Macbeth; Gothic elements of Act One

Throughout the first act gothic imagery and themes continue to occur. From the second line of dialogue a gothic setting is apparent, with thunder and lightening and it continues into the second scene where the captain speaks of “shipwrecking storms and direful thunders”, 2.26.

There are many instances of light and darkness, which is essentially the bread and butter of gothic literature. There are references to darkness throughout the third, forth and fifth scenes. In the fifth scene there is a contrast between light and dark or perhaps good and evil “Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark” 5.51. There is powerful imagery between two complete opposites, as we associate heaven with what is light and good it is hard to see it blanketed by darkness and suppressed by it.

Violence and death is obviously another rather important gothic device used in Macbeth. In only the first act they have already executed the Thane of Cawdor and the Macbeths are planning the death of the king. The acknowledgement of death kicks off rather early in act one in the captain’s speech of how well Macbeth and Banquo fought. He talks of Macbeth’s sword, “which smoked with bloody execution” and how Macbeth “unseamed him from nave to th’chaps and fixed his head upon our battlements.” 2.18 & 22. Within the rest of this act we do not see much of this side of Macbeth; however this could be a glimpse into the Macbeth which is to come. Throughout scene three and five there are also many referrals to death.

Also quite gothic  and relating to death is the wounds and gashes that cry for help in scene two and the dismembered digit in scene three.

Scene five and six mention hints of holiness and god which is considered to be the complete opposite of the gothic but occurs in many other novels such as Frankenstein. Usually it’s the contrast which makes what they’re doing look worse.

Another gothic device within the first act of Macbeth includes the un-naturalness of the weird sisters which Banquo states in the third scene as the witches appear to be women but have beards, this could reflect on Lady Macbeth rejecting her feminity in scene five.