Drama and Character Tension in Act III, Scene IV of "Macbeth"

His next targets are Banquo and Fleance. Macbeth hires murderers to kill them both. The murderers successfully kill Banquo but Fleance escapes. Macbeth becomes king and hosts a banquet. The guilt comes back. Macbeth acknowledges. “When now I think you can behold such sights, and keep the natural ruby of your cheeks, when mine is blanch’d with fear” (3.4.45). Macbeth thinks everyone at the table can see Banquo’s ghost when really he is the only one who sees it. Everyone is confused and concerned because Macbeth is going crazy and practically yelling at an empty chair. Macbeth almost spills the truth that he was the one who arranged Banquo’s death. Also, Lady Macbeth claims that, “I pray you, speak not; he grows worse and worse; Question enrages him; at once, good night: stand not upon the order of your going, but go at once” (3.4.45). Lady Macbeth tries to cover the up the outburst by telling their quests that Macbeth is not well. She knows that the guilt is taking over him because he initially did not want to kill

In this scene we see Macbeth in shock seeing Banquo’s ghost. Fear is shown through Macbeth’s words to make this scene dramatic. When Macbeth questions the guest “which of you have done this?” fear is shown which creates suspicion amongst the guest through his disorientated state of mind. He questions because he thinks it is not real and it must be a prank created by the guest. When Macbeth replies to Banquo’s ghost by saying “Thou Canst say I did it never shake thy gory locks at me” this is dramatic as it shows the audience that only Macbeth can see the ghost which creates dramatic tension because the guest are confuse. Fear and guilt is shown through Macbeth’s words as he is rejecting the fact that he was the murderer which is ironic as the audience is fully aware of how Banquo’s death was caused. Macbeth fear is shown when he says “I am cabined, cribbed, confined bound in to saucy doubts and fear” The repetition of harsh jarring “c” sound makes it dramatic as it shows Macbeth trapped in his own guilt. Shakespeare specially chooses to use alliteration to make this scene dramatic on stage and for the audience to easily understand his state of mind. His full extent of fear is shown later on as he would rather fight a “Russian bear” “armed rhinoceros or the hyrcan tiger” Shakespeare uses images of powerful and majestic animals to show the extent of his fear making this scene dramatic. The hyrcan tiger is a

Tonight I attended a banquet in honor of our new king, Macbeth. The room was warmly lit, food lined the table, and there was a feeling of triumph. After I had taken my seat near the head of the table, I observed the King having a conversation with a common looking man by the side of the room. When he turned, I noticed the man had what appeared to be a small amount of blood on his face, which was rather troubling to me at the time. However, I dismissed the thoughts and returned to my drink, contemplating the fact that Banquo was not at the banquet. It is unlike him to miss an event like this, but his absence was perhaps due forgetfulness and nothing more. I was ready to enjoy my drink when the strangest incident of the night took place. Macbeth

Audience becomes aware of Macbeth’s corruption when he plans to kill his ‘friend’, Banquo. He describes him as “dispatched” (3.4.15), and later as “safe” (3.4.25). This positions the audience to feel as though Macbeth is somewhat desperate to convince himself that he has acted appropriately despite using corrupt power. Using this stylistic device of language further demonstrates that Macbeth has now been corrupted to the extent that he longer feels compassion for his former companions. This ultimately establishes the representation that Macbeth’s illegitimate power has directly resulted in his destructive nature.

at this exact point as in the previous scene Macbeth is on his way to

In Macbeth, Shakespeare sets the themes of seduction, ambition, and deception amid a correlating backdrop, whether you are giving chase on a battlefield, standing in foul weather, or seeing apparitions of bloody daggers we sense danger from the opening act. The play commences with ominous

Lady Macbeth is a complex and intriguing character in Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth. She is a difficult character to embody as her personality seems split between two sides, one that is pure evil, sly and conniving in contrast to her softer, vulnerable, weak and feminine side. In the play we see her in these two main ways. The reader may feel a certain animosity towards Lady Macbeth throughout the first few acts as her personality appears more and more distasteful, in spite of this towards the end she has a serious breakdown over the guilt that torments her, even in her sleep, regarding her hand in Duncan’s untimely death.

Lady Macbeth is saying to Macbeth at the banquet, that if the apparition of Banquo was like the “air-drawn dagger” which led him, manipulating and forcing him to kill Duncan. This action makes the supernatural world more powerful, confusing and driving Macbeth out of his mind in the process.

From treating the witches with respect and dignity, Macbeth now storms into their camp, sword drawn, blustered, and demands information, and speaks to them with contempt and a sense of aggravation, “How now, you secret, black, and midnight hags? What is it you do?” He demands answers instantly, “Answer me to what I ask you!” His composure and mannerism has significantly changed and deteriorated, “Call ‘em! Let me see’em!” He now willingly looks into the dark arts and gives himself up to evil by staring into the conjured apparitions of the future, denouncing his kingship to Banquo’s children and grand children. But Macbeth’s evil and lust for dominance and the title of King sway him into killing Banquo, and his family, “Seize upon Fife, give to the edge of the sword his wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls that trace him in his line!” Macbeth’s language is almost beast like, closely assimilating that of his wife’s, which has already been corrupted by evil. Contrasted with the reputable and trustworthy Macbeth of earlier times, this new Macbeth speaks of mass murder, treason and slaughtering children. The evil that has corrupted him has mutated him into a vile twisted man.

His guilty conscience is projecting visions of Banquo because he is responsible for Banquo’s death. When the ghost of Banquo appears to Macbeth, Macbeth then realizes all this time Banquo had been suspicious of him. Reasons of the importance of Banquo 's ghost is that it symbolizes the down fall of Macbeth because only Macbeth himself could see him which makes Macbeth go ballistic and realize that Banquo was on to him this whole time. Its outbursts like these that hint at his guilt and make the thanes suspicious of Macbeth. “It will have blood: they say and blood will have blood” This quote from Act 3, scene 4, is said by Macbeth when he sees the ghost of Banquo at his feast. Its significance lies in the fact that Macbeth is beginning to have a guilty conscience and this makes him feel that his crime is pursuing him.

Macbeth’s major dilemma in putting what is actually there and what is imagined perceptive is proven above to have brought Macbeth to his corruption, his inhumanity, and at last to his downfall. Because he does not know what is real, he thinks he was pulled to kill King Duncan and so he did; he thinks that Banquo is there to haunt him, and so he starts slipping up and his false face starts to show what his heart knows; he

Furthermore, the deterioration of his human nature is shown whilst learning of Fleance’s health. The apparition of Banquo’s eight heirs and a last who bears a glass proves to Macbeth that his attempt to change fate has failed. Macbeth declares, “Horrible sight! Now I see ‘tis true; For blood-bolter’d Banquo smiles upon me, And points at them for his” (4.1.120-122). Macbeth’s inability to accept his unfortunate fate, further drags his mind into chaos. His ambition and hubris acts lead to the death of Banquo and his own struggles with accepting his fruitless crown. Ultimately, fate leads to the downfall of Macbeth by unleashing his ambition, supporting the theme.

Act four, scene two, is a very important piece of the play, Macbeth, by William Shakespeare. In this scene, Macbeth has Macduff’s wife, children, and others in his castle killed while Macduff is in England. This is the pivotal moment in the play because now Macduff and Macbeth have to fight. By some, this is viewed as the climax because it is essentially the last straw. In this scene, people are exposed to just how awful Macbeth is. For him to kill a man’s wife and children while his castle is unprotected, is the lowest of the low. This is so horrible because Macduff’s wife and child are innocent and are no threat to Macbeth. At this point, Macbeth is killing for amusement. Also, in this scene, Lady Macduff and her son have a conversation. In this exchange, the two say very ironic last words. In act four, scene two, there are three important messages that relate to the rest of the play; manhood, madness, and foul and fair.

In Act One scene three it opens as the Queen and two Lords are talking about the King and how he has fallen ill. The passage I look at is when Lord Grey says, “In that you brook it ill, it makes him worse; Therefore for God’s sake entertain good comfort, And cheer his Grace with quick and merry eyes.” The two Lords are trying to cheer the Queen up by telling her that he will be okay and that she needs to stay strong so that she can keep the king happy. I am still unsure what brook means in this context because today it means a small stream or a girl’s name.

In the scene of the murder of King Duncan, Shakespeare has intended to draw the attention more on the reaction of Macbeth caused by the murder instead of the murder itself. The accounts that describe the bloody scene are more alive in our imagination than any stage effect. This is why the killing of King Duncan is not set in a public place; however setting the murder off-stage is one of the successful stage effects as it is the start of the gradual build up of dramatic tension.