Use Of Dramatic Irony In Macbeth

In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, while many literary devices are used, metaphors create clarity, whereas dramatic irony creates suspense, allowing the readers to be more engaged through the use of dramatic irony. Foremost, to keep the readers engaged, Shakespeare uses metaphor to show Macbeth’s thoughts towards Duncan’s announcement of Malcolm becoming the next king. When the news is announced, Macbeth moves aside and thinks whether he should “On which I must fall down, or else o’erleap” (I.V.49). The comparison reveals that Macbeth sees the prince as an obstacle, which must become. The metaphor creates clarity because the readers are able to visualize the literal meaning of the line and connect it back to the play to understand

This enables the readers to a clearer understanding of Lady Macbeth’s view on Macbeth as a weak character. It engages the reader because through the use of metaphor, the readers gain a clear insight of Macbeth’s character through the view of Lady Macbeth, leading the readers to want to know more about the character of Macbeth. The literary device of metaphor creates clarity within the play, however, the use of dramatic irony creates suspense, which makes the readers more engaged. On the other hand, Shakespeare uses dramatic irony when Duncan describes Macbeth’s castle, which engages the reader. Duncan approaches Macbeth’s castle and thinks it has “a pleasant seat; the air / Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself / Unto our gentle senses” (I.VI.1-3). The description of the castle which Duncan provides is completely opposite to what the audience know of the castle, which creates suspense as it causes the readers to question what will occur in the castle. Dramatic irony engages the readers because suspense allows the readers to want to find out what will happen to Duncan in the castle, which he is unaware