The Use Of Mood In Macbeth :: essays research papers

The Use of Mood in MacbethNoah Webster, author of Websters Dictionary, defines irritability as the temporary state of the mind in regard to passion or feeling and a morbid or fantastic state of mind. E. L. Thorndike and Clarence L. Barnhart, authors of Scott, Foresman modern Dictionary, define mood as the over all(prenominal) atmosphere or wonted emotional aura of a work. Shakespeares Macbeth, especially the pivotal and threatening second act, exemplifies both denotations of mood. The act has an overall atmosphere, even though the mood shifts, while this mood places a sense of cliff-hanging anxiety at the beginning, an ambiance of hysterics towards the middle, a feeling of tragic realization directly following, and an shy aura of occult extractions. Shakespeare cleverly uses six key elements to further do work and add to the mood the characters, the imagery, the setting, the sounds, the characters actions, and the characters dialogue.In scene one, the setting is revealed. It i s late, past midnight, and on that point are no stars, making extremely dark and a dramatically perfect opportunity to commit murder. In any good repugnance movie, all the deaths occur at night, when it is dark. The location is a castle, which would have to be the eeriest, coldest, darkest piece of architecture ever constructed. Banquos cursd thoughts (II, i, 8) keep him without sleep, in exact contrast with the eternal sleep Duncan will soon begin. Then, as Banquo retreats to his quarters, Macbeths imagination and intensified emotional exhaustion and strain convey a looming image of a dagger pointing to Duncan. I see thee solace . . . (II, i, 35), he yells at the vision, creating a sense of madness. Again, I see thee withal . . . (II, i, 45), but this time the hallucination is glistening with blood (and in all likely hood, that of Duncan). He casts this apparition aside and awaits his signal to make the last(a) walk into his beloved kings chambers. The bell rang by wench Mac beth interrupts this thick, tense mood and startles the audience to either jump out of their lowlife or creep slowly to the edge of their seat. This also related to a popular sermon of the same time period, Meditation 17 by John Donne. A famous excerpt from it reads, . . . and therefore never locate to know for whom the bell tolls it tolls for thee . . . (Donne, 284).