Also, as he is already looked upon favourably by the lords of Scotland for his valour and courage, he is unwilling to risk his good name. He concludes his soliloquy, having reached his decision, saying “I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition”. All of Macbeth’s arguments are clearly thought out and logical.
Lady Macbeth manages to sway Macbeth in his decision by using emotive arguments to counter his logic. Her passionate outbursts defeat Macbeth, who seems to be somewhat frightened of his wife, for his solid arguments seem to disintegrate as Lady Macbeth disputes. Her subtle transitions from outrage and aggression to cajoling him and understating the act create the perfect persuasion, and the strong use of emotive language and personification renders Macbeth incapable of reasoning logically. “Was the hope drunk… and wakes it now, to look so green and pale at what it did so freely?” we then get to see Lady Macbeth demands, showcasing her talent for creating images which Macbeth, and the audience along with him, can not help but see substance beneath.
In this statement, Lady Macbeth questions if Macbeth regarded his decision to kill the king as a drunken mistake, while also referring to the hope which she and her husband harboured of becoming rulers.
Using this strength of argument, she is able to override her husband’s earlier decision and convince him to kill Duncan. This is a way in which she shows her authority over Macbeth. The contrast of gender roles in Macbeth is highlighted when Lady Macbeth questions her husband’s masculinity. Her scornful accusation that Macbeth is not a man displays the importance of masculine traits to males in this time.
Lady Macbeth tries to diminish Macbeth’s power by undermining his authority as a man. She mocks and insults his lack of courage, challenging him; “when you durst do it, then you were a man”. By this statement, Lady Macbeth is implying that until he kills Duncan, Macbeth forfeits the rights of being a man, as she feels a coward is in no way a man. In contrast to Macbeth’s lack of courage, Lady Macbeth displays some masculine traits during this scene. She is forceful and aggressive, and takes control over the situation. She shows no sign of mercy or regret for what she is about to take part in, and it is clear that she hold the authority. This would have been threatening to Macbeth, as the dominant role should have been his, as the husband. This could have contributed to Macbeth’s change of heart; him wanting to prove that he was capable. Lady Macbeth showcased many techniques of convincing Macbeth to commit regicide during this scene. Her use of emotive language, personification, imagery, mockery, and insults to Macbeth's masculinity all contributed in changing his mind, and therefore deciding the outcome of the play.
Even though we do not get to see the dreadful murder of King Duncan, as Shakespeare has Macbeth kill King Duncan offstage, the goings on in Act 2 Scene 2 are considered to be the most violent and powerful section of the play. The way in which Shakespeare wrote this scene is unusual and we can only imagine why he would have written it in such a way, I think that the focus of the scene is not the murder but Macbeths reaction to it; the bloody aspect,
“Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?” here Macbeth realises that even all the water in the world could not wash away the blood and the crime and betrayal it represents, complete by the audiences thoughts and imaginations, performing it in this psychological way is far more intense than anything that could be performed on stage. This part in the scene is vital to the play as it is the beginning of many murders that later take place within the play. As the scene takes place at night time you really feel the eerie darkness representing the twisted, brutal and immoral atmosphere that surrounds Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Everything that has happened and is about to happen begins to relate to this particular scene as we witness not only the murderous act but the disintegration of the strong relationship between the two main characters of the play, Macbeth and lady Macbeth.
In act 2, scene 2, the murder of king Duncan takes place by which time Shakespeare has created an extreme amount of tension in a very short space of time and brought the audience to a point when they are holding on to there seats so tight that if they let go they would explode wondering weather Macbeth will actually have the nerve to murder his noble king.
The tension increases dramatically when we see Lady Macbeth pacing about in a nervous but excited state, awaiting Macbeth’s return increases the tension dramatically. We get a peek at Lady Macbeth’s softer side. She says that she would have killed Duncan herself, but the old man looked too much like her father. This small reminder of Lady Macbeth’s humanity will be important to our understanding of what happens to her at the end of the play.
As lady Macbeth waits anxiously and with much anticipation she declares that she hears an owl shriek, she considers this shriek to be a good omen, as the owl screeching is natures own ‘fatal bellman’. The ‘fatal bellman’ gives the idea of death or Murder in the audiences minds, which makes the situation all the more eerie, ‘He’s at it’. The part of the scene I just spoke about has to be the begining of the climax in tension of the play. We later see Macbeth and Lady Macbeth re-united with much charge, nervous energy and excitement. At first the couple’s conversation did not consist of full sentences. Their speech syncopated and highly charged emotions have the impression on the audience that all is not well. The fact that Macbeth still has a hold of the daggers intensifies the tension felt in the seen even more so. His hands covered in blood which makes the drama almost explosive. Macbeth in ore about the dreadful crime he has just committed, ‘this is a sorry sight’.
Thoughts of the murder plague his mind. He appears transfixed and very troubled by his deeds. Whilst Lady Macbeth in a way mocks him, she remains steadfast and tells him to ‘Go get some water, and wash this filthy witness from your hand’. Macbeth does not agree with her. He knows he will never be cleansed of this vile deed. Macbeth says, ‘Not all great Neptune’s ocean can wash them clean’. Lady Macbeth mocks her husband for dwelling upon the murderous act.
Macbeth and his wife seem to lose their rapport; Shakespeare makes it obvious to the audience that Macbeth has the weaker spirit and that the relationship is rapidly falling apart. He shows this via the nervous ramblings of Macbeth, he appears to have lost all insight, whereas Lady Macbeth appears to have become more evil, calculating and in control. Tension is increased by the thought of the words heard by Macbeth, whilst committing the murder, ‘Glamis hath murther’d sleep, and therefore Cawdor shall sleep no more: Macbeth shall sleep no more’. Is this yet another of the witches prophesies?
The tension is increased yet again by the loud knocking on the door. Macbeth in his highly anxious state knows now, weather is crime is found out or not, he will never be cleansed of this murderous act. He says, ‘Not all great Neptune’s ocean can wash them clean’. A midst all this tension, Lady Macbeth keeps her head. In her highly nervous state, she is aware that it is still possible; that their evil acts may be discovered. Lady Macbeth returns the bloodstained daggers to Duncan’s grooms. Shakespeare makes the audience aware of how much more confident than Macbeth she is by taking control of the situation. Macbeth is still in turmoil after the murder of Duncan.
Shakespeare makes it known that the relationship between Macbeth and his wife is beginning to disintegrate almost immediately. Macbeth appears to be losing his mind, whilst Lady Macbeth remains evil, cold, calculating and in control.
The repetition of knocks increases the tension more so, Lady Macbeth appears agitated and ushers her disturbed husband to his chamber, where they can rid themselves of the signs of their horrific acts.
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.
In summary the way Shakespeare uses language and dramatic devises
To highlight the state of mind of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in Act 1 scene 7 and Act 2 scene 2 is highly effective and intriguing. Throughout the play Shakespeare uses different tone of voice and style of speech weather it be aggressive or in short restless outbursts to determine how that person is feeling and how it makes the people watching feel also. The structure of the play is very important to as this contributes to the tension of the play very much when at point only having any one actor on stage giving what is almost seen as their perspective on the situation in hand. Also the way he produce and builds the tension gradually and slowly using small hints and boosts here and there such as when Macbeth comes and meets lady Macbeth still holding the daggers used to kill the king his hands also covered in blood, this works brilliantly with the two characters showing their true colours in that section as well.
