The ways in which Shakespeare evokes contradictory feelings towards his characters.
Macbeth starts off as someone who is strong, brave, valiant, etc.; someone the audience believes to be honorable and noble “…brave Macbeth…/O valiant cousin, worthy gentleman” but we soon see that although he may partially be like that, there are other parts of him that are very contradictory (1. 2. 16, 24). He hears the witches’ prophecy “All hail Macbeth, that shalt be king thereafter” and starts to imagine himself as the king (1. 3. 48,). After telling his wife, they start to plan a way to commit regicide and ensuring their place on the throne. Even though he does seem to feel guilty after doing the deed, “…I’ll go no more/I am afraid to think what I have done/Look on’t again, I dare not,” the fact remains that he did it and the blood of King Duncan is on his hands “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood/Clean from my hand?” (2. 2. 53-55, 63&64).
I had a sense of what was to come but I had believed that maybe Macbeth would not succumb to the pressure from his wife and his own personal desire to be king. After all the praise the audience has heard about him at the beginning, it is enough to make you wonder why would he commit regicide when he is already so loved by everyone, did he not think of the consequences that could befall him if he was found out? He would lose all trust and power that he currently has, is it really going to be worth it, especially having to live with all the guilt that will undoubtedly be there.
The significance of dialogue and ensemble scenes in affecting mood and positioning the audience.
Ensemble scenes allow us to see what all the major characters are feeling and thinking about one thing. For example, when all the characters find out that King Duncan is dead. They are all shocked and upset, even Macbeth and Lady Macbeth put on the facade of being upset. We also see, once the others have left, that Malcolm and Donaldbain are afraid for the lives and as such, make the plan to flee.
