Wednesday, December 3, 2014

How can we describe the way the sleepwalking scene in Macbeth makes us feel?

There is a slight problem with the wording of your
question.  You have suggested that "we" respond to a scene in a play together, with one
unified reaction.  Often, this can be true, but it is just as possible for audience
members to react very differently as individual observers.  So, if your question is "How
can you describe the way that Act V, Scene i makes
you feel," here are a few tips.


The
best way to respond to the scene emotionally is to see it as it was meant to be
experienced, in a live production.  It should be pretty easy to watch the scene and make
note of your emotional response.  If you can't see it live, see a film version.  There
are some good ones, and you might even be able to watch just this scene, if you search
for it on YouTube.


In deciding how to describe your
response, make sure to refer to specific moments, specifc actions performed by the
actors and/or specific lines of text.  This will let whomever you are telling about your
response get a clear idea of what exactly it was that you are resonding
to.


I have offered some links to suggested film versions to
view and commentary from others, so you can see some examples.  Good
luck!

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