Importance Of Setting In Macbeth

Throughout Macbeth, setting has been a crucial aspect in the development of the plot. Shakespeare contrasts the setting to the events that occur there to highlight and create a separation between appearance and reality, bringing light to “fair is foul and foul is fair.” He also uses darkness as a setting to support unnatural and sinister occurrences as well as a means of disguise from goodness. Dating back to the beginning of time, evil has been thought to manifest itself in darkness, and it becomes a setting and crucial set piece because of its ability to create a foreboding sense of dread. Shakespeare uses setting to display various themes in the play such as the contrast between appearance and reality and natural and unnatural. Throughout …show more content…
Darkness becomes a setting as it consumes the set, and when accompanied by disturbance of fate, the setting becomes stormy. The play begins in the heath with thunder and lightning as well as the witches describing the “fog and filthy air.” The witches are other worldly which is shown through the description of the dark and stormy setting. The stormy scene supports the witches unnatural gift of prophecy. The dark and stormy weather suggests not only disturbances throughout the kingdom, but foreshadows sinister unnatural events to occur. Setting is relatively unmentioned and almost ignored throughout the play other than preceding disturbances such as murder. The characters use the cloak of darkness in order to act upon their terrible actions, assuming that the night or darkness will cover their …show more content…
Shakespeare does this through actions that take place in different locations. The idea of appearance versus reality is highlighted by the witches warning that “fair is foul, and foul is fair.” The play opens in the heath, a place of unnatural prophesies of murder and the meeting place for evil. However, the heath is safe, no harm ever comes to the characters there. The appearance and the reality are contradicting. The castle on the other hand appears to be a safe welcoming place, but its reality is far more grim than of the heath. Macbeth’s castles are described as gates to hell because of all the murder and evil that goes on inside. The setting contradicts the events that happen there to reveal the contrast between appearance and reality. Setting plays a crucial role in Macbeth by contrasting appearance and reality. Shakespeare also created darkness as a setting which allowed for characters to act upon their sinister plans as well as acting as a cover from