Why is Macbeth a Gothic play?

Typical Gothic features - murder, the supernatural, ghosts, witches, etc...The setting of the castle - pathetic fallacy. Similar to Wuthering Heights with the moor and the old house - common theme in 19th century literature. Exploration of dark, taboo themes. Lady Macbeth - rejecting motherhood. Regicide, potential familicide, etc...Exploration of the subconscious is crucial! Madness, nightmares - both seen in Macbeth. Terror vs horror - the dread of expectation vs revulsion.Subversion of the natural human order - sense that the natural world is somehow wrong. Reflected in the weather.Prophecy?The tragic fall of the hero - seen in Dr Faustus; although Gothic literature doesn't necessarily need to be tragic, it often is.Can find the student articles to read on the topic outside of tutoring hours - use of my research-based expertise to source them with helpful reading material. In the next session, they can then feed back on what they've read, as well as sending me any practice essays they have completed for me to talk them through and mark. Opportunity for any questions.

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Answered by Alexandra B. English Literature tutor

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