Emily Yen
AP Literature
Mrs. Wudel
October 1st, 2015
Macbeth: Light Versus Darkness In the Tragedy of Macbeth, Shakespeare uses the idea of imagery to pursue his thought on Light and Darkness. The entire play revolves around events and the clash between what light and dark truly symbolize.The way that light and dark are represented are within the characters. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth would represent darkness. Banquo and King Duncan serves as a foil to Macbeth, both representing light. The play starts out with the three witches making a prediction. The imagery Shakespeare used in the play to describe darkness within the witches was when the witches were making the prediction, the scene had lightning and thunder. Shakespeare uses this imagery …show more content…
The doctor knows that he cannot do anything for her. He watches her when she sleepwalks and asks how Lady Macbeth got the light she is carrying. The gentlewoman replies, “Why, it stood by her: she has light by her continually, tis her command.” Lady Macbeth knows that she has done something wrong, but fears of the darkness within her. As a result, Lady Macbeth has a hard time sleeping and fears of the consequences of her actions. Because she fears of the darkness that comes from her bad deeds, she wants to have a light kept by her at all times. She knows that she lives in darkness, and tries to use the light to keep her guilt away. Thus, Lady Macbeth to bring the light back into her life.
There is very little light to be seen, since darkness mainly overtakes most of the play. Light does not really show until the end of the play when Macbeth’s final fate brings to his death. Light symbolizes what little good that is present. At the start of the play, King Duncan is the symbol of light. He is a good, noble King who does his job rightfully until his death. When King Duncan is murdered, that is when darkness truly enters the play. Once the darkness takes control, the play soon becomes about covering the darkness up or trying to get rid of
AP Literature
Mrs. Wudel
October 1st, 2015
Macbeth: Light Versus Darkness In the Tragedy of Macbeth, Shakespeare uses the idea of imagery to pursue his thought on Light and Darkness. The entire play revolves around events and the clash between what light and dark truly symbolize.The way that light and dark are represented are within the characters. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth would represent darkness. Banquo and King Duncan serves as a foil to Macbeth, both representing light. The play starts out with the three witches making a prediction. The imagery Shakespeare used in the play to describe darkness within the witches was when the witches were making the prediction, the scene had lightning and thunder. Shakespeare uses this imagery …show more content…
The doctor knows that he cannot do anything for her. He watches her when she sleepwalks and asks how Lady Macbeth got the light she is carrying. The gentlewoman replies, “Why, it stood by her: she has light by her continually, tis her command.” Lady Macbeth knows that she has done something wrong, but fears of the darkness within her. As a result, Lady Macbeth has a hard time sleeping and fears of the consequences of her actions. Because she fears of the darkness that comes from her bad deeds, she wants to have a light kept by her at all times. She knows that she lives in darkness, and tries to use the light to keep her guilt away. Thus, Lady Macbeth to bring the light back into her life.
There is very little light to be seen, since darkness mainly overtakes most of the play. Light does not really show until the end of the play when Macbeth’s final fate brings to his death. Light symbolizes what little good that is present. At the start of the play, King Duncan is the symbol of light. He is a good, noble King who does his job rightfully until his death. When King Duncan is murdered, that is when darkness truly enters the play. Once the darkness takes control, the play soon becomes about covering the darkness up or trying to get rid of