Shakespeare’s Macbeth: The Tools of the Dramatist as Used by his Characters

Abstract

Words, appearance, and action may be manipulated to create illusion. Dramatists like Shakespeare use the three elements to create the self-contained world of plays. Within these worlds, the dramatist further manipulates words, physical appearance, and clothing to reveal and conceal simultaneously. On the most basic level, the dramatist uses words to create plays. Opening dialogue or narrative passages within dialogue serve to orient the audience to the storyline and also provide the necessary introductory information the audience needs to follow the action. The dramatist simultaneously uses words to conceal information both from the audience and from the characters themselves, thereby creating suspense for the audience and dramatic irony for the characters within the play. The dramatist also uses clothing to reveal and conceal information in relation to the actors involved in his play. While it conceals the actors true identity, clothing choice also reveals his or her new identity-that of the character. Similarly, the dramatist has a hand in prescribing what his characters will look like, although some of the actors' appearances will be based upon the stylistic choices of the director when the play is performed. Make up, stance, gait, and movement will help actors project characters other than themselves thereby concealing their true identities outside of the play.