Question

Macbeth is talking to the doctor who is treating Lady Macbeth.

Macbeth: "How does your patient, doctor?"
Doctor: "[A long pause as he considers what to say. Macbeth glances down in silence.] Not so sick, my lord, as she is troubled with thick coming fancies, that keep her from her rest." –The Tragedy of Macbeth, William Shakespeare
What does this stage direction most contribute to the scene?
a. A frustrated tone
b. A confident mood
c. A sense of optimism
d. A discouraged feeling

Answer 1

The long pause indicated in the stage directions suggests the doctor's hesitance and forebodes a discouraged feeling, emphasizing the gravity of Lady Macbeth's mental disturbance and the play's somber mood.

Step-by-step explanation:

The stage direction you're referring to in The Tragedy of Macbeth most contributes a discouraged feeling to the scene. The doctor's hesitation, represented by the long pause before responding to Macbeth, implies he is uncertain about what to say regarding Lady Macbeth's condition. This pause creates a somber atmosphere as the doctor contemplates how to convey that Lady Macbeth is more mentally anguished by her guilt and paranoia than physically ill. It underscores the hopeless state she is in, which can neither be cured by medicine nor easily explained. This adds to the overall mood of despair and impotence that permeates the end of the play.