The Use Of Mood In Macbeth :: essays research papers

The Use of Mood in MacbethNoah Webster, author of Websters Dictionary, defines mood as the temporary state of the brainiac in regard to passion or impression and a unwholesome or fantastic state of mind. E. L. Thorndike and Clarence L. Barnhart, authors of Scott, Foresman Advanced Dictionary, define mood as the overall atmosphere or prevailing emotional aura of a work. Shakespeares Macbeth, especially the pivotal and ominous second correspond, 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 unsure aura of occult extractions. Shakespeare cl invariablyly uses six key elements to further shape 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 reveale d. It is late, past midnight, and there are no stars, fashioning extremely dark and a dramatically perfect opportunity to accuse murder. In any good horror 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 permanent sleep Duncan will soon begin. Then, as Banquo retreats to his quarters, Macbeths imagination and step up emotional exhaustion and strain generate a looming image of a dagger pointing to Duncan. I see thee still . . . (II, i, 35), he yells at the vision, creating a sense of madness. Again, I see thee still . . . (II, i, 45), but this time the error is glistening with blood (and in all likely hood, that of Duncan). He casts this tail aside and awaits his signal to make the final walk into his beloved fairys chambers. The bell rang by Lady Macbeth interrupts thi s thick, tense mood and startles the audition to either jump out of their seat or creep easy to the edge of their seat. This also related to a popular sermon of the corresponding time period, Meditation 17 by John Donne. A famed excerpt from it reads, . . . and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls it tolls for thee . . . (Donne, 284).