Recurring motifs of ‘nothing’ and ‘never’ in both works suggest the insoluble cycle of madness. In The Raven, the mysterious raven flies in to the speaker’s room and replies, “nevermore” to whatever the speaker says. The bereaved speaker immerses in the concept of mortality after Lenore’s death; the speaker asks, “Is there- is there balm in Gilead? –tell me- tell me, I implore!” (CIT). The biblical allusion to ‘balm in Gilead’ suggests the speaker’s desperate desire for a relief from his pain. To no surprise, the raven quotes “nevermore”, implying the perpetuation of his grief. This refrain continues, and the speaker becomes infuriated with the implication that he will ‘nevermore’ meet Lenore or get over his grief. The seemingly endless road
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While Macbeth ponders about the possibility of murdering king Duncan, he says, “Nothing is, but what is not” (CIT). This equivocation suggests the ambiguous boundary between reality and fantasy. Madness can derive from an inability to distinguish reality from fantasy; enticing fantasies can lure one to do preposterous things – for Macbeth it was murder – as reality entails consequences for actions unlike fantasies. Even after Macbeth murders king Duncan he says, “to be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus” (CIT). Macbeth believes that without a sense of security, his kingship means nothing. The fact that a murder can mean ‘nothing’ unless the position is secured implies the endless cycle of murder; although Macbeth killed Duncan to rise to the throne, he then murders Banquo in fear of losing his position, and the cycle continues. Through this ghastly cycle of deaths, madness pervades Macbeth as he gets engulfed by guilt. ‘Nothing’ and ‘nevermore’ reappear throughout the two works, indicating the never-ending cycle of …show more content…
The speaker in The Raven is conversing with a bird, an unrealistic situation involving pathetic fallacy. While the speaker is sitting on his sofa, puzzling over the raven, he realizes that, “whose velvet violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o’er, She shall press, ah, nevermore!” (CIT). In this line containing alliterations, it is clear that the speaker is aware that he will never meet Lenore. However, he still says to the raven, “Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn, /It shall clasp a sainted maiden who the angels name Lenore” (CIT). Despite the fact that the speaker already knows the answer to his questions, he still persists in asking about Lenore. There is a sense of self-torture in the speaker’s questions, and it becomes clear that the speaker needed an outlet for his overwhelming grief. The raven provides a chance for the speaker to express his deep-rooted emotions, and is an embodiment of the speaker’s fear and unstable mind. Similarly in Macbeth, Macbeth sees a ghost of Banquo at the banqueting hall after murdering Banquo. When Macbeth notices the ghost, he says, “Avaunt and quit my sight! Let the earth hide thee! / Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold;” (3,4,93-94). After the murder of Banquo, Macbeth is seized by guilt and is under constant pressure to secure his newly obtained power. His internal
While Macbeth ponders about the possibility of murdering king Duncan, he says, “Nothing is, but what is not” (CIT). This equivocation suggests the ambiguous boundary between reality and fantasy. Madness can derive from an inability to distinguish reality from fantasy; enticing fantasies can lure one to do preposterous things – for Macbeth it was murder – as reality entails consequences for actions unlike fantasies. Even after Macbeth murders king Duncan he says, “to be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus” (CIT). Macbeth believes that without a sense of security, his kingship means nothing. The fact that a murder can mean ‘nothing’ unless the position is secured implies the endless cycle of murder; although Macbeth killed Duncan to rise to the throne, he then murders Banquo in fear of losing his position, and the cycle continues. Through this ghastly cycle of deaths, madness pervades Macbeth as he gets engulfed by guilt. ‘Nothing’ and ‘nevermore’ reappear throughout the two works, indicating the never-ending cycle of …show more content…
The speaker in The Raven is conversing with a bird, an unrealistic situation involving pathetic fallacy. While the speaker is sitting on his sofa, puzzling over the raven, he realizes that, “whose velvet violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o’er, She shall press, ah, nevermore!” (CIT). In this line containing alliterations, it is clear that the speaker is aware that he will never meet Lenore. However, he still says to the raven, “Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn, /It shall clasp a sainted maiden who the angels name Lenore” (CIT). Despite the fact that the speaker already knows the answer to his questions, he still persists in asking about Lenore. There is a sense of self-torture in the speaker’s questions, and it becomes clear that the speaker needed an outlet for his overwhelming grief. The raven provides a chance for the speaker to express his deep-rooted emotions, and is an embodiment of the speaker’s fear and unstable mind. Similarly in Macbeth, Macbeth sees a ghost of Banquo at the banqueting hall after murdering Banquo. When Macbeth notices the ghost, he says, “Avaunt and quit my sight! Let the earth hide thee! / Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold;” (3,4,93-94). After the murder of Banquo, Macbeth is seized by guilt and is under constant pressure to secure his newly obtained power. His internal