Dramatic Tension In The Banquet Scene In William Shakespeare's Macbeth

In the tragic play Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, Shakespeare attempts to construct an atmosphere of dramatic tension the night of Macbeth’s celebratory banquet. Through the use of his characters and their dialogues, Shakespeare is able to effectively create this atmosphere of fear and dramatic tension. Moreover, the appearance of Banquo’s apparition, Lady Macbeth taking Macbeth aside and Macbeth almost admitting to his crimes are the devices in which Shakespeare uses to expertly convey the atmosphere of dramatic tension and confusion in the Banquet Scene. In the Banquet scene, the greatest contributor to the overall atmosphere of dramatic tension is the appearance of the ghost of Banquo. Shakespeare inputs the stage direction, “Enter the ghost of Banquo, and sits in Macbeth’s place.” Already can the reader begin to feel the onset of confusion as firstly, Banquo had just been savagely murdered in the previous scene and secondly he had sat in Macbeth’s place. Throughout the play, Shakespeare had stressed Macbeth’s obsession with power, and to an extent Banquo. Banquo was one of the forces blocking Macbeth’s true happiness as King, so for Banquo’s ghost to make an appearance at Macbeth’s banquet and sit in his seat, the atmosphere of dramatic tension at the Banquet has already began to grow as it cleverly suggests that while Banquo might be dead, he will still have a grip on Macbeth’s kingship as his sons are still alive. Further more, as the scene