How does Shakespeare build tension in Macbeth?

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First some background into the Macbeth the play. Macbeth has been described as “A play for the king.” It gained this title because it is quite possible that Shakespeare wrote it for the entertainment of King James the first. It is known that James was highly into witchcraft because he wrote a book about it, there were even rumours that he practised it himself. This play has a strong atmosphere of witchcraft and witches all the way through.

There are other reasons Macbeth was called “A play for the King.” For instance the play was in fact based on the real life accounts of James’s ancestors Banquo and Fleance from who James inherited the throne of Scotland. Shakespeare got the idea from a book by Raphael Holinshed entitled “The history of Scotland.” However Shakespeare bent the facts quite a bit, due to the fact that in real life Banquo helped in the murder of King Duncan. There would obviously be consequences for insinuating that the only reason James was King is that his ancestors broke the sacred law of the divine right of the King. Consequently the only thing in Macbeth that is true to life is that King Duncan was murdered, the rest of the plot and characters have been altered in some way to ether entertain or flatter King James.

The last main reason for Macbeth getting the name “A play for the King.” Was that James the first was in fact the first person on record to have seen it. In August 1606 King James and his brother-in-law, King Christian of Denmark had Macbeth acted for them privately at Hampton Court.

Now we look at how the plot is built and how Shakespeare uses language to tease and excite his audience. Macbeth is a story of a man driven to do evil things and even commit the ultimate crime in his time, regicide. I personally don’t think he is evil, he is highly ambitious and possibly slightly insane (this shows more towards the end of the play.) But he is not evil. The people around him even his wife force him to do evil. Some of them are evil and others so obsessed with power that they have no conscience in the things they do.




The first and probably the most decisive reason for Macbeth’s turn to evil deeds, are the witches. The witches enter the play at the very beginning, it is clear that Shakespeare wants to get them into the story line as effectively as possible and what better way than to put them in the opening scene? James the first would have been thrilled at this point, to have his favourite interest obsession depicted in this play. James would have known instantly what these women are, however any normal person who isn’t intermit with the world of witch craft might not have.

Thankfully Shakespeare has been nice enough to think about other people who might be watching the play than the witchcraft obsessed king and decides to add some little things to get the message of witch craft across. They start talking about a battle. “When the hurly burly’s done, when the battles lost and won.” The audience has not seen any battle in the play yet and they won’t until the next scene. This insinuates that the strange women can tell the future, however, the audience may not necessarily jump to the conclusion that they are witches and therefore Shakespeare adds some words and phrases associated with witches. “ I come gray Malkin” (a grey cat). “ Paddock calls “ (a toad). As the witches leave they all same “fair is foul, and foul is fair hover through the fog and filthy air”.

In scene two, the battle that the witches predicted takes place. We are introduced to King Duncan and his son Malcolm; they are in conversation with a wounded sergeant who is informing them about how the battle is going. “As two spent swimmers, that do cling together and choke their art”. (This means both armies are so tired they are metaphorically holding onto each other to carry on fighting). The merciless Macdonwald worthy to be a rebel, for to that the multiplying villainies of nature do swarm upon him � from western Isles of kerns and gallowglasses is supplied; And fortune, on his damned quarrel smiling, Showd’d like a rebel’s whore” (Macdonwald the rebel is being described as having all the evil things on his side). “But all’s too weak; for brave Macbeth � well he deserves that name”. (Shakespeare is portraying Macbeth as a loyal servant of the king � someone who at least at this point seems to have no interest in claiming the crown of Scotland). Duncan seems pleased and grateful “O valiant cousin! Worthy gentleman!” The battle scene it’s self is not relevant to this, suffice it to say Macbeth is given the honour of becoming the new Thane of Cawdor (the old one has betrayed King Duncan by giving information to the other side, he has been sentenced to death). Macbeth however does not know about this and as far has he is concerned he is only the Thane of Glamis.

Now we go into scene three and we are introduced to Macbeth for the first time, he is walking back to camp with Banquo. Shakespeare decides to remind the audience of Macbeth’s connection with the witches, Macbeth speaks for the first time “so foul and fair a day I have not seen”. This line is very similar to the line that all three witches said at the end of scene one. They meet the witches (by now most of the audience will have guessed that these women are indeed witches). All three witches greet Macbeth, the first witch says, “hail Macbeth Thain of Glamis”. The second witch says, “hail Macbeth Thain of Cawdor”. The third witch says, ”hail Macbeth that shalt be King hereafter”. Macbeth is intrigued but takes the witches words with a pinch of salt and leaves them. However, he is visited later by Ross and Angus they inform him of the King’s decision to make him Thane of Cawdor.



This makes Macbeth remember what the witches said. He writes a letter to his wife, and tells her the whole story. Macbeth’s wife is the second evil influence in his life. She immediately jumps to the conclusion that the only way Macbeth will be come King, is if he murders King Duncan. It is not known what Macbeth’s wife really is, Shakespeare does not make it clear at any point in the play. Some people in modern literature have speculated that Macbeth’s wife is herself a witch, it is true that she does use witchcraft later in the play to rid herself of her conscience and call up evil spirits. Others say she is simply highly ambitious and power hungry women, who is mentally stronger that her husband. In any case she persuades Macbeth to kill King Duncan on his imminent visit to their castle.

Duncan’s visit to the castle arrives; Macbeth’s wife goes to the highest tower in the castle and uses some form of witchcraft to rid herself of her conscience. “That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan, under croaks my battlements. Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts! Unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty; make thick my blood, stop up the access and passage to remorse, that no compunctious visitings of nature, shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between Th’effect and it! Come to my woman’s breasts, and take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers. Wherever in your sightless substances you wait on nature’s mischief! Come, thick night, and pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, that my keen knife see not the wound it makes, nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark, to cry, ”Hold, hold!” This long speech is designed to thrill the audience, to make them understand something awful is going to happen soon.

Duncan arrives at the castle they have a huge celebration, which does not end until the third cock. Duncan goes to bed drunk and is asleep quickly. With some persuasion from his wife, Macbeth makes his way to Duncan’s room, on his journey Macbeth has a vision, a dagger floating in the air pointing to Duncan’s room. “Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand? 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 but A dagger or the mind, a false creation, Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain? I see thee yet, in form as palpable As this which now I draw” Macbeth is so upest with what he is about to do he is having hallucinations. Macbeth enters Duncan’s room and kills him with two daggers. He then returns to his wife covered with blood and still holding the daggers. Lady Macbeth instructs to take the knives back to the room but Macbeth is riddled with guilt and will not. Lady Macbeth snatches the daggers from Macbeth and goes herself. When she gets there she decides to create an alibi for herself and her husband, she places the bloody daggers next to Duncan’s drunken attendants and smears his blood on their faces and hands. Lady Macbeth goes back to her husband explains what she has done, they both wash hands in the well and go to bed. In the morning Lenox and Macduff call at Macbeth’s castle for the king. They are greeted by a dirty old porter, answering their knocks at the gate. Although this annoying old man has nothing of real interest to say, he is one of the play’s key sources of audience tension, because they know king Duncan has been murdered and he is delaying Macduff and Lenox finding out. “Knock, knock, knock! Who’s there I’the name of Belzebub? Here’s a farmer that hanged himself on the expectation of plenty. Come in time! Have napkins enow about you; here you’ll sweat for’t” he takes about five minutes to open the gate, the audience willl be on the edge of their seats. When he finally lets them in he keeps them talking for even more time and even asks for a tip! When Duncan is finally found, the attendants are still asleep with the blood on their faces and the daggers by their sides. When they are spotted Macbeth runs forward and kills them with his sword, in a so-called fit of rage. (Really this is just to silence the servants before they have a chance to verbally defend themselves). Duncan’s two sons flee to England as they are also suspected in the murder of their father. With no one else around Macbeth is made King and the witches prophecy has come true.

This is as far as we go as I am only analysing selected sections of the play, but I think this gives you some idea of the language Shakespeare used to captivate his audience throughout the entire play.



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in the snack bar by edwin morgan

We are ready to represent the best custom paper writing assistance that can cope with any task like in the snack bar by edwin morgan even at the eleventh hour. The matter is that we posses the greatest base of expert writers. Our staff of freelance writers includes approximately 300 experienced writers are at your disposal all year round. They are striving to provide the best ever services to the most desperate students that have already lost the hope for academic success. We offer the range of the most widely required, however, not recommended for college use papers. It is advisable to use our examples like in the snack bar by edwin morgan in learning at public-education level. Get prepared and be smart with our best essay samples cheap and fast! Get in touch and we will write excellent custom coursework or essay especially for you.

Morgan is particularly effective in the way he writes. He can pack an astonishing amount into a compact space, particularly in this poem in the snack bar.

In this poem Morgan is distraught at the condition of the man he discovers in the snack bar. He leads the deformed, blind, old man to the toilet and tries to compare lives to bring out the reality that the elderly man has to live each day. This essay will analyse the old mans life as Morgan describes it and the everyday trauma he has to suffer.

The old man is first discovered my Morgan, when he knocks a cup down

a few heads turn in the crowded evening snack bar; this is cinematic and suggests that nobody is really bothered in helping the old man. I also believe that the old man must cause disturbances quite alot by his clumsiness.




The next line reads an old man is trying to get to his feet. It is the trying we notice here, which is upsetting that he is not suceeding in getting up. It must be very strenuous for him.

slowly he levers himself up. This is a significant line because Morgan is comparing the old man to something mechanical. The actual levering comes across as a slow movement that requires alot of energy.

his hands have no power. This ties in well with the levering. They both have connotations of machines. In this line we get the image of somebody pulling a plug out of a wall and a machine cutting out, and in a way the old man is cutting out as well.

he is up as far as he can get this line is made up of simple one syllable words which are immitating the levering movement.

The significant words in the next line are dismal hump I dont think that the writer is actually describing his hump but the effect it has on the old man. By saying this Morgan is being quite tactless. He is upfront and tells us truthfully of the mans condition, he says what the rest of us would bw thinking if we saw thwe poor man. His hump must make him feel awkward

Mind that the sample papers like in the snack bar by edwin morgan presented are to be used for review only. In order to warn you and eliminate any plagiarism writing intentions, it is highly recommended not to use the essays in class. In cases you experience difficulties with essay writing in class and for in class use, order original papers with our expert writers. Cheap custom papers can be written from scratch for each customer that entrusts his or her academic success to our writing team. Order your unique assignment from the best custom writing services cheap and fast!