The Unwordly Atmosphere in Macbeth

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Macbeth

Macbeth is a play about ambition, temptation ,the supernatural  and persuasion  .From the beginning in act 1 we see Shakespeare uses words punctuation and staging  to create the desired  dramatic  effects. Looking closely at each scene we see Macbeth's vaulting ambition, though it is what brings him to his height of power, it is also what leads him to his downfall. Vaulting Ambition is Macbeth's only flaw; it disables him to achieve his utmost goals and forces him to face his fate. Without this ambition, though, Macbeth never would have been able to achieve his power as King of Scotland or have been able to carry out his evil deeds. In these instances, ambition helped Macbeth do what he wanted to do. But, consequently, Macbeth's ambition has another face and is what leads him to his tragic downfall. Had he not been so enveloped with becoming King and remaining powerful, he would not have continued to kill innocent people in order to keep his position. It was because of these killings and his overbearing attitude that caused him to be overthrown and killed himself.

 

The opening scene of Macbeth is dark and mysterious. Using weather for effect creates this atmosphere. It is dark and stormy this back ground is sympathetic is not emphasizing , of the witches characters. This atmosphere is a good setting for the three witches that the play opens with.It  gives an air of mystery and the supernatural.

The witches are discussing when they will meet again. They chant their rhyming words to each other giving an air of magic to the conversation. ”When shall we three meet again, in thunder lightning or in rain” This is a form of writing Shakespeare used to give a magical and unworldly feel it is called rhyming cuplets. He uses this in many of his plays for characters of a magical background and it is very effective.

“Fair is foul and foul is fair”all the witches chant this together , giving it dramatic power . this way of talking using bad thinsga s good is called moral inversion. This means that what is good to natural /normal creatures is bad to the witches and vise versa.this makes the witches seem worlds away form real life and shows that they are supernatural beingswith different hobbies and pastimes , we soon find out one of there hobbies is to watch  the dimise of a good soldier to a bitter, greedy king..

It catches the audience’s attention when the witches talk of Macbeth “there to meet with Macbeth”. This is the first time he is spoken of, this would make the audience curious to know what the witches connection to Macbeth is. This familiar name well stir up interest as it is also the title of the play.

As well as using text to conjure up curiosity and mystery Shakespeare would have used setting, sound and lighting to give the effect of a dark desolate place. Thunder sounds would be used, the lighting would be dull and misty, and the setting would be stark and bare to draw your attention to the witches and their actions.

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Shakespeare wrote Macbeth in the time of king James 1. This play would have interested the king as he claimed to have had contact with black magic and seemed to be fascinated by witches, he even wrote a book on the subject.

Shakespeare is known to have had the king of the time in mind when he wrote this play. He probably decided to open the play in this way for that reason. Also the fact that witchcraft interested the public of the time too.

Supernatural beings are used to create dramatic emphasis in all forms of ...

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