Despite the fact that the audience does not see the murder of Duncan on stage, they still experience tension and excitement throughout the beginning of Act 2, when it is performed. How does Shakespeare create these effects on the audience?
             Dramatic tension is a very important element in a successful play. Dramatic tension keeps the live audience exited and interested in the play. To make the play successful audience has to experience a range of emotions like happiness for the characters, sadness, suspense or horror.
             In the play, murder of the king Duncan occurs between the scenes 1 and 2 in Act 2, however the audience does not see the murder of the king, because to it was illegal to show the treason against the king on stage. Shakespeare had to live out the scene in which the king was murdered, because it could have motivated someone to kill the king. Because the murder could not be performed on the stage Shakespeare had to find a different way to show the murder and to build up excitement and tension without actually showing the murder. Shakespeare uses darkness and supernatural things like visions, ghosts and witches to show that evil happenings are occurring or are about to take place.
             At the start of the scene 1, Macbeth is walking around the courtyard waiting for the ring of the bell, which will be a sigh from Lady Macbeth that will tell him to go and kill Duncan. This scene begins in a courtyard of Macbeth's castle when Macbeth meets his friend Banquo and starts a conversation with Banquo in which the Three Witches are brought up again. Macbeth replies to Banquo's question of the witches with a lie and tells him that he has not thought again of the witches. Banquo seems to be aware of the supernatural forces in the air, he suspects something but does not really believe that Macbeth is about to commit a terrible crime against the king. During the conversation Banquo speaks of the nightmares that he is having, he says ...