Good And Evil In Macbeth

Words: 1241
Pages: 5

How setting is used to convey The Natural Order and Good and Evil Throughout Macbeth:

Shakespeare's Macbeth is a story that follows the journey of rising to power and the quick fatal downfall of the main protagonist Macbeth, a successful Scottish warrior. Throughout the play, Shakespeare often uses the setting of scenes and events in order to help the development and introduction of the themes that are occurring in specific scenes.His use of the setting as well as stylistic features in this way, is a detrimental technique Shakespeare uses to develop the themes of Good and Evil and The Natural Order, two major themes in the play. Shakespeare's play “Macbeth” is a play that is set in Scotland in the 11th century as to appeal to the newly appointed
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The location often is used to develop these themes as the location can help set the mood as well as the context of the scene.

Location is one of the defining uses of setting that allows for the development and establishment of good and evil throughout the play. In the play, when the plot is surrounding the characters and events that are seen as good, the location is often very different to when bad events are the central idea of the plot. Many of the darkest and most gruesome events of the play happen in ominous locations which helps to recognise whether the event is good or evil and therefore this setting helps to develop these
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Weather is a key element of setting that is used to develop these themes as the weather helps shape the mode and feeling of the scenes in which it is occurring. One example that displays how weather shapes and develops these themes is the weather around the death of King Duncan, When Duncan arrives at Macbeth’s castle he comments on the nicety of the weather, when he states “This castle hath a pleasant seat. The air Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself Unto our gentle senses.”(act 1, Scene 6), he is referring to how pleasant the weather is at Macbeth’s castle. This quote and the weather is relevant to the chosen themes as the pleasant weather occurs when a good character, Duncan is around and before the Natural order has been disturbed leading to un-natural events. As the day unfolds, closer to the time of death, Banquo comments on how dark the night is becoming: “There’s husbandry in heaven; Their candles are all out”, this sudden darkness contrasts the weather of the day highly and helps to develop the theme of good and evil and natural order as the weather is worsening closer to the time of an evil event and the disruption of the natural order, therefore developing the themes in the play. Finally, after the death of Duncan, the weather is described as “being troubled with man’s act” and “unnatural” which relates to the themes