Macbeth Act 1 Scene 5

For my IOC I have chosen Act 1 scene4 from Macbeth written by Shakespeare. It is set in medieval Scotland and partly based on a true historical account . It revolves around the life of a brave and dauntless soldier who’s is later oppressed by the lust for ambition and power which ultimately leads to his downfall. The short extract from Macbeth is one of the most crucial moments in the play. The scene brings together Macbeth and Duncan which gives the audience an opportunity to observe their relationship. The scene is made dramatic through Shakespeare’s use of language, literary devises , character development and themes. The tone of the scene is grim, and the anticipation mounts amongst the audience as they await Macbeths return and the Thane

Malcolm then reports the execution of the disloyal Thane of Cawdor. It emphasizes on the dignity with which even a traitor can go to his death. Moreover the fact that the execution was not shown on stage adds a layer of suspense to the scene, as the incident if left to open to audience’s imagination. The audience for the plays in the Shakespearean era was the common public. Thus in order to maintain their interest in it, Shakespeare had to use intense and dramatic language. The extract has a haphazard rhyme scheme -blank verse - ‘spoke’ in the second paragraph, rhymes with ‘report’ , ‘forth’, ‘owed’ . This technique help in creating a varied pace in the scene which draws attention to the change in plot or character .This unrhymed lines that have carefully placed stressed and unstressed syllables . The rhythm of iambic pentameter can be felt by reading aloud some lines from the play while. The fluctuation in the rhyme scheme used by Shakespeare sets the appropriate tone and mood of the

As the plot develops he seems to bring out his negative side over the positive one. The extract is crucial as it ignites the lust for power and position in Macbeth. Thus it is the time where Macbeth starts to enhance his bad qualities which eventually become worse. Subsequently the phrase ‘the service and loyalty I owe ’ highlights his solider qualities and depicts his positive side whereas in the end of the extract the diction used such as ‘black and deep desires’, ‘hide’ showcases the dominance of the negative thoughts in his mind. This extract contradicts the idea that Lady Macbeth was the one who made Macbeth commit the murder. As we see, that even without Lady Macbeth’s manipulation , Macbeth choose to fuel his destructive thoughts. This adds a layer of thrill in the moment as Macbeth’s character takes a sharp turn and they are left in suspense as to what crime will he do in