A Gothic Analysis of Macbeth-Act One

Firstly, the first act of Macbeth displays all the stock connotations of the gothic narrative. It has witches (supernatural), Macbeth’s reported killings (death), Macbeth’s morality (anxiety) etc. What’s notable about the gothic nature of act 1 is the sense of never being able to escape death. The whole act is filled with death and it’s a constant theme flowing throughout the act that it is hard to escape. 

There is also a questionable romance between Macbeth and Lady (Macbeth), which is another frequent occurrence in the gothic genre. Whether or not they really do love each other is something to discuss on the book, but also the social phobia on a women’s position in society. Lady Macbeth presents herself to be rather devilish and crude, and this would be seen as abnormal, as a women was to commit to a particular social exterior in Shakespearian times. Lady Macbeth is the bringer of a large amount of the gothic connotations in act one. She is planning a murder plot, she is a women (women commonly feature in the gothic narrative, it can be argued that they are essential to the genre’s imagery and essence), she creates a romance with the protagonist, to cause him (Macbeth) a deal of anxiety. 

Overall, I believe that Act one of Macbeth succeeds in placing imagery into the heads of the audience. The imagery specifically connotes the gothic narrative. For me, Act one has set the plot of the tale (which is essential), introduced the characters (again, essential), but in terms of a gothic analysis, it has ticked many boxes in the gothic genre, with key connotations and specifics which are undeniably gothic.