Friday, January 15, 2016

What is the dramatic significance of Act I, Scene 1 in Macbeth?

We also learn that the play will be full of paradoxes.  "Fair is foul and foul is fair"--the witches are planning something funky, and it will be interesting to say the least to se how things will play out.  Macbeth is the hero for now, but will he be for long?  What is Banquo's purpose in this whole paradoxical play?  The battle is won for Scotland, but who loses? 

The themes and mood of the play are set here.  Macbeth has won the battle and the titles, but in the end he will lose because of his ambition.  Banquo is also hero, but not recognized or rewarded as openly and lucratively as Macbeth.  However, he is the real winner in this situation...he is not as well ranked as Macbeth, but he is happier and living a more pure and moral life. 

The witches add a touch of evil and the supernatural to the play.  We know they will be involved every step of the way.  The opening scene is paramount for setting us up for all the cool stuff that's coming...

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In Act III, scene 2, why may the establishment of Claudius's guilt be considered the crisis of the revenge plot?

The crisis of a drama usually proceeds and leads to the climax.  In Shakespeare's Hamlet , the proof that Claudius is guilty...