Throughout act 1 in “Macbeth”, Shakespeare provides the audience with different situations where dramatic irony is present. Where he builds up tension and interest within the audience, and they can foreshadow what is going to happen even when the characters are clueless about it.

In scene 4, we see an example of this when King Duncan speaks of “an absolute trust” with Macbeth and his obvious admiration for him. However, the audience already knows how Macbeth is contemplating the murder of Duncan. This puts the audience members in an awkward situation where they may feel useless in the suspense, as they would want to do something, but are not able to as they can’t interact with the characters.

Shakespeare manages to create dramatic irony by using monologues of inner thoughts in his play. Where the characters would speak out loud as if they were just thinking to themselves. By doing so, the audience is able to connect with the characters and further understand them as people which would help them understand the actions of the characters in the play.

The use of dramatic irony in Macbeth creates an exciting environment in which easily holds the attention of the audience members, not to mention allows them to have enthusiasm for the event they know is to come.