Frame Of Mind In Act 2 Scene 1 Of Macbeth

In act 2 scene 1 of “Macbeth”, Macbeths frame of mind shows signs of unstableness and illusions through literary devices and language. In the dagger soliloquy, Macbeths describes a dagger that he could not see. He claims that it is there when in reality the dagger was a figment of his imagination. “Come, let me clutch thee: — I have thee not, and yet i see thee still, Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible to feeling as to sight? Or art thou a dagger of the mind, a false creation, proceeding to the heat oppressed brain?” (Shakespeare 1.2) Macbeths mind is playing tricks on him, making him question whether or not the dagger is truly in front of him or if he created it himself. When he says “false creation” in the scene it signals to the reader the mind created the dagger in front of Macbeth due to his ill favored thoughts.

In act 1 scene 2, Macbeth uses these literary devices to show his stability to the reader. Macbeths anxiety is catching up to him making him question things that aren’t even possible. “Hear not my steps, which way they walk, for fear thy very stones prate of my whereabouts, and take the present horror from the time, which now suits it.” (Shakespeare 1.2). Macbeth personifies the stones in this scene, contemplating on whether or not they will give him away. This personification shows how Macbeth is frightened about what he is to do. It creates the image of him in a stressful state making things up. Macbeth also uses imagery to describe the horrid look of the dagger that faces him. “And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood which was not so before.” (Shakespeare 1.2) He not only used literary devices in this sentence, but he brings language like “dudgeon” to create more of an image. The image of the blade that Macbeth sees is not real, he created a fictional, bloody picture of this dagger from his own thoughts. This shows how Macbeths mind is confused and