first time – in a heath, thundering (I, iii). When the Witches meet Hecate – in a heath, thundering (III, iv). In act four, the witches are huddled around a boiling cauldron, preparing a spell – in a cavern, thundering (IV, i). Every time they make an apparition, thunder is heard. This makes the mood very dark. Another time where Shakespeare made the mood pretty dark could be when Banquo remarks that the night is especially dark – “...There’s husbandry in heaven, / Their candles are all out...” (II, i, 6-7) The dark night, in other words, reflects Macbeth’s dark desires – “...And take the present horror from the time, / Which now suits with it. Whiles I threat, he lives. / Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives.” (II, i, 67-69) Then, for a final example of the dark mood, we have the banquet scene, which should be fun and happy, but there is no joy because Macbeth keeps seeing the ghost of Banquo – Avaunt, and quit my sight! Let the earth hide thee!Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold;Thou hast no speculation in those eyesWhich thou dost glare with. (III, iv, 111-114)Shakespeare’s Macbeth is definitely a play of darkness. By looking at the characters in the play (Macbeth in particular) and their actions, the theme’s dark subject matter, and the mood’s dark essence, Shakespeare made it very clear that this is play of darkness. Whether it had been intended or not, it is very obvious that he was very successful in doing so....
