Discuss the dramatic impact of act 2 scene 2 Essay

To achieve maximum impact in this scene, unconventional methods should be used to show how Macbeth is slowly beginning to slip into madness. Shakesphere has added an owl shrieking, this is to perhaps set up a dark atmosphere to link the scene with evil. The owl’s shriek should just begin as Macbeth kills Duncan to show that a evil deed has been committed. Shakephere has deliberately not shown you the actual murder-taking place to show guilt and also by not seeing it we are left to imagine the murder-taking place and may, perhaps, have more affect on the viewer. It can be imagined as being bloodier than it really is. As Macbeth enters on to the stage with bloody hand he should drop to his knees to show how he realizes that what he has done is so evil and it also shows how a psychological impact is starting to take place on him. As Lady Macbeth enters, she should enter slowly and silently to symbolize how the witches disappear and appear as if from nowhere. This shows how evil she is and cold hearted. She should remain calm as if to show no feelings towards what has happened. Lady Macbeth just wants to get back to bed and have the deed finished quickly. As Macbeth begins to tell his speech of how the guards were talking in there sleep, ‘one cried, god bless us! And amen the other.’ Macbeth should say it slowly as if he is worried and as he comes to say the word ‘amen’ he should stutter as if to show he still cannot say it. This shows the evil taking over Macbeth as anything related to good he has problems saying. Lady Macbeth would not commit the deed herself because as Duncan sleeps she resembles her father but she would be happy to kill her own baby as shown earlier on in the book. However she will make sure that the deed is complete without any problems by framing the two servants. A feint knocking should start in the background of the scene as Lady Macbeth departs to finish off the deed, the knocking should be in such away so that it resembles a heartbeat. Macbeth at this point should start scrubbing hands vigorously to show that there seems to be an everlasting amount of blood, like a sea of blood. This shows how evil the deed was and how bloody it was also. The knocking should get louder and faster to resemble Macbeths heart beat slowly getting faster as he gets more nervous and as he slowly begins to slip into madness. In this scene the stage should be mainly dark, there should be no lights focused upon Macbeth or Lady Macbeth to show that they are in darkness and evil. The lighting should be positioned in a way so that they are behind the two characters showing how they have left the light and goodness into the darkness and evil. Macbeth should enter the stage and collapse not starting to speak for several seconds to show how Macbeth it thinking of what he has done. Macbeth should breathe heavily to show his fear and anxiety. He should stare at the daggers and keep his eyes fixed on the daggers until he gives them to Lady Macbeth. This shows how he realizes that the deed is wrong but it is too late to late to go back and change what he has done. This shows that Macbeth is slowly beginning to slip into madness. Macbeth should shout most of his lines where as Lady Macbeth should whisper to show that Lady Macbeth is calm at this point where as Macbeth is scared and angry. The shriek that the owl makes should be loud and fast to show that the murder has been carried out quickly and smoothly. As Macbeth begins to clean the blood off his hands he should scrub it clean off but carry on to show that he is seeing his hands as being still covered in blood but are really clean. This shows that he is going mad.