At the beginning of the play Macbeth, the three witches, who tell Macbeth of what is to come, recite the words, “Fair is foul, and foul is fair.” This is an example of irony as the witches mean to mislead Macbeth, through all of the prophecies they tell him. We know that this is going to happen, but Macbeth only realises their ill means at the very end of the play.
At the beginning of Act II, Banquo and his son are greeted by Macbeth, who calls himself a ‘friend’. Macbeth is nothing like a friend. This is dramatic irony, as we know that Macbeth will need to kill Banquo, because he knows too much and might become suspicious, but Macbeth does not consider this yet. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth plot to kill King Duncan, as the witches foretold that Macbeth would be the king of Scotland. When King Duncan is arriving at Macbeth’s castle, it is a sunny and bright day. He says to himself, “This castle hath a pleasant seat; the air nimbly and sweetly recommends itself unto our gentle senses.” Duncan then takes Lady Macbeth’s hand, who leads him into the castle. This scene is extremely ironic, because we would think (if walking into the scene right now) that Macbeth and King Duncan are just good friends, having a visit. In reality, Macbeth is getting ready to kill the man who is before him, and so the ‘sweet air’ and the beautiful sunlight makes the scene even more ironic.
I think that Shakespeare has used the term ‘dramatic irony’ well, as the audience (when watching the play) wait, as the suspense builds up, and tensions tighten, giving a real sense of a master playwright. The audience are on the edge of their seats, anticipating what will happen next, only to find that they have to wait a bit more each time, until there is a massive climax.
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