The Importance of Duncan’s Murder in Macbeth Essay -- Macbeth essays

The Importance of Duncans Murder in Macbeth In Shakespeares Macbeth, the repercussions of Macbeth carrying into actioning his tycoon are very numerous. Through themes that include, imagery, soliloquies, atmosphere, and supernatural beings, Shakespeare enforces the magnitude of Macbeths crime. Most of these factors are linked together. One of the main ways in which the horror of the murder is underlined is through the Great Chain of Being. At the time this play was written, it was believed that there was a hierarchy in the universe, with God being at the top, thence angels, then the King, then man, and finally animals. This meant that the King was Gods lesson on earth, and so if a rebel were to attack the King, he would be seen to be attack and rebelling against God. This is seen in Act One, Scene Two, when the Thane of Cawdor rebels against King Duncan, where the Sergeant says Ship wracking storms and direful thunders break (L.26). This thunderous weather symbolizes Gods anger at his representative of Scotland being attacked. The darkness during the play (all but two of the scenes are set in darkness) shows how the night is strangling the earth, representing the anger of God at the events in Scotland. The down(p) night strangles (Act Two, Scene Four, Line Seven) the earth, showing Gods, overall grip on the world. The King at this time had an absolute monarchy (power of life and expiry over everyone in his kingdom). The belief was that God had passed special powers to all Kings, such as that for healing, which Malcolm identifies in Edward the Confessor (the King of England) in Act Four, Scene Three He curesthe healing benedictionhe hath a heavenly gift of prophecy (L.152-157). Shakespeare later uses Edwa... ...elm. Criticism on Shakespeare s Tragedies . A Course of Lectures on dramatic Art and Literature. London AMS Press, Inc., 1965. Shakespeare, William. Tragedy of Macbeth . Ed. Barbara Mowat and Paul Warstine. New York Washington Press, 1992. St eevens, George. Shakespeare, The Critical Heritage. Vol. 6. London Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1981. T.W. Shakespeare, the Critical Heritage. Vol. 5. London Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1979. Wills, Gary. Witches & Jesuits. Oxford Oxford University Press, 1995. Epstein, Norrie, The Friendly Shakepeare, New York, Viking Publishing, 1993. Harbage, Alfred, Macbeth, Middlesex England, Penguin Publishing, 1956. Magill, Masterplots- Volume 6, New Jersey, capital of Oregon Press, 1949. Staunten, Howard, The Complet Illustrated Shakespeare, New York, Park Lane Publishing, 1979.