Caroline Spurgeon Macbeth Imagery

Macbeth is the ultimate story of a fight between the forces of good and evil. It tells the tale of a tragic hero whose quest for power leads to his ultimate downfall. Macbeth starts out as an honorable warrior but changes when his ambition becomes uncontrollable. As he becomes increasingly paranoid, Macbeth uses violent means to eliminate threats to his Scottish throne. As the play progresses, blood continuously plays a part in the events as the murders become more frequent. William Shakespeare, the author of Macbeth, uses blood imagery to develop Macbeth’s character, create a foil in between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth and to symbolize honor and guilt.

Shakespeare employs a great deal of imagery to depict certain situations, for example he uses the image of blood many times. At this stage in the play Lady Macbeth is confident while Macbeth is subject to frightened loyalty. However, what Macbeth fears is evil of committing the evil deed rather than the evil deed itself. It is al this stage that one can first realise a chink of humanity in the originally confident and cold lady Macbeth. The murder has just been committed and Lady Macbeth relates to Macbeth how the assassinated Duncan appeared to her. “Ha he not resembled My father as he slept, I had done’t.” Suddenly through the hard exterior that Lady Macbeth possesses, she sees her father as the old man lying murdered on the

In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, imagery is used to set the tone of a passage, provide contrast and irony to scenes, and help to display character. Shakespeare applies the imagery of clothing, darkness, and blood in an exceptional manner to describe his play. Each one of these is an important symbol used throughout the play. They add to a complete understanding of a passage or the play as a whole.

    In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the repercussions of Macbeth murdering his King are very numerous. Through themes that include, imagery, soliloquies, atmosphere, and supernatural beings, Shakespeare enforces the magnitude of Macbeth’s crime. Most of these factors are linked together.

In Macbeth, Shakespeare sets the themes of seduction, ambition, and deception amid a correlating backdrop, whether you are giving chase on a battlefield, standing in foul weather, or seeing apparitions of bloody daggers we sense danger from the opening act. The play commences with ominous

Imagery is a way to amplify theme in Macbeth by William Shakespeare. It portrays many different themes in the play. Imagery is used in many different ways, such as blood, animals and, light and dark.

In William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth evil is conveyed in many ways through characters, themes and settings. Many themes are explored in detail contributing hugely to the sense of evil with characters being used along with these themes to create evil within the characters. These themes and characters are shown in different settings at different times consequently affecting the mood and atmosphere of the play.

Blood – the colour, the smell, and texture – is vital to life, yet shocking to see. The Shakespearean play Macbeth is a story filled with much blood and bloody descriptions which give the audience an understanding of the consequences for one’s actions. But what surpasses the physical blood in the story is the imaginary blood which represents the guilt felt by Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. As their guilt grows, so does the importance of the blood. Throughout Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, more than physical blood, imaginary blood shows the guilty conscience and changing feelings of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.

Imagery should evoke all senses in the audience or reader. It is for this reason that Shakespeare uses blood imagery in Macbeth. Using this method, Shakespeare reveals the transformation of the tragedy’s main characters and evokes varying emotional responses from the audience. This imagery also intensifies the excitement and enhances the treachery of the crimes. The blood imagery in Macbeth is significant for several reasons. Primarily, it signifies that the essence of the victims’ life has left; and, as such, it symbolizes the loss of true humanness in Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, who share responsibility for the murders. For, in shedding the blood of the god-like Duncan and the good Banquo, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth become stained with the sin of their bloody deeds. Finally, with so much imagery of blood, the horror of Macbeth’s heinous deeds leaves a lasting effect upon

Natural Imagery is first used in “Macbeth” to show character development and a morbid theme. This is displayed when Macbeth and

     In the play ‘Macbeth’, Shakespeare uses brutal imagery, with association of blood.  The mood of disgust and horror towards the characters and setting is established by the references to the universal representation of death and pain. The first mention of blood seems to establish a sense of honor. The second mention of blood seems to communicate betrayal.  Lastly the third allusion of blood appears to establish a sense of guilt All of these images of blood help develop the atmosphere and scene and contribute to the over all drama of the play.

Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s most mystifying plays and is a study of human nature. The theme of appearance versus reality is apparent in Macbeth. It’s filled with numerous, notable, and significant scenes, including when King Duncan visits the Macbeth’s home, Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking scene, and Macbeth’s dagger soliloquy. They provide raw, psychological insight into the character of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, showcasing the differing characteristics between the two characters. A quote that has developed synonym with Macbeth is, “Fair is foul and foul is fair” (1.1.11) which introduces deceptiveness, debut, and one of the most important themes of this tragedy, appearance versus reality. Shakespeare uses numerous characters and situations to emphasize the confusion between appearance and reality, the real and the surreal, the legitimate and the imposturous. Emphasized in these scenes and throughout the play, Shakespeare successfully portrays the misalignment between appearance and reality.

The most interesting aspect of Macbeth’s character is that it is flawed. The audience can identify with his human frailties. Despite the fact that Macbeth commits evil and is drawn to the successes he thinks evil can provide him, one can tell he has goodness in him. Shakespeare reveals Macbeth’s moral development through the use of symbolism in the soliloquys which portray

Drawing Analysis My drawing portrays the theme of appearance versus reality, which is central to the play Macbeth. As Lady Macbeth says, “Look like the innocent flower, But be the serpent under it” (1.5.72-73). Lady Macbeth is telling her husband to that he should appear completely harmless and innocent, but he should be prepared to strike like a venomous snake hiding behind flowers. Macbeth must act and appear the way everyone expects him to look, noble, innocent and the loyal subject of King Duncan while hiding his true intentions so that no one will ever suspect him for committing a regicide.

In all of Shakespeare's plays he uses many forms of imagery. Imagery is the art of making images, the products of imagination. In the play 'Macbeth' Shakespeare applies the imagery of clothing, darkness and blood. Each detail is his imagery, seems to contain an important symbol of the play, symbols that the audience must understand if they are to interpret either a passage or the play as a whole.