| Date: | April 8, 2006 12:28 pm |
| Subject: | English | | Keywords: | macbeth shakespeare, imagery, shakespearean tragedy, garments, atmosphere, crucial, belonging, disguises, blackness, wretched, mould, dagger, robes, witches, guilt | | Word Count: | 510 | | Page Count: | 3 |
Macbeth: Imagery
In his plays, Shakespeare uses many forms of imagery. Many forms
of his imagery are used in his play `Macbeth,' including the forms
of clothing and darkness. Each detail in his imagery, it seems to
me, contains an important symbol of the play, and symbols that we
must understand if we are to understand either the passage it is
in, or the play as a whole.
In `Macbeth' I think that the imagery of clothing is used to
suggest that throughout the play, Macbeth is seeking to hide his
"disgraceful self" from his eyes and from others. I think that
Shakespeare wants to keep alive the ironical contrast between the
wretched creature that Macbeth really is and the disguises he
assumes to conceal the fact. Secondly, I think that in the play
honours are thought of as garments to be worn; likewise, Macbeth
is constantly represented symbolically as the wearer of robes not
belonging to him. He is wearing an "undeserved dignity." A crucial
point in describing the purpose of clothing in `Macbeth' is the
fact that these are not his garments. Therefore, Macbeth is
uncomfortable in them because he is continually conscious of the
fact that they do not belong to him. In the following passage, the
idea constantly recurs that Macbeth's new honours sit ill upon
him, like a loose and badly fitting garment, belonging to someone
else:
New honours come upon him,
Like our strange garments, cleave not to their mould,
But with the aid of use.
(1.3.144)
The second, most important chain of imagery used to add to the
atmosphere is that of the imagery of darkness. In a Shakespearean
tragedy a special tone, or atmosphere must be created to show the
darkness and blackness in a tragedy. In Macbeth, Shakespeare uses
the design of the witches, the guilt in Macbeth's soul, and the
darkness of the night to establish the atmosphere. All of the
remarkable scenes take place at night or in some dark spot; for
instance, the vision of the dagger, the murder of Duncan, the
murder of Banquo, and Lady Macbeth's sleep-walking, all occur at
night. Darkness is the time when the traveller hastens to reach
safety in his inn, when Banquo rides homeward to meet his
assassins; furthermore, it is the time when the wolf howls, the
owl screams, and when murder steals forth to his work.
In `Macbeth' I think the darkness symbolizes many things. First,
and most importantly, it stands for the evil and death in the
play. The darkness could partially blind out all of the horrible
things that occur in the night. For, only in darkness can such
evil deeds be done. Secondly, the darkness shows one of Lady
Macbeth's weaknesses: her fear of the dark. In the play, phrases
of fear escape from her lips even in sleep. She believes darkness
to be the place of torment.
In the whole drama, the sun seems to shine only twice. First, in
the beautiful but ironical passage when Duncan sees the swallows
flirting round the castle of death. Next, when at the close the
avenging army gathers to rid the earth of its shame. Therefore; I
can conclude that darkness is used to establish the evil parts of
the play; whereas, daylight is used to establish victory or
goodness in a play.
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