Elements Of Dramatic Tension In Macbeth

In the second Act of William Shakespeare’s tragic play, Macbeth, Shakespeare attempts to create an atmosphere of fear and dramatic tension. Shakespeare effectively creates this atmosphere through the dialogue provided by his characters, through various methods, Shakespeare creates this atmosphere and conveys it clearly to the reader as the Act progresses. Through the use of various literary devices, the disturbed and graphic thoughts of Macbeth, Mono Syllabic writing, and stage direction, Shakespeare completely constructs the atmosphere of fear and dramatic tension in Macbeth’s castle. Shakespeare’s opens Act 2, and immediately, the reader can gather the suspicion that something is not right, Banquo speaks to the fact that he is unsettled …show more content…
The stage direction, “A bell rings” Lady Macbeth ringing the bell is significant to maintaining the atmosphere of fear and dramatic tension because it alludes to the previously stated “fatal bellman”. By ringing the bell, Lady Macbeth is essentially Duncan’s “fatal bellman” in the sense that after she rings the bell, Macbeth murders Duncan; unknowingly Lady Macbeth announces the death of Duncan. This stage direction, does well to build on the dramatic tension and fear in the scene because the reader associates the bell with death, and to observe the ringing of the bell and then later on death, solidifies feelings of fear and the atmosphere of dramatic tension. Additionally, In the early parts of Scene II, the stage direction, “Enter Macbeth [bearing bloody daggers], gives the reader insight into what Macbeth has done before he has even spoken, the appearance of the bloody daggers confirm that Macbeth has murdered the King, heightening the presence of fear and tension in the scene. The horrific visual of Macbeth carrying two bloody daggers, further shocks the reader and builds on the tension growing in this