Significance Of Darkness In Macbeth

Demise from the Darkness “Darkness in our society is indicative of evil” (Malas 3). Shakespeare conveys this idea through many of his works and would even argue that darkness can drive people to absolute madness. Darkness is a symbol for heinous acts and this symbol is evident in the real world as well as in literature. Two of Shakespeare’s most famous plays, Macbeth and Hamlet have darkness as a main theme and both show that darkness can drive characters directly to insanity. Shakespeare makes strong claims with these instances as he portrays the women to be the ones that are consumed by darkness and prone to insanity. Macbeth is abundant in darkness and revenge. This darkness is a symbol for evil, which leads to Macbeth committing the murder of Duncan and having Banquo murdered. The evil is the cause of Malcolm attempting to avenge his father’s death by getting revenge on Macbeth. The darkness takes a toll on many character’s and specifically leads to Lady Macbeth’s unstableness and death. Darkness is a common theme in Macbeth as it is when Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking takes place, the murders …show more content…
Shakespeare perfectly explains this idea of the negative connotation that darkness has through two of his well known plays, Macbeth and Hamlet. Many of the main characters are drawn to commit dark actions such as murder or revenge, but the women are portrayed to take the evil in a different way. Lady Macbeth and Ophelia are brought to their deaths by the insanity influenced by the darkness. Shakespeare effectively conveys his view of women through these stories and shows the sheer impact that dark actions can have on a person. Evil is a powerful force that affects everything in its path and corrupts those directly involved with it if not handled properly. Shakespeare’s tragedies are a warning to this idea and show that demise truly can come out of the