The Dramatic Impact on a Jacobean Audience of Act 1 Scene 5 of Shakespe

The Dramatic Impact on a Jacobean Audience of Act 1 Scene 5 of Shakespeare’s Macbeth In this essay I will be examining how Act 1 Scene 5 of â€Å"Macbeth† would have had a dramatic impact on a Jacobean audience. I will also be exploring how Shakespeare’s stagecraft – his use of devices such as symbolism, references to contemporary events and imagery – would have helped to create this dramatic impact. Macbeth was written to be performed – on a stage, by actors, and to an audience. In Jacobean England, drama was considered to be the greatest art form, and was appreciated by many classes of people, from King James downwards, so these audiences would have been large and varied. Shakespeare’s stagecraft is such that it would have been understood by the whole audience – though many themes were linked to the particular interests of King James, they would have been understood by all, as would all the imagery and symbolism in the play. Act 1 Scene 5 begins with Lady Macbeth reading the second half of a letter she has received from Macbeth. Starting the scene with the second half of the letter helps with continuity in the play and between the scenes, and also means that the audience will not have to hear Lady Macbeth read information that they already know. The part of the letter that is read reveals much information about Lady Macbeth and Macbeth’s relationship. It shows that they have a loving relationship - Macbeth addresses Lady Macbeth as ‘my dearest partner of greatness’. This line also shows that they share a love of power, and both have strong ambitions. However, after she has read the letter, Lady Macbeth reveals in her soliloquy... ...suspense and dramatic irony. Dramatic irony – when the audience know something that a character does not - is also very important throughout the play. In Act 1 Scene 5, when Lady Macbeth is planning to kill the King, the audience knows that the King will be staying at her castle that night, but she does not, and is shocked when she is told – ‘Thou’rt mad to say it.’ In my opinion, Shakespeare effectively creates dramatic impact in Act 1 Scene 5 of Macbeth. I think that this impact would have been particularly pronounced on a contemporary Jacobean audience. Shakespeare uses a wide range of techniques, all of which are used successfully. The scene, and the play, would have appealed to and interested all of a Jacobean audience, from the King downwards, because of these techniques and the dramatic impact they create.