In William Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, he uses symbolism, similes, and irony to show the effects of giving into temptations and how having power affects Lady Macbeth as well as Macbeth.
Intro:
The symbolism of light and darkness are throughout this play. Light corresponds to good as well as life and God, while darkness suggests something bad is about to happen. In Act 1 the darkness or night is mentioned when something terrible is about to happen. Right before Lady Macbeth is about to kill the sleeping King in Act 1, scene 5, she asks the “thick night” to accompany the “dunnest smoke of hell”. (57-58) The actual darkness she calls upon coincides with the horrible action she is going to commit. Lady Macbeth cries for the murderous spirits to impede "heaven" from "peeping through the blanket of the dark to cry 'Hold, Hold! '" (60-61) She suggests that the light is related to God or heaven or goodness and that is what will offer her protection from the evil. She might even be …show more content…
Furthermore, there is a great deal of imagined blood. In Act 2, Scene 1, as Macbeth is considering actually killing Duncan, he suddenly sees a “dagger of the mind” which he thinks is a “false creation”. (2.1, 50) It then shows him the way to the king’s room where Duncan is sleeping. As Macbeth begins to wonder if the image of the dagger is of his imagination, the dagger becomes coated with imaginary blood. The same way real daggers are tainted when used, and the same way Macbeth’s dagger will be after Duncan’s murder is performed. Even after Macbeth kills Duncan, In scene 2, act 2, he deems that “Great Neptune’s ocean” could not wash away the guilt he felt. At one point, Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth to “go get some water and wash this filthy witness” (78 & 60) During the last scenes of Lady Macbeth’s life she imagines seeing a ‘spot’ of blood but she can not seem to get the guilt off of her
Intro:
The symbolism of light and darkness are throughout this play. Light corresponds to good as well as life and God, while darkness suggests something bad is about to happen. In Act 1 the darkness or night is mentioned when something terrible is about to happen. Right before Lady Macbeth is about to kill the sleeping King in Act 1, scene 5, she asks the “thick night” to accompany the “dunnest smoke of hell”. (57-58) The actual darkness she calls upon coincides with the horrible action she is going to commit. Lady Macbeth cries for the murderous spirits to impede "heaven" from "peeping through the blanket of the dark to cry 'Hold, Hold! '" (60-61) She suggests that the light is related to God or heaven or goodness and that is what will offer her protection from the evil. She might even be …show more content…
Furthermore, there is a great deal of imagined blood. In Act 2, Scene 1, as Macbeth is considering actually killing Duncan, he suddenly sees a “dagger of the mind” which he thinks is a “false creation”. (2.1, 50) It then shows him the way to the king’s room where Duncan is sleeping. As Macbeth begins to wonder if the image of the dagger is of his imagination, the dagger becomes coated with imaginary blood. The same way real daggers are tainted when used, and the same way Macbeth’s dagger will be after Duncan’s murder is performed. Even after Macbeth kills Duncan, In scene 2, act 2, he deems that “Great Neptune’s ocean” could not wash away the guilt he felt. At one point, Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth to “go get some water and wash this filthy witness” (78 & 60) During the last scenes of Lady Macbeth’s life she imagines seeing a ‘spot’ of blood but she can not seem to get the guilt off of her