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Macbeth
Act Three
Standards Focus: Irony
Irony is an inconsistency between appearance and reality. There are several types of irony:
Verbal irony is when a speaker or writer says one thing but actually means the
opposite. For example, when your mom walks into your filthy bedroom and says, ―I
see you‘ve cleaned your room!‖ Sarcasm, overstatement (also called hyperbole), and
understatement, are all types of verbal irony.
Situational irony is when the outcome of a situation is inconsistent with what we
expect would logically or normally occur. An example of situational irony would be if
a thief‘s house was broken into at the same time he was robbing someone‘s house.
Dramatic irony is when the audience or the reader is aware of something that a
character does not know. For example: When King Duncan visits Macbeth‘s castle,
he comments on how welcoming the home is, and how comfortable he feels. We as
the audience know that King Duncan should feel anything but comfortable, as he is
about to be murdered. The use of dramatic irony helps increase the tension and
excitement of the play, and draws the audience more deeply into the story.
Directions: For the following excerpts from Acts One through Three, Shakespeare
effectively uses dramatic irony to intrigue the reader and deepen the impact of the
consequences the characters ultimately face. For each of the following examples of
dramatic irony, explain what the audience knows that the characters do not.
1. The Thane of Cawdor was just executed and the King feels foolish for having trusted him:
―He was a gentleman on whom I built / An absolute trust.‖ Later, Macbeth is named the
new Thane of Cawdor.
What the audience knows:
2. After the murder of Duncan, the porter of the castle wakes up and responds to the
knocking at the door. He complains about the cold, saying that ―this place is too cold for
Hell.‖
What the audience knows:
3. In his monologue in Act Three, Scene I, Macbeth says it was because of the weird sisters‘
predictions that he murdered Banquo.
What the audience knows:
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Macbeth Literature Guide
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4. Lennox says, ―It was for Malcolm and Donalbain / To kill their gracious father? Damned
fact! / How it did grieve Macbeth!‖
What the audience knows:
5. Macbeth is the only character to see Banquo‘s ghost. He is stricken with fear and
collapses.
What the audience knows:
6. In Act Three, Lady Macbeth complains that she is not feeling very comfortable in her
new role as Queen. ―Naught‘s had, all‘s spent, / Where our desire is got without content.
/ ‗Tis safer to be that which we destroy / Than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy.‖
What the audience knows:
7. At the beginning of Act Three, Macbeth asks Banquo whether he is going for a ride in the
afternoon, and whether Fleance will be joining him.
What the audience knows:
8. At the banquet in Act Three, Macbeth proclaims ―I drink to th‘ general joy o‘ th‘ whole
table, / And to our dear friend Banquo, whom we miss. / Would he were here!‖
What the audience knows:
9. Why do you think authors like Shakespeare employ the use of irony in their work? How
does the use of irony contribute to the enjoyment of the text?
©2011 Secondary Solutions
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Macbeth Literature Guide