Juxtaposition Of Madness And Reality In Macbeth

To Have a Ghost or Not Have A ghost, That Is the Question There is often a fine line that separates madness and genius, and an even finer line that separates fantasy and reality. Indeed, it is often the craziest ideas of dreams and nightmares that become the most potent forces of reality. The juxtaposition of madness and reality runs throughout the entirety of Shakespeare’s tragedy, Macbeth, where the titular protagonist struggles with his intense guilt over the murder of King Duncan. As times goes on, Macbeth begins to hallucinate, delving further and further into madness. One key scene in Macbeth’s deterioration is when he sees Banquo’s ghost. On stage, there are two methods by which this scene could be portrayed; the actor playing …show more content…
However, when this play is presented on stage, an audience would not be privy to such notes. Macbeth’s madness must, therefore, be conveyed in a different manner. Similar to the way in which Banquo’s ghost is used to relay Macbeth’s madness in print, so can the ghost be used to relay Macbeth’s madness on stage. A director could make the conscious decision to keep the actor playing Banquo’s ghost off-stage during the banquet scene so that the audience never sees him. In this way, the audience can experience what the living people in Macbeth’s company during the banquet experienced. They, too, like the people witnessing Macbeth’s descent into madness, cannot see the ghost that driving Macbeth mad. Thus, making the conscious decision to keep the actor playing Banquo’s ghost off-stage during the banquet scene reinforces the audience’s perception of Macbeth’s madness and guilt. This message would simply not be as powerful if the audience could see the ghost on-stage. After all, if the ghost of Banquo was a manifestation of Macbeth’s deepening and overwhelming guilt and a figment of his imagination, surely the audience would not be able to see and behold the character of the …show more content…
First, Shakespeare has already prepared the audience for the appearance of the ghost. Macbeth says, “Here had we now our country’s honour roof’d, / Were the graced person of our Banquo present; / Who may I rather challenge for unkindness/ Than pity for mischance!” (Shakespeare, IV. iv. 40-44). Thus, Shakespeare, through Macbeth, prepares the audience for the coming of Banquo’s ghost by taunting his lack of presence at the banquet. Second, Macbeth is deathly afraid of the ghost and having the ghost appear on stage may give the audience a more tangible, physical manifestation of Macbeth’s fear, especially if the ghost is dressed in the same clothes as when Banquo was murdered. Thus, an argument could be made that the audience expects to see the physical form of Banquo’s ghost and this actor should be present on