How does Shakespeare and the selected poets use language to show how characters are going through an extreme circumstance?

Throughout this controlled assessment, I will be showing how Shakespeare and the selected poets use different language to show the extreme circumstance of Macbeth and the protagonists in the poem.

One extreme circumstance which can be seen in Shakespeare’s play can be seen when Macbeth kills King Duncan. This can be seen when Macbeth says ‘Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hands?’. Shakespeare uses hyperbole to suggest that Macbeth will always feel guilty for killing Duncan. The image created is that not even the wide ‘Neptune’ ocean wont be able to wash off Macbeth’s dirty deed. Also, this suggests that Macbeth may be a religious man and he may think that he has created a sin.

Similarly, the protagonist in A Hero also suffers from a feeling of guilt, yet for a different reason. This can be seen when the character says ‘three times I had the lust to kill’. Guilt is the extreme circumstance which is shown throughout the two novels, however the guilt shown is portrayed in different ways. As Macbeth feels guilty after ‘Killing Duncan’ but the character from A Hero is feeling guilty after committing no actual crime. The image created from this poem is that the character is scared as he believes that he will continue to kill.

The second extreme circumstance from Shakespeare’s Macbeth is shown on his second soliloquy, when Macbeth finds out that Lady Macbeth is dead. This can be seen when Macbeth says ‘Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow’. Shakespeare uses the technique of repetition to show that the word ‘tomorrow’ has no meaning after the loss of his wife. The repetition of the word ‘tomorrow’ shows that Macbeth is bored of the life that he lives, and that to him the world has became a pointless place. This also shows how Macbeth is confused about what tomorrow will hold.

In comparison to this soliloquy, the poem ‘Mad Girl’s Love Song’ written by Sylvia Plath also creates an idea that the life that this protagonist lives in has become pointless. This can be seen when the character says ‘I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead’. The repetition of the refrain suggests that the protagonist’s life is becoming more and more tedious each day. Also, another trait which the two novels have is the fact that the characters lovers are not around any more, and this only adds more frustration to the characters mind questioning, why they are still having to live this harsh life. In Sylvia Plath’s actual life her father and her husband Ted Hugh have both left and the poem is used to reflect on her pain.

My final extreme circumstance from Shakespeare’s Macbeth is from the dagger soliloquy when Macbeth has to see through his plot to kill Duncan. Shakespeare uses symbolism to explain Macbeth’s extreme emotion. This can be seen when Macbeth’s says ‘Come, let me clutch thee. I have thee not, and yet I see thee still’. This quote is used in the play when Macbeth imagines seeing a ‘dagger’, and that he is becoming frustrated because he can’t ‘Clutch’ it. Death is symbolized through the dagger as Macbeth comes face to face with his destiny.

My final comparison to Shakespeare’s Macbeth can be seen in Emily Dickinson’s ‘I Felt A Funeral In My Brain’. Whereas Shakespeare’s image of death is more active and aggressive, Dickinson’s image is more natural and passive. This is a comparison which also makes a contrast, as both authors base their work around the idea of ‘death’. Macbeth kills King Duncan whilst Dickinson’s character’s death is through mental depression. This can be illustrated when the poem says ‘I felt a funeral, in my brain, and Mourners to and fro’. This quote helps present the idea of the character suffering from depression as an image of your own funeral isn’t very pleasant and Emily Dickinson uses repetition to suggest that the character will always suffer from depression. This can be seen when the refrain ‘I felt a funeral in my brain’ is constantly repeated.

In conclusion, at some stage all characters in Macbeth, I felt a funeral in my brain, Mad girls love song, A hero lose sight of their true selves and are forced to confront death. This makes the characters feel confused and scared, forcing them to give up.