What is the irony in lines 64-65 of Act 1, Scene 2 in Macbeth?

These lines are ironic if they are put into the context of the entire play. In the first two scenes of Macbeth, we learn that Macbeth is a war hero and a loyal servant of the king, Duncan. This is ironic because Macbeth will later murder the king and have others killed. The additional irony in this scene is that Duncan intends to replace The Thane of Cawdor with Macbeth. (In Act 1, Scene 3, the witches suggest that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor before Duncan has told Macbeth himself). 

The previous Thane of Cawdor had conspired with Duncan's enemy. 

Norway himself, with terrible numbers, 
Assisted by that most disloyal traitor 
The Thane of Cawdor, began a dismal conflict, (I.ii.60-62).

Duncan ends the scene, saying, "What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won." (I.ii.78). Duncan thinks he is eliminating a traitor and replacing him with a noble subject (Macbeth). But the irony is that, although Macbeth begins as a loyal subject, he will prove to be a much larger threat and a traitor of the worst kind. The use of irony here highlights the transformation of Macbeth from loyal Thane to a corrupt, homicidal (and regicidal) dictator. 

Explain the irony in act 1, scene 2, lines 51–53 of Macbeth.

The sort of irony at work in these two lines, spoken by Lennox early in the play, is known as prophetic irony. This means that the audience will not know the first time they watch the play that these lines are ironic—the understanding depends on a knowledge of what is going to come afterwards. Therefore, when Lennox says that Ross has a strange look in his eyes and that this suggests he is going to say something strange, it is not immediately obvious to the audience that there is irony in what Ross actually does say—namely, "God save the king."

However, if we know the play, we certainly know there is irony here. Ross is wishing good health for the reigning king, Duncan. In and of itself, this is ironic because Duncan will soon die at the hands of Macbeth, who he thought was loyal to him. Subsequently, the story Ross tells about the "traitor," the current thane of Cawdor, is also ironic because Ross is explaining how this man has behaved. Duncan, the king, then pronounces a sentence of execution on the thane of Cawdor and suggests that his title should be bestowed upon Macbeth—the clear implication being that Macbeth would be more deserving of the title because he would never betray his king. As we know, this turns out to be absolutely false.

What is an example of dramatic irony in Act 1, Scene 3 or 4 of Macbeth?

Dramatic irony refers to situations in which the audience possesses information unknown to the characters within the play. In act 1, scene 3, there are actually at least two key examples of dramatic irony present. Both apply to the predictions of the witches. The first lies in their greetings to Macbeth, referring to him as thane of Glamis, Cawdor, and a future king. Macbeth, at this point in the play, is not aware of his recently being awarded the thaneship of Cawdor, unlike the audience, which has seen the preceding act 1, scene 2.

The second example of dramatic irony present in this scene involves the witches' greetings to Banquo, whom they refer to as "lesser than Macbeth, and greater," "not so happy, yet much happier," and as a father of kings. Discerning the dramatic irony present in this scene, however, requires some awareness as to the nuances of seventeenth century politics. Namely, it should be noted that Banquo was not an invention of Shakespeare himself (like many of Shakespeare's plays, Macbeth was derived from pre-existing sources).

Quite on the contrary, Banquo was actually the presumed ancestor of the Stuart line, which ruled over Scotland and later, after the death of Queen Elizabeth I, England as well. In this case, these predictions concerning Banquo are a direct reference to the family line of Shakespeare's own royal patron, King James I. While this connection would be largely lost to a modern audience, when seen from the perspective of Shakespeare's original production, it would have served as a vital part of the play's subtext, one which would have been recognizable to part of Shakespeare's original audience, particularly anyone connected with the royal court.

Dramatic irony is irony inherent in the speeches or situations in which the characters find themselves and the irony is understood by the audience, but the characters themselves are unaware thereof. Simply put, the audience knows things which the characters do not, and they act or say things without realising the irony of what they say or do.

A good example of this is when the second witch greets Macbeth thus:

All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, thane of Cawdor!

Macbeth's response is:

Stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me more:
By Sinel's death I know I am thane of Glamis;
But how of Cawdor? the thane of Cawdor lives,
A prosperous gentleman; and to be king
Stands not within the prospect of belief,
No more than to be Cawdor.

Macbeth expresses doubt about the fact that the witches greet him by such a noble title. He knows that he is Thane of Glamis, but how could he possibly be thane of Cawdor when he is still alive, a wealthy gentleman? To be thane of Cawdor is just as much beyond belief as to believe that he would be king.

The dramatic irony lies in the fact that we, the audience already know that in Act 1 Scene 2, king Duncan has ordered the execution of the thane of Cawdor for his betrayal and that he has bestowed this title on Macbeth, as indicated below:

DUNCAN

No more that thane of Cawdor shall deceive
Our bosom interest: go pronounce his present death,
And with his former title greet Macbeth.

Neither Macbeth nor Banquo is aware of this yet, so Macbeth's reaction is quite ironic. Macbeth soon learns, however, that the witches' prediction is true when Ross informs him about king Duncan's generosity:

And, for an earnest of a greater honour,
He bade me, from him, call thee thane of Cawdor:
In which addition, hail, most worthy thane!
For it is thine.

This can be deemed as one of the pivotal moments in the play, for this is when Macbeth convinces himself that it is his destiny to be king, whether by fair means or foul, and this sets him off on the path to destruction.

In Macbeth, act 1, scene 3, what is an example of dramatic irony?

The reader knows that the witches are going to mess with Macbeth, but Macbeth does not.

Dramatic irony occurs when the reader or audience knows something that the characters do not.  In this case, the witches are discussing how they will mess with Macbeth.  The audience or reader knows what will happen, but Macbeth does not.

In the beginning of the scene, the Weird Sisters describe their actions as witches and how they are going to mess with Macbeth.

I will drain him dry as hay:
Sleep shall neither night nor day
Hang upon his pent-house lid;
He shall live a man forbid:
Weary se'nnights nine times nine
Shall he dwindle, peak and pine:
Though his bark cannot be lost,
Yet it shall be tempest-tost. (Act 1, Scene 3)

Macbeth has no idea what is going to happen.  He encounters the witches and takes their prophecies very seriously, although Banquo is skeptical.  He also worries about Macbeth’s reaction.  While Banquo is inclined to think the whole thing silly, Macbeth seems highly affected by the witches and their predictions.

Good sir, why do you start; and seem to fear
Things that do sound so fair? I' the name of truth,
Are ye fantastical, or that indeed
Which outwardly ye show? My noble partner
You greet with present grace and great prediction
Of noble having and of royal hope … (Act 1, Scene 3)

The witches make three predictions.  They predict that Macbeth will be Thane of Cawdor and that he will be king.  They also predict that Banquo’s sons will be king.  These predictions have a great effect on Macbeth.  When he finds out that he is not named King Duncan’s heir, Macbeth has a strong reaction.

 The Prince of Cumberland! that is a step
On which I must fall down, or else o'erleap,
For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires;
Let not light see my black and deep desires ... (Act 1, Scene 4)

In this aside, he comments that he is ambitious and desires to be king.  This is both foreshadowing and another example of dramatic irony, because the reader knows that Macbeth is going to kill to get what he wants, but Duncan has no idea. He willingly goes to Macbeth’s castle.

What are two examples of dramatic irony in act 1, scene 4 of Macbeth?

Other answers have well covered many aspects of irony in this scene. The most important point to keep in mind is that the overarching aspect of the scene is its dramatic irony, which is when the audience knows more than a character does in a work of literature. We know, as Duncan does not, that Macbeth has received a prophecy from the three witches that he will be king of Scotland. We also know, though Duncan does not, that Macbeth is laying plans to murder him. Our insider knowledge is what makes so many of the utterances in this act ironic.

For example, Duncan states that he finds it impossible to read what is in a person's heart from their face. He then says, about the traitorous thane of Cawdor, who has just been executed: "He was a gentleman on whom I built/An absolute trust".

For such a short scene, act 1, scene 4 of Shakespeare's Macbeth abounds with irony. At the beginning of the scene, Duncan makes a remark to his sons and others about the traitorous Thane of Cawdor:

DUNCAN. There's no art
To find the mind's construction in the face:
He was a gentleman on whom I built
An absolute trust. (1.4.13-16)

Macbeth enters at that moment.

The audience knows that Duncan has given the Thane of Cawdor's title and possessions to "worthy Macbeth," and the audience also knows that the new Thane of Cawdor is no less treacherous and traitorous than his predecessor.

A little later in the scene, Duncan announces that he has selected his eldest son, Malcolm, as heir to his throne:

DUNCAN. ...Sons, kinsmen, thanes,
And you whose places are the nearest, know
We will establish our estate upon
Our eldest, Malcolm, whom we name hereafter
The Prince of Cumberland; which honor must
Not unaccompanied invest him only,
But signs of nobleness, like stars, shall shine
On all deservers. (1.4.41-48)

Shakespeare uses Duncan's passing reference to "stars" to turn Duncan's turn-of-phrase against him:

MACBETH. ...That is a step
On which I must fall down, or else o'erleap,
For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires;
Let not light see my black and deep desires... (1.4.55-58)

Later in the play, Shakespeare revisits one of Macbeth's words: "o'erleap."

The word appears only once more in the play, in Macbeth's "If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well/It were done quickly" soliloquy at the beginning of act 1, scene 7, in which Macbeth explores a number of reasons for not murdering Duncan.

At the end of the soliloquy, Macbeth indicts himself for having no other reason for murdering Duncan and taking his throne than pure ambition:

MACBETH. ...I have no spur
To prick the sides of my intent, but only
Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself
And falls on the other— (1.7.25-28)

Macbeth does, in fact, "o'erleap" himself, and fails in overcoming Malcolm and his own ambitions.

Dramatic irony is when the audience knows more about events and situations than the characters or actors in a play, movie, or story. In act 1, scene 4 of Macbeth, Shakespeare utilizes dramatic irony when King Duncan affectionately addresses Macbeth as his "worthiest cousin" and praises Macbeth for his valiant efforts in battle. He is also excited to travel to Inverness and is anxious to dine with Macbeth and his wife. The audience is aware of Macbeth's ambitious nature and knows that he has serious thoughts about murdering the king. However, King Duncan feels comfortable visiting Macbeth's castle and is completely unaware that Macbeth is thinking about assassinating him.

Another example of dramatic irony concerns Macbeth's positive, humble responses to King Duncan. The audience is aware that Macbeth is blatantly lying to the king when he tells him, "The rest is labor which is not used for you" (Shakespeare, I.iv.45). In actuality, Macbeth will not be content until he has obtained the title King of Scotland.

In Act 1, Scene 4 of Macbeth, King Duncan meets Macbeth for the first time since the great battle. Duncan expresses his boundless gratitude for Macbeth's indispensable help against the enemy and concludes by saying, rather ironically:

Only I have left to say,
More is they due than more than all can pay.

This is ironic because the audience knows full well that Macbeth is thinking of taking everything away from Duncan. It is almost as if Duncan knows Macbeth's intentions and is unconsciously giving him permission to do it.

Macbeth's reply is loaded with irony. He tells the King:

The service and the loyalty I owe,
In doing it pays itself.

Macbeth is saying just the opposite of what the audience knows he is thinking. 

What examples of dramatic irony in act 1, scene 4 of Macbeth reveal character?

The examples of dramatic irony in this scene mostly revolve around Duncan and his praise of Macbeth and trust in him, even as Macbeth is already contemplating to kill Duncan to seize the crown himself. Let us just remind ourselves that dramatic irony is when the audience and one (or more) characters know something that another character or group of characters does not. Surely the most powerful example of dramatic irony in this scene comes at the end, when Duncan has announced that his eldest son, Malcolm, will inherit the crown after his death, and has given him a new title, the Prince of Cumberland. In an aside that reveals his feelings about this, Macbeth makes it perfectly clear that he is planning to kill Duncan to gain the power and position that he believes has been promised to him and is part of his destiny:

Stars, hide your fires!
Let not light see my black and deep desires;
The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be,
Whic the eye fears, when it is done, to see.

This is said in an aside just before he leaves to go to his castle and make preparations for the arrival of Duncan and his lords. What is ironic about this though is how Duncan closes this scene, praising Macbeth's character to Banquo:

True, worthy Banquo: he is full so valiant,
And in his commendations I am fed;
It is a banquet to me. Let's after him,
Whose care is gone before to bid us welcome:
It is a peerless kinsmen.

Duncan's assessment of Macbeth as being "full so valiant" and a "peerless kinsmen" clearly highlights his naivety and gullibility. He has already in this scene confessed that he is unable to distinguish between true loyalty and the mere appearance of loyalty in the case of the former treacherous Thane of Cawdor, and this is only underlined by the way he makes the same mistake with Macbeth.

How does Duncan's speech in act 1, scene 4, lines 61-65 of Macbeth exemplify dramatic irony?

DUNCAN: True, worthy Banquo! He is full so valiant,
And in his commendations I am fed;
It is a banquet to me. Let's after him,
Whose care is gone before to bid us welcome:
It is a peerless kinsman.(65)

In this scene Macbeth has been congratulated by Duncan for his excellence on the battlefield and his help in uncovering the treachery of Cawdor.  Macbeth goes ahead of Duncan and the rest to make ready his castle at Inverness for their arrival.  When he leaves Macbeth says to himself that he is shocked at his own desire to kill Duncan, his king.  The event which has precipitated Macbeth's desire to kill Duncan is that, during this scene, Duncan has invested his eldest son Malcolm with the title of Prince of Cumberland.  Since this title is the customary title of the heir to the throne of Scotland, it becomes clear to everyone in the room that Malcolm will be king when Duncan is dead.  This makes Macbeth want to kill Duncan quickly, before Malcolm is formally invested with the title, so there will be a much better chance for Macbeth to take the throne from him.

Directly after Macbeth has these thoughts of killing Duncan in order to steal his throne from his son, Duncan, unknowing, makes this speech about the worthiness of Macbeth.  Duncan says that by commending Macbeth he is "fed", that is, nourished and sustained in his kingship.  The fact that Macbeth will be the one who feeds Duncan his last meal is particularly ironic.  It is after the aforesaid "banquet" that Duncan will be murdered.

But the most ironic line is the last, describing Macbeth as a "peerless kinsman."  This is dramatic irony, since Macbeth will be the one who kills him.  Duncan does not know that he is complimenting his future murderer.  There is also an element of the pun in the word "peerless".  First, it can mean "without equal", meaning the best.  In Duncan's mind Macbeth is peerless because of his service and virtue.  But, in reality, Macbeth is also peerless because no other of Duncan's kinsman desire to kill the king.  The word "peer" is a term for nobility, so it's a foreshadowing of Macbeth's future kingship.  When Macbeth is king of the realm, he will indeed have no peer; he will be the highest ranking man in the land.  Duncan is duped into believing that this "peerless kinsman", his loyal soldier and subject, whom he has recently honored with an additional title of Thane of Cawdor, is has true as he appears.  We, the audience, know that he is not.  This is why this speech is an example of dramatic irony.

How does the dialogue between Duncan and Banquo in act 1, scene 6 use dramatic irony?

In Shakespeare's Macbeth, Act I, Scene 6, King Duncan and Banquo first of all have to reveal to the audience where they are and where the scene will take place.  Since plays were performed without sets in Shakespeare's time, before the opening of the scene does anything else it must establish that the king's party has arrived at Macbeth's castle.

As usual, though, Shakespeare accomplishes more than one purpose with the opening of the scene.  While the two are letting the audience know that they are at Macbeth's castle, they comment on the quality of the air.  The king begins:

This castle hath a pleasant seat [site],
The air nimbly and sweetly recommends itself
Unto our gentle senses.

The castle is pleasant, and the air is light and sweet to their gentle senses.  Banquo continues the conversation by saying that in his experience he has noticed that where the martlet (birds that they see) dwells the air smells "wooingly," and, "Where they must breed and haunt, I have observed,/the air is delicate."

Their first impressions of the castle on this visit, of course, couldn't be more wrong (which, as a side note, fits into the theme of illusion and reality earlier introduced by Duncan when he tells Malcolm that there is no way to tell what a man is really thinking by looking at his face).  For most of the play Macbeth's castle will be metaphorically compared to hell.  Words like pleasant, sweetly, gentle, wooingly, and delicate do not belong in a description of Macbeth's castle.

Because the audience already knows this (we have already seen and heard Macbeth, as well as Lady Macbeth, plotting the king's assassination), the scene is dramatically ironic.  The audience knows something the characters do not.  That is dramatic irony.

Thus, Shakespeare not only reveals to the audience where the scene will take place, but he has managed to get the audience more involved and given the audience a feeling of discovery and maybe even a bit of superiority. 

What is an example of dramatic irony in Act 2, Scene 3, Lines 100–112 of Macbeth?

The dramatic irony of these lines lies in the juxtaposition of what is said by the characters in the scene and what the audience knows or can surmise from the action of the play up to this point.

At the beginning of act 2, scene 3, the audience know that Macbeth killed Duncan just a few minutes ago, and they're anxious to know what's going to happen now that Macduff, Lennox, and Ross have arrived to meet with Duncan. The anticipation level is high while the audience waits to see if Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are going to be discovered to have killed Duncan or if they can somehow get away with it.

Aside from that, there's something very odd about this scene with regard to Duncan's sons, Malcolm and Donalbain. At first, they seem strangely calm, even after having been awakened by a loudly clanging alarm bell and voices in the courtyard shouting "Murder and treason!"

When Malcolm and Donalbain amble into the courtyard half-awake, there's already a mass of agitated humanity assembled there, including Macduff, Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Banquo, Lennox, Ross, and perhaps even the Porter, sleeping off his hangover in a corner.

"What is amiss?" asks Donalbain, as if a servant has just spilled wine on one of the guests.

When Malcolm and Donalbain are told that their "royal father's murdered," Malcolm casually inquires, "O, by whom?" Does he look around the courtyard expecting someone to raise their hand and admit to the murder?

Lennox explains to Malcolm that it appears that Duncan's own guards murdered him, and then he briefly describes the bloody scene near the guards. Malcolm and Donalbain say nothing.

On the day prior to this scene, Duncan named Malcolm his successor as king of Scotland. This would be a perfect opportunity for Malcolm to assume the role of king, as is his right and duty, and take charge of the situation.

Malcolm does nothing. A few minutes later, he huddles with his brother off to the side while the others look to Lady Macbeth, who just "fainted"— because she wants to distract everybody from Macbeth, who's talking too much—and Malcolm and Donalbain decide to run away.

Except they don't run away. They stand around while everybody else decides what to do, and when everybody else is gone, Malcolm tells Donalbain that he's going to run away to England, and Donalbain tells Malcolm that he's going to run away to Ireland.

One of the ironies of this scene is that Malcolm, who ought to be a major participant in the scene, is essentially a non-entity, and he has no effect whatsoever on the scene.

First, to understand this passage, it's helpful to understand the definition of dramatic irony. Dramatic irony occurs when both the audience and one or more of the characters in a play know something that the other characters on stage do not. In this scene, Macbeth is present when the body of King Duncan is discovered. Macduff has come to see the king in the morning, and asks if he is awake yet. Macbeth says:

MACBETH: I'll bring you to him.
MACDUFF: I know this is a joyful trouble to you, but yet 'tis one.
MACBETH: The labor we delight in physics pain. This is the door.

MacDuff goes in and soon comes rushing back out, saying that Duncan has been murdered. Shortly Lady Macbeth arrives, asking what the commotion is:

LADY MACBETH: What's the business, That such a hideous trumpet calls to parley The sleepers of the house? speak, speak!

Now begins the passage cited in the question. In response to questioning by Malcolm and Donalbain as to what is amiss, Macbeth replies:

MACBETH: You are, and do not know't: the spring, the head, the fountain of your blood is stopt--the very source of it is stopt.
MACDUFF: Your royal father's murder'd.

In this passage, the dramatic irony comes from the fact that the audience knows who murdered King Duncan. Both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth know intimately well who murdered King Duncan, but the other characters on stage do not. Macbeth and his wife knew the King was dead, and by whose hand the murder was committed, before Macduff ever showed up. Yet Macbeth and his wife try to pretend that they are just as shocked and horrified as the other characters in order to maintain the appearance of their innocence.

Explain the dramatic irony of Macbeth's actions in Act 2, Scene 3.

Macbeth's actions are an example of dramatic irony because the audience is well aware that Macbeth is responsible for the murder of King Duncan. However, Macbeth's actions and words in Act II, Scene III are significant for a number of other reasons as well. Firstly, the act of killing the guards ensures that the guards would never sober up and inform any of the lords that Lady Macbeth was responsible for their inebriation. While the guards would still probably be thought guilty of killing Duncan, the opportunity for them to tell their side of the story could potentially plant doubt within the minds of the others, and therefore possibly begin to point the finger at the Macbeths. The killing of the guards marks the first instance in which Macbeth takes measures to destroy additional potential threats to his safety. He continues this pattern throughout the play by hiring murders to kill Banquo and Fleance, and later going after Macduff and his family.

Further, Macbeth's words, and Lady Macbeth's reaction to them, reveal that he isn't very cunning, which reinforces Lady Macbeth's preexisting concerns.  At this point in the play, Lady Macbeth has already warned him of his inability to hide his thoughts when under pressure. The tension of the scene increases as Macbeth is forced to explain his actions to Macduff and the others.  He says that seeing the murderers asleep "[s]teeped in the colors of their trade" so near the body of Duncan, the murder of whom constitutes a crime against nature, was too much for him.  He then asks "[w]ho could refrain/that had a heard to love, and in that heart/ Courage to make 's love known?" (2.3, 134-137).  In other words, he loved Duncan so much, that he did what anybody would do in that moment. How could anybody blame him?

This scene is further enhanced by Lady Macbeth's reaction to Macbeth's attempts to explain himself. Upon seeing the focus turning toward her husband, she feigns shock and pretends to swoon to draw attention away from Macbeth.  This also functions as dramatic irony, as the audience knows why she is pretending to swoon. As previously stated, it also reinforces the fact that she doesn't trust Macbeth to be able to get himself out of the situation, and she has good reason to be concerned. As the play progresses, Macbeth develops the habit of getting himself in over his head, time and time again.

Identify and explain an example of verbal irony in Act 2, Scene 3 of Macbeth.

There are numerous examples of verbal irony in the conversation between Macbeth, Macduff and Lennox soon after their arrival at his castle, Inverness. The king had lodged there for the night and Macduff enquires after him:

Is the king stirring, worthy thane?

Macbeth replies:

Not yet.

There are two samples of verbal irony. First in Macduff's simple question and second in Macbeth's even simpler reply. Firstly, Macduff calls Macbeth 'worthy', meaning a person who deserves respect, praise and commendation for the good that he/she has done, but Macbeth is far from 'worthy.' He is, in fact despicable and not deserved of any praise for he has just committed a foul deed. He murdered his cousin, the king, whilst he was sound asleep and therefore defenceless. Although he had his guards with him, they were in a drunken stupor and hardly responded when Macbeth committed his heinous crime. It is therefore deeply ironic that Macduff should call him 'worthy.' This is also an example of dramatic irony for the audience knows what Macbeth has done but Macduff and Lennox do not.

Macbeth's reply is ironic since he knows that it is impossible for the king to make any move. He, Macbeth, has made sure of that. He killed Duncan but replies as if there is a possibility that the king might stir, i.e. awaken, but Duncan has been untimely sent to his eternal rest.

Further irony lies in the fact that Macduff mentions that he has 'almost slipped the hour' in meeting the king, and he has actually missed meeting the king, forever. Macbeth's statement' 'I will bring you to him' is further irony, for his words imply that the king is still alive, when he is not.

Added to this is Macduff's statement about this being a 'joyful trouble' for Macbeth without realising how true his words actually are. Macbeth expresses the fact that his duty to take care of his liege, 'physics pain,' i.e. it is a soothing balm or medication to what strife or pain he may be experiencing, is entirely correct, but not in the manner that Macduff understands it.

Macbeth had been in torment about killing his king and has now been relieved that the deed has actually been done. Furthermore, he has now removed the biggest stumbling block in his aspiration to be king. With the king dead, it would be much easier for him to ascend the throne.  

 Macduff and Lennox arrive the next morning after the murder, and Macbeth acts as if nothing happened. He shows Macduff to Duncan's room, and discusses the night before with Lennox. Lennox is describing the rough night he had. He says he heard screams of death, and Macbeth comments, ''Twas a rough night" . This is an example of verbal irony because it seems to Lennox that Macbeth is commiserating with him, when in actuality, he is commenting on his own murderous night.

Where is the dramatic irony in act 2, scene 3 of Macbeth?

Macbeth had planned to be in his chamber pretending to be sound asleep when the King’s body was discovered, but the prolonged knocking finally forced him to put in an appearance in his nightgown to find out what somebody wasn’t opening the gate. Just before he arrives, the drunken Porter admits Macduff. Thus Macbeth is forced against his will to be present when Macduff finds the King’s bloody body.

We all know from personal experience, if only as children, how difficult it is to act natural when we feel guilty. It is easy to act natural when we are being natural, but it is very hard to remember how it feels to be natural when we are not feeling natural. So we can understand what Macbeth is going through. This is perhaps the worst experience of his life. He is trying to act natural and doing a very poor job of it. He looks rigid, cold, and expressionless. He speaks in very brief sentences consisting mostly of monosyllables.

Macduff tells Lennox, “Our knocking has awaked him. Here he comes.” When Macbeth greets them with such an apparently cold manner, Macduff assumes that he is angry at being awakened by all of Macduff’s pounding on the gate. The dramatic irony throughout this part of the scene is mostly contained in the fact that only the audience knows why Macbeth is acting so strangely. He has simply forgotten how to act like an innocent man. It is nearly impossible to act innocent if you are guilty.

For his part, Macduff completely misinterprets Macbeth’s behavior, since Macduff is innocent and has no suspicion that anything is amiss. Part of the reason for the insertion of the comical scene with the Porter is to reassure Macduff and Lennox that there is nothing unusual going on inside the castle. Everyone is sound asleep. Macduff would naturally become alarmed if he kept knocking at the gate and nobody answered. This would only cause him to knock louder and longer, which was the only way Shakespeare could think of to have Macbeth present when the body was discovered. Macbeth goes through agony waiting for Macduff to enter the King’s chamber and then come running out shouting to wake up everybody in the castle.

Later Macduff will remember Macbeth's behavior and will feel convinced that Macbeth is guilty of Duncan's assassination. Macduff will refuse to attend Macbeth's coronation and will flee to England to help raise an army to invade Scotland and depose Macbeth.

There is significant dramatic irony in this scene of Shakespeare's tragedy, which is when the murder of Duncan is discovered and exposed. Let us remember that dramatic irony is when one or more characters on stage and the audience know something that other characters do not. This of course appears in this scene through our knowledge of who really killed King Duncan. Even though Macbeth and Lady Macbeth clearly know too, they act as if they were innocent. Consider Macbeth's response to seeing Duncan's corpse:

Had I but died an hour before this chance,
I had liv'd a blessed time; for, from this instant,
There's nothing serious in mortality;
All is but toys: renown, and grace, is dead;
the wine of life is drawn, and the mere lees
Is left this vault to brag of.

The dramatic irony lies in the way that we know, just as Macbeth himself knows, that this speech is not at all sincere, and he is playing a part, trying to maintain his innocence. However, at this moment in the play, the other charactes are reduced to shock and amazement at the crime of regicide that has been committed among them.

What are some examples of verbal irony in Macbeth?

In Act 2, Scene 3, Macduff and other lords come to wake Duncan and collect him so that they can be on their way.  Lennox tells Macbeth about all the strange things that happened last night: it was incredibly windy and wild outside, and one could hear weird screams in the air.  Macbeth agrees, saying, "'Twas a rough night" (2.3.36).  In so saying, Macbeth is actually referring to a great deal more than Lennox is.  It was a rough night for Macbeth because he was committing regicide and framing innocents for the murder.  Thus, his meaning is from different from what Lennox understands.  Further, it is an understatement as well because Macbeth means much more than he says.

Further, in Act 3, Scene 1, Macbeth refers to Banquo as "our chief guest" (3.1.11).  Such a statement seems complimentary, as though Banquo is the most important guest, but it actually has a meaning far different from the one Banquo understands.  He is the most important guest because he is the one most likely to pose a threat to Macbeth's reign.  His importance does not mean that he will be treated with honor; it will mean that he is most in danger.

Then, in Act 3, Scene 6, Lennox speaks to another lord about all the deaths of fathers and the flights of their sons, flights which seem to suggest the sons' guilt.  When speaking of Duncan's death, he says, "How it did grieve Macbeth! Did he not straight / In pious rage the two delinquents tear / That were the slaves of drink and thralls of sleep? / Was not that nobly done"(3.6.12-15).  He says that it seemed to "grieve" Macbeth so much, but he says it sarcastically.  He implies that Macbeth's grief was false.  Moreover, he calls Macbeth's murder of the chamberlains the result of his "pious rage," implying that it was no such thing.  It was not, as he says, "nobly done."  He knows that Macbeth is a tyrant and very much suspects that he is to blame for the murders of Duncan and Banquo.

Discuss the use of dramatic irony in Macbeth.

These are great examples.  The moment of irony I always enjoy is in the last act, when Malcolm and Macduff and old Siward, with their army, are closing in on the castle.  They're hacking down tree branches for cover, fulfilling the prophecy of a moving Birnan Wood on the way to Dunsinane Hill and thus demonstrating to the audience that, without a doubt, the other prochecies are not true.  While the forest is moving, Macbeth is shrugging off the armor someone brings him and bragging that he has nothing to fear.  We know better, and that's dramatic irony.

In the witches' first greeting to Macbeth, there is dramatic irony.  When they hail him as "Thane of Cawdor," Macbeth thinks this is a prediction, but in actuality King Duncan has already named him as such.  Only their remark "All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter" is a true prediction.

Dramatic irony (as other editors have noted) occurs when the audience knows more than the characters onstage, and as such, is a wonderful device to create suspense.  When an audience knows that a character is walking into a trap, the suspense is very high.

For me, most of the true suspenseful moments come in the early acts of the play.  Shakespeare does a great job of building the suspense through the murders of Duncan, Banquo and the surprise appearance of Banquo at the banquet.

A subtle, but very well developed, moment of dramatic irony and suspense is the beginning of Act II.  Just prior, at the end of Act I, Lady Macbeth has just convinced Macbeth that the murder will take place.  What will happen next?  The audience is on pins and needles.  Act II, scene i begins with Banquo and Fleance onstage.  They are joined by Macbeth, who enters, calling himself "A friend."  Though he has not yet plotted Banquo's murder (that we know of), this is a nice ironic touch by Shakespeare.  Banquo then goes on to emphatically describe how happy and content Duncan is to be housed by so gracious a host and hostess -- IRONY!

And, after telling Banquo that he has something he wants to discuss with him (again, possibly a moment that arouses the audience's ironic suspense as to what will happen next), Macbeth wishes Banquo "Good repose the while."  Also, IRONY.  Who will sleep well in the hours to come, what with all the murdering and knocking and shouting?

This scene is but one example of how dramatic irony can lead to a great sense of suspense in the expectations of the audience.

Dramatic irony occurs when the audience knows more than the characters.  The earliest example of dramatic is our knowledge that Macbeth has been named the new Thane of Cawdor before he knows it.  When Ross delivers the news to Macbeth, we are awaiting his reaction. We know that part of the witches' prophecy has come true. 

Later we know that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are plotting to kill Duncan.  Duncan upon riding to their castle comments on its pleasant air.  His statements are almost comical in light of the evil scheming being done within.  This dramatic irony ties in nicely with the appearance versus reality theme that governs the play. 

Another poignant example occurs in Act 4 with the death of Macduff's wife and children and servants.  We know long before Macduff is aware of it.  When Ross first declares to Macduff that his family is "at peace," the reader knows what that phrase really means.  We know the hearbreaking news that Ross will deliver to Macduff, and we dread, but watch with fascination, his resulting anguish.   

In which scenes is dramatic irony used in Macbeth?

A prime example of the play's dramatic irony can be found in Act I, Scene 6. Before this scene the audience has heard Macbeth's soliloquies about murdering the king. By now the audience would probably be on the edge of their seats, waiting for Macbeth to slip a dagger out of his pocket and run towards Duncan. To the part of the audience that would be expecting this, that scene would be much different than they would have imagined.

Act I, Scene 6, is set outside of Macbeth's castle, in broad daylight (unlike most of the scenes in the play). When Duncan arrives, he comments:

This castle hath a pleasant seat; the air
Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself
Unto our gentle senses. (I.6)

Banquo is quick to agree, and he comments on the nice birds in the sky. Lady Macbeth, in similar manner, has taken to graciously welcoming the guests. The scene ends with Duncan taking Lady Macbeth's hand, and allowing her to lead him into the castle of death to his murderer.

This scene is a prime example of irony because its real meaning is much different that it appears. Looking at the scene alone, one would conclude that Duncan and the Macbeths are good friends as well as cousins and that this is just another pleasant visit. In its context, this scene is nonetheless the beginning of Macbeth's murder spree, and so the sunlight, birds, and nice weather make the scene all the more ironic. In fact, this scene's dramatic irony is a key factor in molding the play's suspense.

What are two examples of dramatic irony in Macbeth?

Dramatic irony occurs when the audience or the reader knows something important that a character in a play does not know.

For instance, the first lines of Act 1, scene 6 present an excellent example of dramatic irony;  Duncan is commenting on the appearance of Macbeth's castle and says,

This castle hath a pleasant seat.  The air
Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself
Unto our gentle senses.

What is ironic about this is that Duncan thinks that Macbeth's castle is pleasantly inviting, but we, the audience, know that within the walls of this castle await Macbeth and Lady Macbeth who intend on murdering the king, so to the viewer of this scene, the castle is not pleasantly inviting, but instead one that is shrouded by gloomy clouds and vultures soaring above. It is a death trap.

Another excellent example of dramatic irony can be found in what the Porter says in Act II, scene iii. Macbeth has already murdered Duncan, and he hears a knocking at the "south entry" of the castle; he and Lady Macbeth go off to bed to "beguile the time." The Porter, unaware of what has occurred, goes to open the door, but what he says is extremely ironic, for he states that

If a man were porter of hell gate, he would have old turning the key.

What he means is that a man portering the gates would grow old opening it because so many people would be entering it. But what is extremely ironic is that the porter does know that he is symbolically portering the gates of hell, the hell that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have created by murdering King Duncan.

Now, see if you can find some on your own.

What is the dramatic irony in Macbeth?

Dramatic irony is a kind of irony that arises when there is some information that the reader or the audience knows but one or more characters in the play are completely unaware of. Use of such a literary technique produces a mixture of suspense, confusion and excitement as the readers or the audiences await certain things to happen based on the extra information they possess, but the reaction of the characters is sudden and unpredictable. William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is full of powerful rhetorical techniques, including dramatic irony. Let us look at a few examples.

In Act 1 Scene 3, Macbeth says he cannot be the Thane of Cawdor and gets surprised by what the witches tell him. He is not aware of the fact that the king has already decided to give him this position. This is a clear case of dramatic irony as there is disagreement between a character’s speech and actual events taking place in the play.

By Sinel's death I know I am Thane of Glamis;
But how of Cawdor? The Thane of Cawdor lives,

In Act 1 Scene 4, King Duncan considers Macbeth to be very trustworthy and loyal, but the audience already knows that Macbeth will betray the king.

There's no art
To find the mind's construction in the face:
He was a gentleman on whom I built
An absolute trust.

Another example is in Act 1 Scene 6 when Duncan says that he finds Macbeth’s castle a pleasant place and the air smells sweet and light.

This castle hath a pleasant seat; the air
Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself
Unto our gentle senses.

Discussion about the pleasantness of the place, beautiful weather, etc. is very ironic as the king Duncan isn’t aware of the violence and unpleasant events that will likely happen just after this. We know that because of the witch’s prophesies Macbeth plans to murder King Duncan and acquire his throne. It is from the soliloquies that Macbeth had just delivered, the audience clearly knows what no other character in the play, except Lady Macbeth, knows. Hence, audience is aware of Macbeth’s real intentions but the king isn’t.

In Act 4 Scene 1, the second apparition makes Macbeth believe that he cannot be killed.

The power of man, for none of woman born
Shall harm Macbeth.

But we know that there is something hidden from Macbeth here. He will be killed by Macduff, who was born by a caesarean section.

What are three examples of irony in the play Macbeth?

One of the ironies in the play is that Lady Macbeth convinced her husband to kill Duncan, and then committed suicide because of the guilt.

Irony is when the opposite of what you expect happens.

Lady Macbeth is a real go-getter.  She wants to get ahead in life, and the only way to do that is to help her husband get ahead.  Unfortunately, he does not seem to have much ambition.  When Macbeth tells her that three witches told him that he was going to be king, she latches on to that idea and convinces him to take it even if it isn’t given to him.

Macbeth is not convinced that killing the king and taking his spot is the best idea.  After all, the king has named his son Malcolm as successor, and he has another son too.  He tries to tell his wife it’s not a good idea for several reasons, but she disagrees.

MACBETH:
If we should fail?
LADY MACBETH:
We fail?
But screw your courage to the sticking-place,
And we'll not fail. (Act 1, Scene 7)

The irony is that while she is able to tell him every little detail of how to carry out the murder, she is not able to commit it herself.  She even chides her husband for taking the murder weapon with him, getting her hands bloody when she returns it.  As her husband becomes more and more delusional, Lady Macbeth beats him to the punch by completely losing it.

Out, damned spot! Out, I say! One–two—
why then ’tis time to do't. Hell is murky. Fie, my lord, fie!
A soldier, and afeard? What need we fear who knows it,
when none can call our power to account? ... (Act 5, Scene 1)

In her famous sleepwalking scene, Lady Macbeth struggles with her guilt in a literal way.  She imagines spots of blood on her hands that she can’t wash off.  These illusory spots are the vestiges of the real spots of blood she got on her hands when handling the murder weapon, but they represent her role in the murder.