Shakespeare presents guilt as a deterrent through the use of repetition. In every act of the play, "blood" is repeated, for instance in Act V, Lady Macbeth admits that she can "smell ... blood". Shakespeare constant use of the common noun amplifies to the audience, to full scale, the horror which is unfolding in the play (butchery). Ever since the murder of Duncan, "blood" is used as a reminder for the regicide Macbeth and Lady Macbeth took part in which stops Lady Macbeth from taking part in any other forms of murder. A modern audience may assume that the aftermath for committing such horrible crimes and sin like regicide will lead to mental health issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder. The repetition acts like flashbacks which is a common symptom. Hence, the audience experience the flashbacks like Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. He admits he can not even say "amen" for he ends up "afraid of what" he has "done" which reveals their feelings of guilt. Therefore, the repetition of "blood" causes the audience to feel similar to Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, for the repetition suggests their perpetual and unforgettable feeling of wrongdoing. Moreover, Shakespeare repeats ideas about "night", such as that Banquo becomes a "borrower of the night". The use of "night" connotes to darkness and evil and reminds the audience of the constant evil in the play. This may cause a fearful effect towards the audience and the characters which might stop more injustices happening in the play. Lady Macbeth dies in her sleep (in a 'nightmare' which may cause the audience to feel fear as though they should not engage in murder, like regicide for fear that they will suffer the same and awful death like Lady Macbeth.
Shakespeare uses motifs (war)/lexical field of weapons in order to present the perpetual fashion of guilt. The repeated "dagger" can be seen as merely manifestations of fear, when instead they are manifestations of guilt. In Act III, Scene IV, Lady Macbeth compares her husband's vision of the shost of Banquo to the brief vision of the dagger in Act II. Lady Macbeth says that the the ghost is a "the very drawing of your fear/This is the air-drawn dagger which you said,/Led you to Duncan". Macduff also says his "voice" is in his sword" thus the lexical field of weaponry connotes to intentions of causing harm and "sword[s]" and "dagger[s]" are intended weapons. The "dagger" was used to kill Duncan which suggests that the "air-born" thus imagined "dagger" is merely a manifestation of Macbeth's guilt. Shakespeare makes Macduff refer to "sword[s]" as it allows the audience to be constantly reminded of the weaponry thus regicide Macbeth committed to.
In terms of form, the dagger being in all parts of Freytag's period suggests guilt can not be overcome as no matter how excited or tense the moment is for the characters and audience, there is always guilt.
In terms of structure: "is this a dagger which I see before me?" in Act 2 Scene 1. The use of soliloquy allows the audience to acknowledge Macbeth's mentally unstable state. Shakespeare dramatises the pre-regicide version of Macbeth, to emphasise that the thought of it is dangerous, which amplifies the nature of his guilt. The long, uninterrupted state of a monologue exemplifies the underlying guilt he is about to feel and the dangers of sin, as he is already unable to control his thoughts. The long nature of the soliloquy suggest Macbeth is overthinking and essentially unable to think of anything about committing regicide.
Shakespeare uses motifs (war)/lexical field of weapons in order to present the perpetual fashion of guilt. The repeated "dagger" can be seen as merely manifestations of fear, when instead they are manifestations of guilt. In Act III, Scene IV, Lady Macbeth compares her husband's vision of the shost of Banquo to the brief vision of the dagger in Act II. Lady Macbeth says that the the ghost is a "the very drawing of your fear/This is the air-drawn dagger which you said,/Led you to Duncan". Macduff also says his "voice" is in his sword" thus the lexical field of weaponry connotes to intentions of causing harm and "sword[s]" and "dagger[s]" are intended weapons. The "dagger" was used to kill Duncan which suggests that the "air-born" thus imagined "dagger" is merely a manifestation of Macbeth's guilt. Shakespeare makes Macduff refer to "sword[s]" as it allows the audience to be constantly reminded of the weaponry thus regicide Macbeth committed to.
In terms of form, the dagger being in all parts of Freytag's period suggests guilt can not be overcome as no matter how excited or tense the moment is for the characters and audience, there is always guilt.
In terms of structure: "is this a dagger which I see before me?" in Act 2 Scene 1. The use of soliloquy allows the audience to acknowledge Macbeth's mentally unstable state. Shakespeare dramatises the pre-regicide version of Macbeth, to emphasise that the thought of it is dangerous, which amplifies the nature of his guilt. The long, uninterrupted state of a monologue exemplifies the underlying guilt he is about to feel and the dangers of sin, as he is already unable to control his thoughts. The long nature of the soliloquy suggest Macbeth is overthinking and essentially unable to think of anything about committing regicide.
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