as
it causes the audience to doubt whether Lady Macbeth will be able to
live with her part in the murder. Of course she doesn't understand the
irony of what she is saying, because she thinks that it's good to be a
heartless murderer.
As Lady Macbeth is thinking that she would be a better
killer than Macbeth, he appears, and says, [10]"I have done the deed".
This is the point where we know for definite that the murder went
ahead. But though he has done the murder, he can't handle the
psychological consequences. He is hearing things, or thinks he is. He
asks his wife if she heard a noise, and she says she heard only the
owl and some crickets. Then he asks her if she was talking as he came
down the stairs from King Duncan's room, and she says she was. But now
he thinks he hears something else, and asks who's sleeping in the room
next to the King's. This shows he is nervous. It is from this point
that the iambic pentameter breaks down, to single word sentences,
suggesting that everything in Macbeth's life is also beginning to
break down. This again causes tension as it suggests that the
Macbeth's life is going to change for the worse rather than the
better. Lady Macbeth answers that Donalbain, the King's son, has that
room, and Macbeth says, [11]"This is a sorry sight". This remark shows
how Macbeth's mind is jumping around, and how he feels guilty. Also he
only says this when he sees his blood covered hands.
His wife tells him he's a fool, but his mind has already
jumped to something else. This shows his nervousness. As he was
leaving the King's room, Macbeth heard someone in another room laugh
in his sleep, and someone else call out "Murder!" These two people
then awoke, and prayed, and settled down to sleep again. Meanwhile,
Macbeth was frozen in his tracks outside their door, and as the two
settled down to sleep, [12]"One cried "God bless us!" and "Amen" the
other; As they had seen me with these hangman's hands." Macbeth felt
that the two people could see his bloody hands, and his guilt which
will condemn him, right through their door. Now Macbeth wonders why he
couldn't say "amen" to the "God bless us" that he heard. There is a
lexis of religion in Macbeth's speech, possibly suggesting that now he
has committed the sin, God will not forgive him. God is like Macbeth's
conscience, so by not being able to say Amen, he is punishing himself,
and condemning himself to a life of murder and misery.
Lady Macbeth tells him that he'll drive them both crazy if
he keeps thinking like that. To which he confesses as if not hearing
her, [13]"Methought I heard a voice cry 'Sleep no more! Macbeth does
murder sleep". Macbeth's mind has made a large leap, not just a jump.
This "voice" is a pure hallucination, just as the "dagger of the mind"
was. He praises sleep as innocence, as the escapism from all of life's
problems, but seems sure that because he murdered an innocent man in
his sleep, will never sleep again. This shows his guilt, and suggests
tension as, the audience question whether his conscience will cause
him to tell the truth, about the murder. He describes sleep as the
"chief nourisher in life's feast". This is a positive side of sleep
which now Macbeth has disturbed for himself. Lady Macbeth asks,
[14]"Who was it that thus cried?" Apparently Macbeth doesn't answer,
or she just stops trying to be reasonable with him, because she says,
[15]"Why, worthy thane, You do unbend your noble strength, to think So
brainsickly of things". Lady Macbeth seems to mock him, this could be
her trying a different tactic to pull Macbeth out of his Guilt and
self-pity state. She tells him to, [16]"Go get some water, And wash
this filthy witness from your hand". The "filthy witness" is the blood
of Duncan, which acts as a witness to Macbeth's crime, as it is the
only tell as to what Macbeth has done. Blood is personified, making it
seem as if it can see, this creates tension as the audience may now
think that Macbeth has been caught. This is the first of his many
mistakes.
As Lady Macbeth is saying this, she sees another
"witness": Macbeth is still carrying the grooms' daggers. She tells
him he must take the daggers back, put them with the grooms, and smear
them with blood, so it will look like they killed the King. Macbeth,
however, is paralysed with the horror of what he has done. He says,
[17]"I'll go no more. I am afraid to think what I have done. Look on't
again I dare not". This shows that he is not willing to accept
responsibility of what he has done. Lady Macbeth becomes scornful of
her husband. She takes the daggers from him and tells him that it's
childish to be afraid of the sleeping or the dead. When she goes to do
the job she thinks he should do, Macbeth still stands and stares at
his hands. There is a knock from the front gate. This is like the
countdown to Duncan's discovery. This creates tension as we know that
the murder has not been framed yet, so Macbeth without a doubt will be
caught. It could also be interpreted as if it's the Devil knocking to
claim Macbeth's guilty soul.
Macbeth seems oblivious to the fact that he could at that
moment be caught. He is so distracted by his hands that he doesn't
recognise them any more, What hands are here? This could suggest that
he believes that he didn't really know himself as well as he thought
he did. Macbeth asks himself if all the water in the world can wash
away the blood. [18]"Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood
Clean from my hand?" This is an oxymoron, as only a small amount of
water will wash away the blood. Macbeth is really talking about his
conscience, which nothing can cleanse of the guilt. Also, Macbeth
answers his own question: [19]"No, this my hand will rather the
multitudinous seas incarnadine, Making the green one red". He says how
all of the water in the world will turn red with the blood on his
hands, this is a hyperbole as its an exaggeration uses to show
Macbeth's extreme guilt.
When she returns, Lady Macbeth hears Macbeth talking about
his bloody hands. In contrast, his wife thinks his obsession with
blood shows that he's a coward. She dips her hands in the dead King's
blood, and smears the grooms with that blood, then tells Macbeth that,
[20]"My hands are of your colour; but I shame To wear a heart so
white". She means that now her hands are bloody, like his, but she
would be ashamed to have a "white", bloodless and cowardly, heart like
his. She leads him away to wash his hands, and she seems quite sure
that [21]"A little water clears us of this deed". In her opinion, it
will only take a little water to make them innocent. Ironically, when
she later goes mad, she sees blood on her hands that she cannot wash
away, no matter how much water she uses. As she delivers this insult,
we hear the knocking again. This knocking is becoming more frequent,
its like a heartbeat. Its as if Macbeth's heartbeat is racing as he
awaits to be caught for Duncan's murder. At this point in the play, it
appears that Macbeth would be helpless without his wife, as his
self-control has left him. "Your constancy hath left you unattended."
This creates tension as Lady Macbeth is taunting Macbeth's conscience
and is dismissive of what has gone on. This could push Macbeth to
confess to the murder of King Duncan.
There is another loud knock, and Lady Macbeth quickly
formulates a plan. She tells Macbeth he must put on his night-gown, so
that if they have to get up and talk to whoever is knocking, it won't
look like they've been up all night. He's unresponsive, and seems lost
in his thoughts. She tells him to snap out of it, but he can't. As he
is being led away, by Lady Macbeth, he says that, [22]"To know my
deed, 'twere best not know myself". This means that if he fully
understands what he has done, he will see what a monster he has
become, and he doesn't want to know that monster. He is in denial. As
we hear the knocking again, Macbeth wishes none of it had ever
happened, and he calls out [23]"Wake Duncan with thy knocking! I would
thou couldst!". This shows that Macbeth fells that he is still not to
blame. This creates tension due to Macbeth's denial, he may lay the
blame on Lady Macbeth, this would cause tension in their marriage and
may cause her to control Macbeth, more than she already does.
Throughout these two scenes Shakespeare creates tension by
creating a dark, intense, sinister atmosphere, he sets the scene. This
makes you expect that something sinister will take place. The doubt
and then denial that plagues Macbeth, also causes some tension as to
whether he will go ahead with the murder. This build up makes the
scene much more intense. Macbeth's denial worries the audience that
Macbeth will tell someone what he did, because he can't accept or live
with his actions. The murder is a weight on his conscience. The
breakdown of Iambic pentameter, stresses how everything Macbeth once
had, pride and loyalty, has now been lost. Macbeth's obsession with
blood and his wife's sudden doubt in him, causes the audience to worry
if Macbeth will go mad and tell someone what he has done or get
caught. These tensions make these scenes more dramatic which allows
the audience to feel more involved, like in Macbeth's soliloquy.
People get an insight into his mind, and deepest, darkest thoughts and
feelings. These tensions make the play much more intense and
believable. Therefore allowing people to shows some sympathy and
associate more with the characters.
References
1. file://localhost/var/home/acumen/svn/trunk/engine/docs/working/working/T21.html%20/%2045
2. file://localhost/var/home/acumen/svn/trunk/engine/docs/working/working/T21.html%20/%2045
3. file://localhost/var/home/acumen/svn/trunk/engine/docs/working/working/T21.html%20/%2060
4. file://localhost/var/home/acumen/svn/trunk/engine/docs/working/working/T22.html
5. file://localhost/var/home/acumen/svn/trunk/engine/docs/working/working/T22.html
6. file://localhost/var/home/acumen/svn/trunk/engine/docs/working/working/T22.html%20/%208
7. file://localhost/var/home/acumen/svn/trunk/engine/docs/working/working/T22.html%20/%209
8. file://localhost/var/home/acumen/svn/trunk/engine/docs/working/working/T22.html%20/%209
9. file://localhost/var/home/acumen/svn/trunk/engine/docs/working/working/T22.html%20/%209
10. file://localhost/var/home/acumen/svn/trunk/engine/docs/working/working/T22.html%20/%2013
11. file://localhost/var/home/acumen/svn/trunk/engine/docs/working/working/T22.html%20/%2018
12. file://localhost/var/home/acumen/svn/trunk/engine/docs/working/working/T22.html%20/%2024
13. file://localhost/var/home/acumen/svn/trunk/engine/docs/working/working/T22.html%20/%2032
14. file://localhost/var/home/acumen/svn/trunk/engine/docs/working/working/T22.html%20/%2041
15. file://localhost/var/home/acumen/svn/trunk/engine/docs/working/working/T22.html%20/%2041
16. file://localhost/var/home/acumen/svn/trunk/engine/docs/working/working/T22.html%20/%2041
17. file://localhost/var/home/acumen/svn/trunk/engine/docs/working/working/T22.html%20/%2047
18. file://localhost/var/home/acumen/svn/trunk/engine/docs/working/working/T22.html%20/%2054
19. file://localhost/var/home/acumen/svn/trunk/engine/docs/working/working/T22.html%20/%2054
20. file://localhost/var/home/acumen/svn/trunk/engine/docs/working/working/T22.html%20/%2061
21. file://localhost/var/home/acumen/svn/trunk/engine/docs/working/working/T22.html%20/%2061
22. file://localhost/var/home/acumen/svn/trunk/engine/docs/working/working/T22.html%20/%2070
23. file://localhost/var/home/acumen/svn/trunk/engine/docs/working/working/T22.html%20/%2070