William Shakespeare’s Macbeth- Act 1, Scene 6.

 

Characters:
Duncan
Malcolm
Donalbain
Banquo
Lennox
Macduff
Ross
Angus

Location:
Macbeth’s Castle

Time: Midday

Summary:
In this scene of Macbeth, the characters arrive at Inverness. King Duncan comments on the sweetness of the air, and Banquo says birds must be nesting in the castle. It’s ironic that King Duncan comments on where he will die is beautiful. Lady Macbeth enters the scene and kindly greets the King and Thanes. Macbeth is nowhere to be seen, so the soon to be murder weighs more on him than his wife.

Quote:
” DUNCAN

This castle hath a pleasant seat. The air
Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself
Unto our gentle senses.

 

BANQUO

This guest of summer,
The temple-haunting martlet, does approve,
By his loved mansionry, that the heaven’s breath
Smells wooingly here. No jutty, frieze,
Buttress, nor coign of vantage, but this bird
Hath made his pendant bed and procreant cradle.
Where they most breed and haunt, I have observed,
The air is delicate. “
Analytical paragraph – Setting
 In Act 1, Scene 6 of Macbeth by William Shakespeare, King Duncan, and Banquo arrive at Macbeth’s castle in Inverness. They comment on the beauty of the castle and the quality of the air, using words such as wooingly, gentle, pleasant, and sweetly.

The king says,

“This castle hath a pleasant seat. The air
Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself
Unto our gentle senses.”

Their first impressions of the castle couldn’t be more preposterous,  because most of the play, Macbeth’s castle is metaphorically compared to hell. They are oblivious to the danger and violence they are soon to be put in.
The audience knows Lady Macbeth’s plan to kill the king, but the characters don’t, this is an example of dramatic irony.  When Lady Macbeth greets them and welcomes them in, the audience would see this as sarcastic and a bunch of lies in a sense, whereas the king and Banquo would see it as kind and warming. Macbeth is nowhere to be seen to greet them, so you could say the murder lays more on Macbeth than on his wife. 

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