Act One: Gothic Elements

Scene One
- Gothic element – witches and their familiars, creepy weather (thunder lightning and rain)
- Familiars – ‘Graymalkin’ and ‘Paddock’ but how come the third witch hasn’t got a familiar?
- A lot of contradicting phrases such as ‘the battle’s lost, and won’ and ‘fair is foul, and foul is fair’ – intrigues the readers about what is about to happen, questioning future events, and gives us a feeling of riddles or chants (witchcraft – gothic element)

Scene Two
- Words/phrases used to create a gothic, tense and bloody atmosphere: 'The merciless Macdonald', 'a rebel's whore', 'memorise another Golgotha' - refers to a re-enactment of a slaughter, 'bloody execution', 'dismal conflict' and many more.

Scene Three
- Witches reappear, riddles sound like chants (spells) which make them sound mysterious.
- Witches use evil and disturbing language such as 'killing swine' and 'rum-fed runnion' - which means a pampered slut.
- Predicting the future and getting the first prediction correct creates an even more supernatural feeling, as well as when the witches 'vanish'. Macbeth even calls it 'supernatural soliciting'.
- Macbeth already has disturbing thoughts, portrayed through the words he uses after hearing the prophecy - 'whose murder yet is but fantastical' and 'smothered in surmise'.

Scene Four
- Macbeth says - 'Let not light see my black and deep desires' - sense of evil resurfaces and secrecy and mysterious air are also gothic elements. This is because he finds out who is next in line for the throne and he already has schemes in his head as to make the prophecy come true.

Scene Five
- Lady Macbeth starts planning her evil schemes against the king after hearing what Macbeth heard from the witches
- She already has evil connotations to her character, which reflects on the way she talks and her sensuality and superiority - 'pour my spirits in thine ear and chastise with the valour of my tounge'. She mentions spirits again in line 38 - 'Come, you spirits and fill me... of direst cruelty'. Images of blood are also part of her speech - 'make thick my blood'.

Scene Six
- the elegant castle of Macbeth (castles are usually present in gothic literature). The lovely castle hides their evil schemes in a way.

Scene Seven
- Macbeth is starting to feel guilty about their plans of murdering Duncan. He is avoiding referring to the murder so obviously and resorts to words such as 'th'assassination', 'the horrid deed' and 'his taking-off'.
- Lady Macbeth's power of persuasion over Macbeth. Her superiority comes through as she belittles him and forces him to change his mind again. The atmosphere is dark and Lady Macbeth acts as if Macbeth is her assistant - the pawn to her mischeivous plan. Macbeth says - False face must hide what the false heart doth know - which emphasises the mysterious air and secrecy surrounding their plans.