Macbeth and the Gothic act 1

Scene 1

• The description of the setting is the first to produce a Gothic element. 'An open place' gives the first scene an eerie an empty setting which perhaps reflects the emptiness of the weird sisters and there words. It is Gothic because of the absence of things like people, therefore creating a secluded setting.
• Weather - 'thunder and lightning'  stereotypical Gothic weather - dark
• Witches - Anther typical Gothic character. produces an evil an supernatural element to the play straight from the start which implies that the play will be heavily influenced by this.
• The witches 'familiars'; 'greymalkin' and 'paddock' are traditional 'pets' of witches which strengthens there characters

Scene 2

• Battle is produced to the audience through gory and heavily descriptive language lines 17-20. This gives the audience a literal version of the Battle that will leave a visual impression.
• Comparison of the battle to 'Golgotha' which produces religious comparisons to a place of darkness and evil as it was where Jesus was crucifies. This would link to the Gothic because of its links to both religion and death.
• Macbeth is described as 'Brave' line 16 and 'Nobel' line 69. This gives the audience a positive image of Macbeth. This is Gothic when you link it to his downfall and look back at how great he was.

Scene 3

• Begins, again with thunder and witches. This perhaps suggests a link between the witches and the weather, as the weather seems to reflect how the witches could upset the balance of nature. Both the weather and the witches are Gothic elements.
• The actions and plans that the witches have (killing pigs and the sailor - line 10) prove that they are truly a classic evil.
• The day is described as 'foul and fair' this proves that the witches do have power as it is an echo of their line in scene 1. It also reflects how even nature has been corrupted - an element of the Gothic.
• Banquo creates a grotesque physical image of the witches 'wither'd an wild... not like th' inhabitants o' th' earth'. This, again evidences a clash with the ways of nature and creates the image of something supernatural which is Gothic.
• The first hint of ambition - a key feature of Gothic - is introduced by Macbeth 'line 70 stay... tell me more'. 
• Witches are linked with the devil 'can the devil speak true?' line 108 and this is supported by there outer worldly action 'witches vanish'.
• Banquo suggests that he and Macbeth could have been hallucination 'have we eaten on the insane root' hallucination are common in Gothic literature, and are sometimes used to show the ulterior motive of the person in the dream.

Scene 4

• Macbeth is presented as courteous towards Duncan 'the service and loyalty I owe' line 22, however, later in the seen another, darker side to Macbeth is created 'let not light see my black and deep desires'. these two sides to Macbeth could be seen as the Gothic feature of a doppelganger, the two sides to Macbeth's personality.
• The difference between light and dark is highlighted also 'et not light see my black and deep desires'. This feature is a common way of distinguishing good and evil in the Gothic.
• Duncan reflects on how the old thane of Cawdor was a 'gentleman on whom I built my trust' just as Macbeth, this creates irony, and perhaps is a hint of prolepsis, a common feature of Gothic literature.

Scene 5

• Lady Macbeth seemingly stops herself repeating the words of the witches ' and shalt be/ what thou art promised'. By not mentioning the actual word 'king' it shows that she has knowledge that her husbands ambitions aren't morally correct. This reflects the themes of great ambition, and of evil corrupting the good in people.
• Lady Macbeth's speech draws on such things as 'spirts' which reinforces the strength of the supernatural in the play as one of the main characters is associated with it.
• The image of the 'raven' line 38, is one of death which is an image of foresight into the rest of the play - a Gothic element. Also the fact that death is included in the play is itself Gothic.
• There is another hint of prolepsis in Lady Macbeth's speech 'from the crown'. By referring to her head as a crown she is suggesting that she will one day be queen.
• The difference between light and dark is highlighted again line 53 'nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark'.
• The language used by Lady Macbeth is so unfeminine 'unsex me ... take my milk for gall' . this again suggests a conflict with nature and the characters in the play.
• The language used by Lady Macbeth is similar, and at times the same as the witches.
• Macbeth is instructed to have two side to his nature - the doppelganger theme 'look like the innocent flower/ but be the serpent under't' the reference to serpent could be said to link to the actions of the serpent in the bible, who is evil. This link to religious images is linked also to Gothic.

Scene 6

• A double side to Lady Macbeth is introduces in this scene. e are aware of her true intentions but she appears as the perfect hostess 'lines 14 - 19' and the king buys this ' fair and noble hostess'.

Scene 7

• Macbeth doubts weather he should kill the king because he is his guest and not worthy of death lines 14 - 20. This proves to the audience that Macbeth knows that morally killing the king is the wrong thing to do. so we know that if Macbeth does in fact choose to kill the king his strong ambition has overpowered his sense of morals, and that his own actions conflict with what he knows is right.
• Their is conflict between the images of purity 'cherub' and 'new -born babe' and the images of evil ' deep damantion' 'murder' and posion'. These images are juxtaposed together, creating the sense of Gothic.

• Lady Macbeth uses shocking imagery '..have pluck'd my nipple from its boneless gums,/ and dash'd the brains out' to shock the audience. This also gives her a supernatural air as her described actions are so evil, they conflict with nature - a mother killer her child. the image of the supernatural is reinforced.