Tragedy of Macbeth by W. Shakespeare - Essay Example

Macbeth Discuss the impact of the first act of Macbeth on the audience and how is it important to the whole play? Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies and it is a good example of how Shakespeare can produce a dramatic story for the audience using the development of the characters, the intricacies of the plot, poetic devices and other elements of a play. By analysing a short section of the play i.e. the first act, we can find many different examples of such dramatic story telling which add to the value of the play and the pleasure derived from it. It would be best if an examination is made of the play in a scene by scene so as to clarify the impact on the audience and the importance of the scene to the whole play. The first group of characters which are introduced to the audiences are the three witches who come across as forbearers of the story. The setup the situation for their meeting with Macbeth after the battle has been won and lost. Of course at this point the audience has little idea about the battle which will be won by one side and lost by the other and neither do they know about Macbeth. However, even from these words it can be assumed that Macbeth would be the winner of the coming battle since the witches will meet him after a battle has been won and lost. Macbeth could not meet them if he lost the battle and resultantly died. This foreshadowing is confirmed in Act 1, Scene 2 where the injured soldier confirms that brave Macbeth has been successful in defeating the rebels against Duncan and is victorious in battle. In the same scene, Duncan comes across as another important character and he seems to be a just and noble king based on the respect he is given and the rewards he gives to his cousin Macbeth for the victory over the rebels. Duncan sends a messenger to Macbeth telling him that he shall become the Thane of Cawdor. The sense of drama is heightened when the witches inform Macbeth of becoming the Thane of Cawdor before he receives the news from the king. This certainly sets up the audiences expectations about the witches’ prophecies being true to the last and the other prophecies made by the witches also gain credibility. They make three different predictions and this is reflected in Act 1, Scene 3 with the aid of poetic alliteration of the number three. For example, “Thrice to thine, and thrice to mine” and several other references to things in three, makes up a sort of unholy trinity for the witches coven. This scene is also the first instance where Macbeth says something and his view of the day is quite a paradox since it is both foul and fair. It is interesting to note that the witches themselves have used foul and fair as being applicable to the same thing since they have famously said that fair is foul, and foul is fair in the first scene of the play. Unknowingly, Macbeth is repeating the words of the witches which he will do again further in the play but then the words shall be repeated knowingly. The importance of this scene is highlighted by the fact that both Macbeth and Banquo are presented visions of their present and future. For instance, Macbeth is already Thane of Glamis and is greeted as such but he is also hailed as Thane of Cawdor and the King hereafter. Banquo certainly acknowledges the contrast when he says that this greeting mixes “present grace and great prediction” and that it calls for hope of royalty. However, he also clarifies his own position of indifference to the witches by saying that he neither fears their hatred nor does he wish to be in their good graces. Such contrasts add the drama because the audience has already been promised that the predictions of the witches do come true. Macbeth is Thane of Glamis and although he does not know it yet for sure, the audience knows (as do the witches) that he is to be made the Thane of Cawdor as well. This is why the predictions about Banquo are the ones which really set up the play and the plot since he is supposed to be lesser than Macbeth yet become greater. Banquo is not going to be happy yet much happier and finally, even though he will not be a king, he shall get kings. The predictions about Banquo are not only in contrast with his own position; they are also in direct contrast to the predictions made for Macbeth. Only a king could have his children made king, happier and less happy as well as lesser and greater are not direct comparisons but the witches make them so. Even if the meaning of the words is confusing, it is the message which gets across to the audience and it is understood that these predictions will shape the drama that is to come later on in the play. For example, Macbeth is soon addressed by arriving messenger who brings glad tidings of him being made Thane of Cawdor. His immediate reaction remains of disbelief but he is told how the Thane of Cawdor has committed treason against the king and therefore Macbeth is to be the new Thane. Undoubtedly, he now has a better belief in the words of the witches and even asks Banquo if he hopes that his children would be king. Here Banquo shows that he is a different man than Macbeth by saying that in order to harm us, “The instruments of darkness tell us truths”. Clearly he is not impressed with the predictions and does not put much faith in them at all. On the other hand, the character of Macbeth appears to be falling into a state of infatuation with the predictions and considers the position of Thane of Cawdor to be a happy prologue to the coming events with could lead him to be king. He further shows that whatever is in his interest can not be bad since his success has to come from good. This appears to be the idea of a man who has a very high opinion about his worth and individual abilities. Further on in the play, Macbeth makes his way towards his wife who he needs to inform regarding making arrangements for the stay of the king who is going to be a guest in his castle. Lady Macbeth is introduced to the audience at the same time and she immediately betrays the trust of being a gentlewoman since the letter she reads does not seem to hold a promise of greatness to her. She thinks that her husband is “too full o’ the milk of human kindness” to actually do something about becoming the king. Her opinion about Macbeth is a poetic use of alliteration since she says that “What thou wouldst highly,/ That wouldst thou holily” clearly signifying that Macbeth would be unlikely to use willingly underhand means to become the king. She more or less instantly hatches a plan to kill Duncan and shares the same idea with her husband. Her cruelty is shocking to say the least and certainly is not behaving like the gentler sex she is expected to be. On the other hand, the ambition of Macbeth certainly shows a drop in his enthusiasm which possibly reflects his own doubts and disappointment since he knows that the legal heir to the king has already been named. For Macbeth, this is a betrayal from fate while for Lady Macbeth it seems that she is betraying her nature and her sex. These themes continued to be presented to the audience as the play progresses on its course. However, the importance of the first act can not be denied since it is the very foundation of how the entire play takes shape and develops as a whole. Works Cited Shakespeare, W. Macbeth. Read More