Macbeth changes from loyal subject to King Killer. Explore how Shakespeare presents this change to the audience.

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Macbeth changes from loyal subject to King Killer. Explore how Shakespeare presents this change to the audience.

Act 1 Scene 1 is a very short scene, long enough to awaken curiosity, yet not long enough to fulfil it. The first thing we notice is that we are introduced to a meeting amongst three witches that is coming to a close. This has a very important impact on the audience because in Elizabethan/Jacobean times witchcraft was believed to be a practice that caused harm and injury associated with black or evil magic. They were believed to be in league with the Devil, who gave them supernatural powers, and thus became the obvious opponent of the Christian Church, which was the common belief of that time. Shakespeare has done this to set the mood of the play, and to create irony within the audience because we are not introduced to Macbeth, who happens to be the main character and also we are presented with evil from the off, which implies to them that something is not right; however, they do not know what this is yet. We infer through the witch’s prologue that they are arranging their next meeting before their familiar spirits; devils in animal shapes.

Scene 1 On the moor

        Thunder and lightning.’                This description further entices our suspicion that something is not correct because of the eerie scene that is painted. Again Shakespeare has done this so the audience get an inclination to evil. Moreover, when we look at the witch’s speech, they prophesise about events to come;

Second Witch

“When the hurlyburly’s done,

When the battle’s lost and won.”        Once again he has chosen to do this so that we are inveigled to what they are saying, and what is to come. Furthermore, an opinion of Macbeth before we actually meet him is thrust upon us. We notice this in two stages;

Third Witch

“There to meet with Macbeth.”         From this we can infer that a meeting will take place between the witches and Macbeth. Yet, if we look deeper into what the third witch says we can deduce that if the witches are evil and they want to meet with Macbeth, therefore hasn’t Macbeth got a hint of evil to him? For a second time Shakespeare has chosen to do this due to the reason that the audience are kept in suspense as to when they will meet? Who is Macbeth really? And what do they want with him? Yet through this technique, only time will tell the audience. Lastly, it ends with a magical chant from the witches;

All

“Fair is foul, and foul is fair:

Hover through the fog and filthy air.”                If we analyse this text vigilantly, we perceive that the witches are plotting something that is of the demonic kind; something that will affect Macbeth significantly. Thus the first scene ends and through Shakespeare’s techniques, we are all left in contemplation as to what is truly happening, and to who Macbeth is.

In Act 1 Scene 2 we learn about the arduous battle against the rebels who appear to have fortune on their side. More importantly, we find out about a brave soldier, named Macbeth.

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“For brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name –“(Iii 16) This line informs us that Macbeth will be handed the title ‘thane of Cawdor’. Shakespeare creates irony here because this title first belonged to a person who was ‘a most disloyal traitor’. Hence the audience get a further incite as to the nature of Macbeth. Moreover to support this idea, we hear about how Macbeth killed Macdonwald;

“Which ne’er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him,

Till he unseam’d him from the nave to the chaps…” (Iii 21-22) We understand this to mean that Macbeth had ripped Macdonwald open from the ...

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