|
Setting
Setting is the time and place in which the events in a literary work take place. The general
setting of Macbeth is Scotland (and briefly England) in the tenth and eleventh centuries. Specific scenes are
set at Inverness, on a desolate heath, in the royal palace at Forres, and so on. Because of the limited scenery in Elizabethan
drama, Shakespeare often had his characters describe their surroundings. *
Atmosphere
The atmosphere in Macbeth is one of doom and foreboding. Much of the action takes
place in foul weather or in the "thick night" of darkened castles. The witches and apparitions cast a pall whenever
they appear. Except for the porter's brief speech, there is little in the play resembling lightheartedness. *
Imagery
Imagery is usually visual, but it can evoke responses from any of the senses. Images, wrote
one critic, like thos of"...pouring the sweet milk of concord into hell; of the earth shaking in fever;...of the tale told
by an idiot...-all keep the imagination moving 'on a wild and violent sea.'..." *
Theme
The theme of a literay work is its central idea, an idea that can usually be expressed as a general
statement about life. Every element in a work of literature-plot, character, setting, and so on- contributes to the
theme. In many works of literature, including Macbeth, the theme pertains not only to the lives of the characters
on stage but also, and more importantly, to the lives of the members of the audience. Sometimes it is possible to state
a theme in one sentence, althought complex literary works may require a lengthier explanation. A theme may be directly
state, but more commonly it is implied. *
|
