Macbeth and Browning

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MACBETH AND BROWNING ESSAY
Many writers like to explore human conditions, and delve into topics to do with disturbed, broken minds. Shakespeare recognised the complexity of the human mind and his work included things like murderous intent and jealousy which link to disturbed minds. The forms of Drama and Monologue show us paralinguistic features, and show emotion within characters. Monologues especially do this, as they give us only one perspective and create a claustrophobic personality, since there is only one speaker in a monologue. Browning’s adoption of the monologue form can be said to perfectly complement his presentation of the Duke’s disturbed mind.
Lady Macbeth’s reaction to the letter is sinister; it shows her thirst for power. “The raven himself is hoarse that croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan under my battlements” shows this. In the letter she finds out that the witches have said Macbeth will be King in the future. However, because Lady Macbeth has ambition beyond her status, she wants him to become King as soon as possible. The only problem for Lady Macbeth is she feels Macbeth is too nice to kill Duncan. She says “it is too full o’ the milk of human kindness”, which shows Lady Macbeth thinks of her husband as a coward. The soliloquy used by Shakespeare truly shows the disturbed mind of Lady Macbeth; creating an unsettling affect on the audience through his representation of her as a scheming and dangerous character.
The use of imagery reveals that witchcraft was a fascination of Elizabethan England. Lady Macbeth calls upon the dark spirits to “take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers”, which shows how much of a disturbed mind Lady Macbeth has. Shakespeare creates an inverse prayer, summoning the dark powers to “stop up the access and passage to remorse”, showing her thirst for power. The presentation of femininity is shown as a negative

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