Despite the fact that the audience does not see the murder of Duncan on stage, they still experience tension and excitement throughout the beginning of Act 2, when it is performed. How does Shakespeare create these effects on the audience?
Dramatic tension is a very important element in a successful play. Dramatic tension keeps the live audience exited and interested in the play. To make the play successful audience has to experience a range of emotions like happiness for the characters, sadness, suspense or horror.
In the play, murder of the king Duncan occurs between the scenes 1 and 2 in Act 2, however the audience does not see the murder of the king, because to it was illegal to show the treason against the king on stage. Shakespeare had to live out the scene in which the king was murdered, because it could have motivated someone to kill the king. Because the murder could not be performed on the stage Shakespeare had to find a different way to show the murder and to build up excitement and tension without actually showing the murder. Shakespeare uses darkness and supernatural things like visions, ghosts and witches to show that evil happenings are occurring or are about to take place.
Shakespeare?s play ?Macbeth? is set in Scotland during the rule of king Duncan. Macbeth has fought his way up the ranks of the army to become one of Duncan?s most trusted Lords. An encounter with three witches puts wickedness into the heart of an otherwise noble and loyal Macbeth. Shakespeare?s brilliant use of dramatic irony, the supernatural, and indecision produce a dramatic tension that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats throughout the play.
In act 1, scene 1, a scene of three witches confronts us. This alone would have created mystery and fright to the audience, setting the scene of the play to come. ?Macbeth? was written in a period when there
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