Use Of Lighting And Costumes In Macbeth
The staging of this scene will incorporate lighting and costumes to portray Macbeth’s fear, and to demonstrate the realization that he must eliminate everyone he can. I will begin with a simple stage. There will be a long table, tilted diagonally in the middle of the stage, and chairs arranged around the table. Other than that, there will be nothing else. This is to represent how Macbeth feels about Banquo’s death. There is only one thing in his mind, which is to make sure that Banquo and Fleance die. The lighting for the beginning of the scene is very bland: greys, whites, nothing too bright but not dark enough to take away from the scene. Everybody will be acting very polite. This is to provide contrast with the end of the scene. When the
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ghost of Banquo first enters, the unpstage portion of the table will be lit, but the downstage portion will be in complete darkness. The audience will not be able to see Banquo sitting there.
Macbeth cannot see him either, as he walks downstage after Lennox points out his seat, he doesn’t see Banquo until he gets to his seat. The lights will flash up and everyone, including Macbeth, will be able to see the ghost of Banquo sitting there. Banquo will be wearing the same clothes as when he died, but there will be no blood stains. It will look perfectly clean. This is to represent that Macbeth does not feel he killed Banquo, as the murderers did it. When Banquo comes back, his outfit will have blood stains from a stab wound and a deep red light on him following wherever he goes. Because he now has blood stains, Macbeth realizes that, because he hired the murderers, he is also responsible for Banquo’s death. For a split second, the red light following Banquo switches to Macbeth before going back to Banquo. This is to represent the guilt of killing Banquo and the fear of being branded a murderer. During this whole encounter, the reactions of the guests should be very different from the reaction of Macbeth. Macbeth should be afraid of Banquo, but also constantly looking back to the guests, as he is worried they are catching on. The guests, however, should be worried but not
suspicious. This is to represent the Macbeth’s fear of losing his power and how this can make him perceive the guests’ reaction much different than they actually are. Right before Banquo leaves, Macbeth and Banquo will be standing downstage, the back of the stage will be dark so all of the audience’s attention goes right to them. There will be a long pause where they will simply look at each other then Banquo will walk off and the lights will travel back, illuminating the whole stage. Lady Macbeth has told all the guests to leave so now it is just them onstage. The lighting will be bright to signify that Macbeth feels he has just brought light to the murder that he committed.
Because this fear impacts how each characters perceives and understands reality, their incentives are greatly altered. Macbeth desperately tries to regain his seemingly lost power and in the process realized that bringing fear to others will force them to respect him. Macbeth begins to enjoy the power that comes with others being afraid of him. According to the theorist Burke, “when we imagine the prospect of "pain and terror," we experience a "delightful horror," the "strongest of all passions” (qtd. in Robin 928). This suggests that murder brings a ‘delightful horror’ to Macbeth. This feeling completely overrides any other logic that might tell him to stop murdering. His motivation to kill has changed from the fear it brings him to the fear it brings others. Now he has become ruthless, he doesn’t simply kill people who have wronged him, but kills innocent people. Macbeth tells Lennox that “the castle of Macduff [he] will surprise; / seize upon Fife; give to th' edge o' th' sword / his wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls / that trace him in his line” (4.2.149-152). The fact that Macbeth says ‘unfortunate souls’ suggests that he understands that he is murdering innocent people but doesn’t appear to care. At this moment, Macduff, the person Macbeth has incentive to kill, is not there, therefore Macbeth is killing his wife and son, the two completely innocent people. Showing that Macbeth no longer has a clear motivation but instead is killing everybody who could possibly get in his way.
ghost of Banquo first enters, the unpstage portion of the table will be lit, but the downstage portion will be in complete darkness. The audience will not be able to see Banquo sitting there.
Macbeth cannot see him either, as he walks downstage after Lennox points out his seat, he doesn’t see Banquo until he gets to his seat. The lights will flash up and everyone, including Macbeth, will be able to see the ghost of Banquo sitting there. Banquo will be wearing the same clothes as when he died, but there will be no blood stains. It will look perfectly clean. This is to represent that Macbeth does not feel he killed Banquo, as the murderers did it. When Banquo comes back, his outfit will have blood stains from a stab wound and a deep red light on him following wherever he goes. Because he now has blood stains, Macbeth realizes that, because he hired the murderers, he is also responsible for Banquo’s death. For a split second, the red light following Banquo switches to Macbeth before going back to Banquo. This is to represent the guilt of killing Banquo and the fear of being branded a murderer. During this whole encounter, the reactions of the guests should be very different from the reaction of Macbeth. Macbeth should be afraid of Banquo, but also constantly looking back to the guests, as he is worried they are catching on. The guests, however, should be worried but not
suspicious. This is to represent the Macbeth’s fear of losing his power and how this can make him perceive the guests’ reaction much different than they actually are. Right before Banquo leaves, Macbeth and Banquo will be standing downstage, the back of the stage will be dark so all of the audience’s attention goes right to them. There will be a long pause where they will simply look at each other then Banquo will walk off and the lights will travel back, illuminating the whole stage. Lady Macbeth has told all the guests to leave so now it is just them onstage. The lighting will be bright to signify that Macbeth feels he has just brought light to the murder that he committed.
Because this fear impacts how each characters perceives and understands reality, their incentives are greatly altered. Macbeth desperately tries to regain his seemingly lost power and in the process realized that bringing fear to others will force them to respect him. Macbeth begins to enjoy the power that comes with others being afraid of him. According to the theorist Burke, “when we imagine the prospect of "pain and terror," we experience a "delightful horror," the "strongest of all passions” (qtd. in Robin 928). This suggests that murder brings a ‘delightful horror’ to Macbeth. This feeling completely overrides any other logic that might tell him to stop murdering. His motivation to kill has changed from the fear it brings him to the fear it brings others. Now he has become ruthless, he doesn’t simply kill people who have wronged him, but kills innocent people. Macbeth tells Lennox that “the castle of Macduff [he] will surprise; / seize upon Fife; give to th' edge o' th' sword / his wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls / that trace him in his line” (4.2.149-152). The fact that Macbeth says ‘unfortunate souls’ suggests that he understands that he is murdering innocent people but doesn’t appear to care. At this moment, Macduff, the person Macbeth has incentive to kill, is not there, therefore Macbeth is killing his wife and son, the two completely innocent people. Showing that Macbeth no longer has a clear motivation but instead is killing everybody who could possibly get in his way.