Macbeth

Macbeth’s Soliloquy In Macbeth’s soliloquy Shakespeare uses many rhetorical devices to magnify Macbeth’s change in attitude about killing Duncan. Two of the main rhetorical devices used in the soliloquy are rhetorical questions and allusions to Hecate and Tarquin. These two devices help Shakespeare depict the change in Macbeth’s attitude about killing Duncan and also represent his decision to kill Duncan. Macbeth’s rhetorical questions share his lack of clarity and conviction to kill Duncan while the allusions represent his decision forming and becoming clear to him.

At the beginning of Macbeth’s soliloquy Shakespeare uses rhetorical questions to represent Macbeth’s feelings about killing Duncan. In the first seven lines we see three rhetorical questions. These questions lead into the conversation Macbeth has with himself to decide if he will kill Duncan. At the beginning of the soliloquy he seems unsure if he actually wants to go through with the plan. This uncertainty is represented by his uncertainty of the dagger’s existence. The first question he asks is whether or not he actually sees a dagger in front of him.

It is a simple question but leads us into the others. The second question he asks is if the dagger was sent by a “fatal vision” (II. i. 35). Here, the word fatal acts as a double entendre. Fatal can either mean someone’s destiny or it can mean a deadly action and in this case it works with both definitions. Macbeth wonders if it is his fate to kill Duncan with the dagger and the dagger is the deadly weapon that will be used to kill Duncan later on in the play. The final question Macbeth asks himself is whether this dagger is real or not and if it is formed by his “heat-oppressed brain” (II. i. 38).

The fact that he does not even know if he really sees a dagger or not makes it clear to the audience that he is going crazy over the thought of killing Duncan. When Macbeth asks himself this question he is wondering whether he really wants to kill Duncan or if he is just caught in the moment. Later in the soliloquy he even says “[his] eyes are made…fools” (II. i. 43) and that it is “the bloody business which informs/ [the dagger] to [his] eyes” (II. i. 47-48). Since the dagger is not real we know Shakespeare is telling us that Macbeth is thinking about killing Duncan but is still too scared to actually do it.

As the soliloquy progresses, and so does his idea of killing Duncan, he starts talking about more concrete ideas, such as witchcraft, and this represents his growing desire to kill Duncan. In the second half of the soliloquy Macbeth finally decides to kill Duncan. When Macbeth says “now o’er the one half-world” (II. i. 48) he is talking about the time when people are asleep, or nighttime. While he does this he alludes to two famous and immoral people, the goddess Hecate and the Roman King Tarquin. At the time when Shakespeare was alive the audience knew who Shakespeare was referring when Macbeth said the names Tarquin and Hecate.

This simple connection would allow the audience to understand where Macbeth’s decision would go and why he finally came to that decision. Shakespeare draws many parallels between Macbeth and these two people. Shakespeare alludes to Hecate because she was the goddess of magic, witchcraft, the night, the moon, ghosts, and necromancy. All of these things are affiliated with evil and when Macbeth says that “witchcraft celebrates/Pale Hecate’s offerings” (II. i. 50-51) he is trying to persuade himself that even though she is the goddess of these evil things, people still celebrate her and something good may come from killing Duncan.

Shakespeare draws a parallel between Hecate and Macbeth because Macbeth finally decides he will kill Duncan after the bell rings in the same way Hecate’s ritual sacrifices were summoned by the wolf’s howl. Shakespeare also connects Macbeth to Tarquin in a similar way. Tarquin became the King of Rome by killing King Tullius. After Tarquin became the King of Rome he started a reign of terror. Besides killing King Tullius, Tarquin put many senators to death, his son raped a woman named Lucretia and eventually the Tarquin family was banished from Italy.

By connecting Tarquin to Macbeth Shakespeare wants to show that they both knew what they were doing before committing the crime and chose to do it anyway. Also, Shakespeare is showing Macbeth’s change from an innocent man to a ruthless king whether Macbeth wants that or not and we see this later on in the play when Macbeth orders men to kill Banquo and his son, Fleance in fear that they may try to overthrow him. Shakespeare ends the soliloquy by saying that the “words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives” (II. i. 60). By ending the soliloquy with this statement shows the change in Macbeth’s decision to kill Duncan and become king.

The reason why Shakespeare included the soliloquy into the play is to show the audience how Macbeth finally comes to the decision to kill Duncan. Through the rhetorical devices used in the soliloquy Shakespeare is able to give the audience insight on how Macbeth goes from a guiltless man with no gall to a cold blood killer. We know by the end of it Macbeth has decided to kill Duncan and when the bell rings he goes to Duncan’s room to complete the job. We also know that later on he sends men to kill more people in order to keep his position as king and it is much easier for him to make that decision.

King Duncan is a very naive and gentle king. Although he is gentle and kind he also demands to be obeyed and punishes those who disobey him. As an example we can see how Duncan loses all his trust in the now dead Thane of Cawdor. When King Duncan realizes that he was betrayed by the past Thane of Cawdor, he says, “There’s no art to find the mind’s construction in the face: He was a gentleman on whom I built an absolute trust. ”

This means that Duncan used to trust the Thane of Cawdor with his eyes closed but then Ross reveals to Duncan that the Thane of Cawdor betrayed him by joining hands with Duncan’s enemy, the king of Norway. Ross describes this deed as, “Norway himself, with terrible numbers, assisted by that most disloyal traitor, The Thane of Cawdor, began a dismal conflict. ” Due to this betrayal, the Thane of Cawdor is executed, so Duncan chooses Macbeth to receive this title. Duncan chooses Macbeth because he is fearless in battle, especially against the Norwegians when he ploughed through the ranks of soldiers to kill Macdonwald.

King Duncan publicly compliments Macbeth when saying, “O worthiest cousin! The sin of my ingratitude even now was heavy on me: thou art so far before that swiftest wing of recompense is slow to overtake thee. Would thou hadst less deserved, that the proportion both of thanks and payment Might have been mine! Only I have left to say, more is thy due than more than all can pay. ” He means that he is grateful to Macbeth for playing a major part in the victory that they had had earlier and that he can think of nothing to repay him enough. This shows the respect that Duncan had for Macbeth.

Duncan thinks that he can trust Macbeth. Duncan also makes Malcolm the Prince of Cumberland. In Act 1 Scene 3, Macbeth and Banquo meet the witches and they predict that Macbeth will become king, “All hail Macbeth that shall be king hereafter. ” Macbeth is happy to hear this prediction and is looking forward to become King of Scotland but he knows that he needs to overcome obstacles which are in his way so he decides to murder the King. Macbeth discusses with Lady Macbeth and she persuades him to kill Duncan and says that she would help him do this cruel deed.

They sneak in Duncan’s room while he is asleep and Macbeth brutally stabs him with a dagger. Lady Macbeth also manages to get the guards drunk and then carefully puts the bloody daggers near them so that it would like they had murdered King Duncan. The theme of deception is very clearly shown in this play when Macbeth betrays King Duncan. King Duncan always complimented him and respected him but still Macbeth kills him. Macbeth is supposed to be a faithful soldier who would give his life for the king but he is now considered as a traitor when deciding to murder him so that he can be the ruler of the kingdom.

Theme of Deception/ Throughout Macbeth things are not always as they seem. Deception in the play is always present, with Macbeth, Lady Macbeth and the three witches being the chief instigators of deception. From the very first scene, the deception within Macbeth’s world is clearly defined. “Fair is foul and foul is fair”, say the witches at the beginning of Macbeth. This language of contradiction that Shakespeare uses adds to the play’s sense of moral confusion and quickly introduces the theme of deception to the audience, by implying that nothing is quite as it seems.

Also, the play clearly shows how living a life of deceit will ultimately end in disaster. Macbeth, evidently led by his wife, but also by his own ambitions, is guilty of deception many times throughout the play. He deceives his comrade Banquo, King Duncan, as well as his public. From the beginning he welcomes Duncan into his home, knowing that he is about to be murdered. After murdering Duncan he then goes on to kill the guards outside Duncan’s chamber to cover up for himself and make it look as though the guards committed the murder. Lady Macbeth is also one who conveys the theme of deceit in this play.

She is very skilled at persuading others, especially her husband, into be  She is telling Macbeth to look and act pure, but to be evil inside. ” However, Macbeth does not heed Banquo’s words of wisdom, and allows the witches to further deceive him with words that have double meanings and misleading messages, such as those spoken about Birnam Wood coming to Dunsinane and that “none of woman born shall harm Macbeth”. The three witches portray the theme of deception in a different way. Banquo suspects their deception and treachery early on in the play, just after Macbeth has received the title of Thane of Cawdor.

The deception once foregrounded as an advantageous quality has now led to this self-deception, craziness, and Lady Macbeth’s eventual suicide. She schemes and plans right from the beginning to influence Macbeth to kill Duncan and make himself king. “To beguile the time Look like the time, bear welcome in your eye, Your hand, your tongue: look like the innocent flower But be the serpent under’t. They play with Macbeth right from the start by greet him as ‘Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and King hereafter’ knowing Macbeth will go to any lengths to make these prophecies true.

Self-deception is the worst kind of deceit, as we can see that the guilt becomes overwhelming, causing insanity. The deceit does take its toll: “O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife! ”, and Macbeth’s conscience is imprisoned by the build up of denial and self-deception. The illusions, such as the ghost of Banquo and the knife, show that like his wife, Macbeth’s own self-deception has sent him crazy. She is finally so caught up in deception that she cannot take the stress any more. Macbeth’s learned evilness and deception also affects him negatively, and the quest to be king is tragic.

Macbeth’s state of mind is also not that of a normal person, as he is trying to go against his nature to convince himself that deception is the only way to be King. Moral Lessons of Macbeth “Your hand, your tongue: look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t. ” (Shakespeare 1. 5. 64-66) Throughout , things are not always as they seem. Deception in this play is always present, especially with the main characters – Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth is the most skilled at persuading others, especially her husband, into believe things that are not true.

The above quote, spoken by Lady Macbeth to her husband, shows exactly how manipulative and deceiving she can be. She is telling Macbeth to look and act pure, but to be evil inside. Macbeth, evidently led by his wife, but also by his own ambitions, is likewise guilty of deception. He deceives his best friend Banquo, King Duncan, as well as his public. Lady Macbeth and Macbeth also try to use denial and rationalization to deceive themselves. This self-deception leads to grave circumstances for them both. Macbeth is forced into further and further lies, making life difficult and unbearable.

Lady Macbeth is also caught in the depths of deception and eventually kills herself. Therefore, it is obvious that the main characters of Shakespeare’s Macbeth are all negatively affected by the recurring theme of deception. Throughout the play, Lady Macbeth uses her ability to mislead others in many ways. First of all, she decides to use deception to push her husband’s ambition to be king. … Hie thee hither, that I may pour my spirits in thine ear, and chastise with the valour of my tongue all that impedes thee from the golden round… (1. 5. 25-28)

Lady Macbeth believes that, to be successful in his ambitions, Macbeth must rise above his goodness and accept her evil ways. She knows that the process of making her husband believe what she wants may not be easy. Lady Macbeth has to be cunning, and she is up for the challenge. The thought of being in power – the King and Queen of Scotland – drives her and she cannot be stopped. Lady Macbeth often has to reinforce her immoral beliefs to her husband, giving him a boost. Was the hope drunk, wherein you dressed yourself? hath it slept since, and wakes it now, to look so green and pale at what it did so freely?

From this time such I account thy love. Art thou afeard to be the same in thine own act and valour, as thou art desire? Wouldst thous have that which thou esteem’st the ornament of life, and live a coward in thine own esteem, letting “I dare not” wait upon “I would,” Like the poor cat I’the adage? “(1. 7. 35-42) Lady Macbeth implies that Macbeth is being cowardly by not going after what he wants. She preys upon her husband’s pride to remind him of his ambitions. Once she has schooled her husband in the art of deception, she must help him uphold this image and the lies. This deceit always results in hazardous utcomes. Although Lady Macbeth is the most talented deceiver, Macbeth is also lead into committing his own deceptions. He begins to learn from his wife, and, in turn, proceeds to deceive many others. Deceiving his friends becomes a frequent habit, and Macbeth is forced to continue his lies and stories. Do not muse at me, my most worthy friends; I have a strange infirmity, which is nothing to those that know me. Come, love and health to all; then I’ll sit down. – Give me some wine: fill full: – I drink to the general joy of the whole table, and to our dear friend Banquo, whom we miss; would he were here. (3. 4. 4-91) This falsehood is evident, as Macbeth is trying to fool his dinner guests about the reasons for his strange behaviour. Pretending that everything is fine eventually does not work, and as the play continues, so does the deception on many different levels. Deceiving others may seem difficult, but deceiving oneself leads to even bigger problems. Lady Macbeth is so occupied with trying to mislead others, while rationalizing the deception to herself and her husband, that she does not notice how much the guilt is building. She finally gets so caught up in the deception game, that she cannot take it anymore.

Lady Macbeth’s worry that people are no longer falling for their deceptive ways, comes out in one of her mad ramblings in front of the doctor: “… What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to account? “(5. 1. 35-37). Though she is trying to be bold, saying that she does not care who knows what they have done, the statement proves that she does fear being detected. In the end, Lady Macbeth’s guilt over all of the lies gets the better of her. She goes mad, sleepwalking and rambling about the murders. “Wash your hands, put on your night-gown; look not so pale. – I tell you yet again,

Banquo’s buried: he cannot come out on’s grave. “(5. 1. 58-60) The deception that Lady Macbeth once prided herself on, lead to the self-deception, which then lead to her death when she committed suicide. Macbeth is also in over his head, and his mind starts to play tricks on him on more than one occasion: Is this a dagger I see before me, the handle toward my hand? Come let me clutch thee: I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. (2. 1. 33-36) … art thou but a dagger of the mind, a false creation, proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain? (2. 1. 37-39) Macbeth’s state of mind is not that of a normal man.

He is trying so hard to go against his nature, convincing himself that deception is the only way to be King. The deceit does take its toll: “O! full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife! “(3. 2. 36) Macbeth becomes imprisoned by his illusions caused by the build up of denial and self-deception. Banquo’s ghost is an example of these illusions. “… Take any shape but that [Banquo’s] and my firm nerves shall never tremble: or , be alive again… “(3. 4. 103-104) Macbeth’s inner struggle is coming out and, because his mind is in such a state, he can no longer control his behavior. Like his wife, Macbeth’s own inner deception has made him crazy.

Macbeth goes from being a noble warrior with honest ambition, to someone that cannot even control his own thoughts anymore, due to all of the deception. From the end results of the play, we can clearly see how deception ruins lives. Shakespeare shows the audience that misleading others – and oneself, is not honorable nor the way to get ahead. Lady Macbeth’s ability to seduce her husband into having immoral thoughts, leading to immoral actions to gain power, does not pay off. Macbeth’s learned evilness and deception also affects him negatively, and the quest to be king is tragic.

Self-deception is the worst kind of deceit, as we can see that the guilt becomes overwhelming, causing insanity. Evil deception of any kind is clearly harmful and a valid moral lesson can be taken from this play. Deception is the heart of Shakespeare’s play Macbeth. Everything revolves around what seems to be; however, the truth does not emerge until the end when all deceptions are revealed. The witches and Macbeth use the tools of deception to cloud the issues and move the play along leaving the reader to ascertain what is real. The Weird sisters set up the theme of appearance vs. eality with their opening lines “fair is foul, and foul is fair, /hover through the fog and filthy air” (1. 1. 12-13). These lines hint to the reader that people and events in the play will not be as they appear! When the witches give Macbeth his three titles Thane of Cawdor, Thane of Glamis, and King hereafter (1. 3. 51-53) thoughts of suspicion arise. Will Macbeth try to achieve these titles or let things take their natural course? Banquo tries to be the voice of reason and portrays feelings of doubt in his lines: “That, trusted home, /Might yet enkindle you unto the crown, /Besides the Thane of Cawdor.

But tis’ strange. / And oftentimes to win us to our harm,/The instruments of darkness tell us truths, /Win us with honest trifles, to betray’s/ In deepest consequence”(1. 3. 132-138). Perhaps, in my opinion, a play can have only one theme or a central idea to be focussed and as far as Macbeth is concerned the whole idea is based on what the witches chanted “fair is foul and foul is fair”. This idea is repeated by almost everyone in the play . e. g right after the battle of Dunsinane where the sergeant remarks “from that spring whence comfort see’d to come Discomfort swells’ ..

Likewise this idea of contradiction is explicit in Duncan’s words” There is no art to find the mind’s construction on in the face’. Banquo was intrigued by the appearance of the witches to whom he says” You should be women, and yet your beards forbid one to interpret that you are so”. He is further confused how ” the instruments of darkness tell us truths ” . Later on Lady Macbeth has the following  advice to her husband ” to beguile the time look like the time, bear welcome in your eye, your hand, your tongue, look like the innocent flower and yet be the serpent under it. The theme can be traced throughout in Macbeth as one of deception. Appearances are deceptive. What is fair is not fair . Shakespeare’s play “Macbeth” is considered one of his great tragedies. The play fully uses plot, character, setting, atmosphere, diction and imagery to create a compelling drama. The general setting of Macbeth is tenth and eleventh century Scotland. The play is about a once loyal and trusted noble of Scotland who, after a meeting with three witches, becomes ambitious and plans the murder of the king. After doing so and claiming the throne, he faces the other nobles of Scotland who try to stop him.

In the play, Macbeth faces an internal conflict with his opposing decisions. On one hand, he has to decide of he is to assassinate the king in order to claim his throne. This would result in his death for treason if he is caught, and he would also have to kill his friend. On the other hand, if he is to not kill him, he may never realize his ambitious dreams of ruling Scotland. Another of his internal struggles is his decision of killing his friend Banquo. After hiring murderers to kill him, Macbeth begins to see Banquo’s ghost which drives him crazy, possibly a result of his guilty conscience.

Macbeth’s external conflict is with Macduff and his forces trying to avenge the king and end Macbeth’s reign over Scotland. One specific motif is considered the major theme, which represents the overall atmosphere throughout the play. This motif is “fair is foul and foul is fair. ” In the first scene of the first act, three witches plan their next meeting in which they will encounter Macbeth. It is in this scene that the motif is first presented, as the tree witches chant, “Fair is foul, and foul is fair, hover through the fog and filthy air” (1. 1. 11-12). The witches meet again in scene three of act one.

One of the witches discusses a curse she has placed on a woman’s husband, because she refused to share her food. This display of evil powers and spitefulness, suggests that the witches may have some influence in the development of the motif. Macbeth enters during this scene along with Banquo, arriving from a victorious battle. He uses the motif to describe the day as “So foul and fair a day I have not seen” (1. 3. 38). When Macbeth encounters the witches, they give him two predictions. One is that he will become the thane of Cawdor, and then the king of Scotland.

Upon hearing this, Macbeth immediately begins to plan his methods of obtaining these positions, including the murder of the king. Because of this, it may be assumed that he has thought of such actions prior to the meeting. This is an example of what was once fair, a loyal and noble of Scotland, has become foul, an ambitious traitor. On the night of his murder, king Duncan is invited to a banquet hosted by Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Once there, Duncan describes the castle in a positive manner. “This Castle hath a pleasant seat; the air nimbly and sweetly recommends itself unto our gentle senses” (1. . 1-3). Ironically, Macbeth murders him in his sleep in the castle. The main theme of the play is supported here, as this fair and pleasant castle, has become a foul place of betrayal and murder. This scenario is also seen at Macbeth’s second banquet, which he holds to show gratitude and love for his friends. Meanwhile, however, three murderers hired by Macbeth, kills his friend Banquo in order to prevent any threat or opposition to Macbeth’s reign. In her first appearances, Lady Macbeth is presented as an ambitiously evil and foul character that will do whatever it takes to get what she wants.

We see this motivation in her when she says, “How tender tis to love the babe that milks me; I would, while it was smiling in my face have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums, and dashed the brains out” (1. 6. 55-58). In these lines, Lady Macbeth threatens that she would smash her baby’s head if it meant achieving their goals. However, after killing Duncan and becoming queen, she realizes her mistakes and is driven mentally ill by it. She is no longer able to live with the guilt and fears of her actions. In her case, we see what was once foul, becomes fair.

William Shakespeare uses nature to develop the theme of the play. Disorders in nature during this time were a result of an evil doing disrupting the natural order of the world. In the play, Macbeth’s betrayal of Scotland is the cause of the disorders in nature. An example of these disorders is the woods that Macbeth’s messenger claims he saw. “As I did stand my watch upon the hill I looked toward Birnam, and anon, methought, the wood began to move” (5. 5. 33-35). Throughout the play Macbeth, the general mood is one of deceit and betrayal. What appears to be fair is foul. This is why it is considered to be the

Year 11A Callan Brombacher Mini Essay: Macbeth is a “tragic hero” or the “dead butcher”? Mrs. Dolman According to Aristotle’s view, a tragic hero is a lead character in literature that evokes a sense of pity from the audience. The character is virtuous and renowned but not entirely good. The hero has a fatal flaw that brings him his success and death. Through the course of the story, the hero commits a great wrong creating a shift from good fortune to bad. This is usually where the sense of pity (that the audience feels for the hero) stems from.

At the end of the story the hero looses everything including his life. Macbeth is portrayed as a virtuous character in the opening scenes of “Macbeth”, by the use of diction and style. Shakespeare uses a laudatory style focused on Macbeth in the opening scenes displaying him as a renowned soldier. He uses the words “noble, brave, worthy” etcetera, to list some of Macbeth’s virtues. He uplifts Macbeth, by comments from the king such as: “O, valiant cousin! Worthy gentlemen! ”

Like all tragic heroes, Macbeth had a fatal flaw. His ambition was one of the reason’s he committed his great wrong. Lady Macbeth knew of his ambition and influenced him to kill Duncan. “Thou wouldst be great, Art not without ambition…” Macbeth, not entirely good himself, is prone to evil. Shakespeare demonstrates this by linking Macbeth to the witches through the use of the words “fair” and “foul”. “Fair is foul and foul is fair. ” This phrase was mentioned by the witches. So foul and fair a day…. ” This phrase was mentioned by Macbeth. Macbeth also expresses no fear for evil, as he shouts commands at the witches. “Speak, I charge you! ” Macbeth’s fortune begins to change for the worse as the play continues. His Subjects become suspicious of him, and he begins to regret killing Duncan, as it leads to a lack of sleep and insanity. “Better be with the dead, whom we, to gain our peace, have sent to peace, than on the torture of the mind to lie in restless ecstasy. ”

The audience feels a sense of pity for Macbeth due to the fact that he did not want to kill Duncan but his ambition and wife’s influence forced his hand. After Duncan’s death Macbeth feels guilt and remorse, wishing he had not committed the crime. In the final scenes of the play, Macbeth loses his wife and sanity, is over thrown and killed by Macduff. Macbeth displays all the characteristics of a tragic hero described by Aristotle, leading me to believe Macbeth is a tragic hero and not a dead butcher.

Stanhope is the captain in command of an infantry company on the front line. Although he is a highly ranked officer, Stanhope is still only a boy. He has been out in the trenches for nearly three years, (having come straight form school at he age of eighteen) and has commanded his company for a year. The character of Stanhope is fundamental to the play as a whole; we learn this almost straight away as he is spoken about before he appears on stage. The play begins with a conversation between two officers – Osborne and Hardy – and it is from them that the reader gains a first impression of Stanhope.

His drink problem is immediately addressed as Hardy asks, ‘Drinking like a fish, as usual? ‘ This presents him in a fairly negative light however; this feeling is soon displaced as Osborne begins to defend him and offers some reasoning as to why Stanhope seeks solace in alcohol. We learn that he is in fact an extremely competent and well respected commander – ‘He’s a long way the best company commander we’ve got’ and this point is emphasised in Act two as Raleigh writes in his letter, ‘He’s the finest officer in the battalion, and the men simply love him.

Sherriff presents Stanhope as hard working, and this is mentioned various times throughout the two acts. Osborne says (when defending him against Hardy) – ‘He’s commanded this company or a year – in and out of the front line. He’s never had a rest. Other men come over here and go home again ill, and young Stanhope goes on sticking it, month in, month out. ‘ He is precise and meticulous in his duties as captain. When Trotter asks if he can go on duty half an hour later so he can finish his meal Stanhope refuses, unwilling to risk upsetting the schedule.

He is also horrified at the state in which Hardy leaves the trenches, commenting that they smell like cess pits; all this adding to the image that Sherriff creates of him as a fine officer. Stanhope is extremely worried about Raleigh’s appearance as he is frightened he will write to his sister and tell her what he has become. His quick temper becomes apparent as he demands Raleigh hands his letter over – he shouts, ‘Don’t ‘Dennis’ me! Stanhope’s my name! ‘ and even snaps at Osborne. Raleigh describes an incident at school, ‘I remember once at school he caught some chaps in a study with a bottle of whisky.

Lord! the roof nearly blew off. He gave them a dozen each with a cricket stump. ‘ This is ironic considering what Stanhope has become, yet it gives the reader an insight into what he was like before the war and how it has affected him. It quickly becomes apparent that Mason is scared of Stanhope; we see an example of this when Mason accidently gets apricots instead of pineapples – he is extremely concerned about what the captains reaction may be. This further enforces the idea of Stanhope having a short temper. Stanhope has a close relationship with Osborne, much like that of a father and son.

Being twice his age, calm and level headed, Osborne is there to look after Stanhope when he gets too ‘tight’ or to comfort him when he fears for his sanity. The scene where Osborne tucks Stanhope into bed shows his vulnerability. He is only a boy after all, and this is demonstrated effectively as he says, ‘Yes – I go sleep. ‘ Osborne defends Stanhope against Hardy and says, ‘I love that fellow. I’d go to hell with him. ‘ Stanhope is a deep thinker – ‘It’s a habit that’s grown on me lately – to look right through things, and on and on – til I get frightened and stop.

He see’s beneath the surface of things, one of the qualities that make him a fantastic captain. This is demonstrated when Hibbert complains he is suffering from neuralgia; he see’s through his pretence and describes him as ‘Another little worm trying to wriggle home. ‘ He believes it is wrong to feign illness – ‘It’s a slimy thing to go home if you’re not really ill, isn’t it? ‘ Despite his disliking for Hibbert, after his initial threat to shoot him he is understanding and comforting, even offering to accompany him on patrol.

He has a real sense of decency, evident throughout the two acts. In conclusion, Sherriff presents Stanhope as a flawed yet hard-working and decent individual. Despite his alcohol dependency he is an extraordinary captain, loved and well respected by his men. The reader learns all this through Stanhope’s actions, stage directions, what the other characters tell us about him and their responses to him. Sherriff presents him as a tragic hero, troubled and hardened by his experiences.

I was given the brief that, if I was a director how would I compose work on Macbeth on Act One, Scene Three of the play? I would begin by thinking on how I will present the following to the audience: the setting, the atmosphere, themes, characters and camera shots. I would decide to try and set the scene around 1000 AD and to do this I think that there should be no bright colours used. Traditional requirements need to be employed such as the transport would be by horse, and food which has been home produced e.g. chickens. To create the atmosphere I would require a large variety of types of music. For example, a sad atmosphere I might use soft music from a flute, the typical Scottish bagpipes might create a happy atmosphere, while during the witches’ scene the sound of thunder could be heard in the background.

In the third scene there are five different types of characters. I think that Macbeth and Banquo should both look strong and not cleanly shaven and I think that Macbeth should be very dirty, this would emphasize how ‘brave’ (1.2.16) and ‘noble’ (1.3.67) he is. Both Macbeth and Banquo’s clothes should be torn in places and looking exhausted. Macbeth could have a bearded? Ross and Angus need to have a clearer appearance and both should be cleanly shaven. All four of these characters should all speak very clearly to remind the audience the time of the setting of the play. I would like the three witches to look extremely ugly with facial hair i.e. moustache, long fingernails, long scruffy hair and warts. The uses of masks could make them look very unattractive. They should speak very ‘crockery’ and very slowing and abnormal.

I would want to highlight a number of themes, one of them being the theme of supernatural. This theme is brought up during the witch’s scene at the beginning of scene three. I would like the audience to believe that they are inhuman and ‘weird’ (1.3.30). I will create this theme by making the witch’s unclear with the use of smoke therefore things which are unclear in that sense are abnormal/supernatural. I will also use special effects to make the three ‘witches vanish’ (1.3.77). Their general appearance as described above will make them look extremely mythical.

I think that I would need to highlight the theme ‘light against dark’, this is what he says to other characters (light) and what he expresses to the audience what other characters can’t hear (dark). This theme is used a number of times during the play and is used twice during the third scene. Macbeth hides his excitement and a clear example of this is when to Ross, ‘Why do you dress me in borrow’d robes?’ (1.3.107-108), this robe symbolizes his new title: Thane of Cawdor. While on line 117, Macbeth, aside, appears to be very excited by new potential titles and quotes, ‘Glamis and Thane of Cawdor: The greatest is behind.’ (1.3.116-117), this statement is only expressed to the audience.

• An Elizabethan audience would have been genuinely terrified by the events on stage as they believed that witches did exist, murder by witchcraft was made punishable in 1563 thus demonstrating that people during this era believed witches were real and had magical powers.
• The theme of equivocation is used by Shakespeare to highlight the witch’s evil nature; they use words with double meanings to confuse and disorientate Macbeth’s thoughts and cause a conflict in his mind (between good and evil).
• “The weird sisters” – whilst also meaning strange the word weird is derived from the ‘wyrd’ which means fate or destiny, fate is often characterised as 3 old women.

Transformation

• Macbeth is promoted to Thane of Cawdor by King Duncan, the audience have yet to meet Macbeth when Duncan makes this decision thus an impression of Macbeth as an honourable man is formed. The significance of this promotion is that Macbeth goes through a transformation from a brave soldier to a higher ranking, and more noble, position.
• Macbeth’s dramatic change in character is amplified in act 3 scene one as he attempts to annihilate Banquo, his close friend who he held in high respect at the start of the play. As the play progresses there is a steady breakdown of Macbeth’s identity, causing him to be “not himself” by the end.

A Blurring of Fantasy and Reality

• The line between fantasy and reality becomes blurred; the pinnacle point of this is in act two scene two after Macbeth enters from the murder. His piece of mind has been shattered as he feels that he has “murdered sleep”, there is no escape from his evil deeds as he has now become trapped in a living nightmare. To Macbeth (who comes over almost trance-like) he is just as vulnerable awake as asleep and to sleep would be too difficult because his mind has become corrupt with evil thoughts. (Macbeth becomes slightly hysterical during this scene as he struggles to make sense of what is happening to him, this is also an aspect of disorder)
• “Is this a dagger which I see before me” – Macbeth appears tormented by his violent actions, which induce his tragic fall, it is after the murder of the king that he slowly evolves into a mad man who feels out of control with his mental state, it is corrupted thoughts that lead him to become power obsessed and thus a murderous, villainous man, his many delusions add to mounting suspense. (This also has links to transformation – transformation of the mind)

Significant Use of Setting

• Act one scene one opens with “Thunder and lightning” suggesting that the witches, who have gathered to talk about Macbeth, are somewhere outside.
• The play is introduced as dark and dangerous, evil is introduced through the stormy weather that symbolises the disorder to come.
• In act two scene four Ross and an old man talk about the stormy night, symbolising disruption in the kingdom, there is definite mystery as the location of the conversation is unclear, conversation takes place somewhere “outside the castle”.
• “A camp near the battlefield” is the setting in act one scene two; a battlefield is a place where many people die, later in the play Macbeth becomes a murderer killing several people for un-just reasons. The king discusses the bravery shown by Macbeth and decides to reward him with the title Thane of Cawdor, he is being rewarded for killing here which could be a slight element of foreshadowing of his ability to kill for his own ends (merciless man).