Pathetic Fallacy, Paranoia, and Warfare
Examiners award the highest marks to students who use diegetic sound (sounds the characters hear, like knocking on a door) to create tension, and non-diegetic sound (sounds added for the audience, like a low bass rumble) to reveal Macbeth's internal paranoia. You must also use the term Pathetic Fallacy—where the weather (thunder and storms) reflects the evil and unnatural events happening on stage.
Every time the Witches appear, they are accompanied by violent storms. This is Pathetic Fallacy: nature itself is rebelling against their unnatural evil. Use heavy, distorted, non-diegetic thunderclaps layered with the high-pitched shrieking of wind. The volume should be overwhelmingly loud to immediately unsettle the audience and establish the supernatural threat.
Use these pre-structured sentences in your exam to instantly hit the top marking bands for sound design justification.
| Design Element (What) | Impact Justification (Why) | Key Terminology |
|---|---|---|
| Immediately following the murder, I would use a sharp, highly amplified, diegetic knocking sound coming from Downstage Left. | This sudden, percussive sound shatters the silence. It terrifies both the characters and the audience, visually and auditorily representing the outside world coming to discover Macbeth’s horrific sin. | Diegetic Sound Percussive Amplification Tension |