How Does Shakespeare Use Metaphors In Macbeth

Macbeth's solution of killing his current problem finalizes his actions of immorality as well as his foil found in Banquo. Even after his death, Banquo is able to keep his integrity and use it to punish, or even remind, Macbeth of his moral supremacy. Banquo returns, as a ?horrible shadow,? to haunt Macbeth at a feast and successfully does so to the point of 'unreal mock'ry' (III.iv), certainly driving Macbeth?s darkness into a phase of decay, leading to further irrationality. This continued irrationality is the cause of yet another stockpile of dead bodies, revealing Macbeth?s inability to cope in his dark

In this soliloquy we learn of Macbeth's internal fight to follow the supernatural promises he has been given and murder Duncan. Macbeth question himself and his true intentions. The plot continues with Macbeth continuing to question his true intentions and is frozen at times at the thought of murdering Duncan.”Shakes so my single state of man that function Is smother'd in surmise”. Imagery is used to connect the reader with feelings of nervousness and fearfulness.

Audience becomes aware of Macbeth’s corruption when he plans to kill his ‘friend’, Banquo. He describes him as “dispatched” (3.4.15), and later as “safe” (3.4.25). This positions the audience to feel as though Macbeth is somewhat desperate to convince himself that he has acted appropriately despite using corrupt power. Using this stylistic device of language further demonstrates that Macbeth has now been corrupted to the extent that he longer feels compassion for his former companions. This ultimately establishes the representation that Macbeth’s illegitimate power has directly resulted in his destructive nature.

Instead of being leary about his promised future like Banquo, Macbeth becomes bloodthirsty and desperate for the throne. By not thinking through his choices and failing to take reason and logic into consideration, Macbeth begins to change his own morals without even knowing

Words are powerful. They can express thoughts. They can manipulate. They can drive a man to commit murder. In Shakespeare's Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, through her eloquent diction and rhetoric, compels Macbeth to murder anyone in his way to becoming king. An idea that was once abstract and theoretical becomes a reality.

Act 1, Scene 7 of Macbeth opens with an aside from Macbeth himself. He discusses the upcoming murder of Duncan, and through Shakespeare’s diction he shows that Macbeth is clearly aware of evil, is knowledgeable about the consequences that the murder would create (Discusses consequences from lines 1 to 10), and the depths of his dark desires (Lines 6 to 7 states that he would risk eternal damnation to be king). Lines 8 to 9 are the first of many lines to link blood to guilt and cosmic retribution. Blood is a recurring motif throughout the play. The mention of the ‘poisoned chalice’ in line 11 foreshadows Duncan’s murder and is one of many murder-weapon mentions. In Macbeth’s aside metaphors are strongly used to create a stronger effect on the reader; in lines 25 to 28 Shakespeare uses horse metaphors to represent Macbeth’s ambitions and its effects.

Throughout the play “Macbeth” Shakespeare uses multiple examples of strong diction, paradox, metaphors, and imagery to demonstrate the theme that fate is inevitable. These examples also help emphasize that the witches are in control of Macbeth's severe and hostile actions throughout the tragic play. Without the witches prophecies the idea of murder would have never crossed Macbeth’s mind. After the witches informed Macbeth that he would soon become king he was willed to do anything to make sure this bizarre prophecy would come true.

The tragic hero’s downfall can easily be paralleled against the idea of darkness encompassing the haunting and negative tolls taken on Macbeth due to bloodshed and fear. Toward the beginning of the play, Macbeth asks, “Let not light see my black and deep desires” (1.4.53). By this, Macbeth is begging that the stars and light be gone in order to disguise his true desires of power, bloodlust, and murder. Shakespeare uses darkness throughout the play to illustrate Macbeth’s inner turmoil, but uses light to depict Banquo’s inner peace, thus making them foils. Banquo is in desperation for lightness when stating, “Hold, take my sword. There’s husbandry in heaven;/ Their candles are all out” (2.1.4-5), unlike Macbeth who is desperate for complete darkness. The pair’s requests mirror the depths of their true personalities of Banquo’s good verses Macbeth’s evil. In a critical article, L.C. Knights determined that “The main theme of the reversal of values is given out simply and clearly in the first scene—’Fair is foul, and foul is fair’; and with it are associated premonitions of the conflict, disorder and moral darkness into which Macbeth will plunge himself.”(Knights). This analysis of the characters’ shifts in personality traits and points of views is supported numerous times within examples of Shakespeare’s darkness imagery. The blurred line between what

All of these lines compare Macbeth to something in nature. Lady Macbeth’s line says that Macbeth needs to look like a flower but really be a snake deep down. She is saying he needs to look as sweet and innocent as a flower but truely be a snake. The lines from the King and Banquo are talking about Macbeth’s castle. How peaceful and lovely it is. This is symbolism of how Macbeth appears. He looks

Shakespeare’s use of assonance accentuates Macbeth’s hesitance to kill Duncan, emphasizing the layered metaphors which illustrate the wheel of Fortune. Through his metaphors of how the pupil will turn against his teacher, the monster will attack its creator, shakespeare “Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return / To plague th' inventor: this even-handed justice / Commends the ingredients of our poisoned chalice / To our own lips,” (1,7,9-12). The pupil will turn against his teacher, the monster will attack its creator. The repetition of the initial vowel sounds leads to quick shapes between metaphors. This rapid change of pace also exemplifies how quickly the tides may shift in the play. The wheel of fortune is subjected to turn quicker than both Macbeth and maybe Macbeth expected. In short, Macbeth’s hesitance to kill Duncan meshed with how the wheel of fortune, are the outcomes of Shakespeare’s deliberate use assonance with metaphor.

Recalling the stereotype associated with witches, one can understand why the witches speak and act the way they do in the play, Macbeth. The character of the witches can be explored through their peculiar use of language. While they do not speak in iambic pentameter, the use of 10-11 syllables per line which indicates high status, they speak in trochaic tetrameter; each line is made up of seven syllables. This creates a sinister atmosphere. The three witches use prose as their language lacks rhythmic structure. Together with short and quick rhythm, rhyme is evident in their words, “When shall we three meet again/ In thunder, lightning or in rain?” From this quote one can grasp that the witches speak abnormally and cryptically. A paradox, a statement that contradicts itself, is also highlighted in their speech: “Fair is foul, and foul is fair”; the reader understands that this is an indication of things changing and bad things occurring. “When the battle’s lost and won”; in a battle, it is either announced that one has won or lost, but in the previous quote, it makes mention of both winning and losing. “But in a sieve I’ll thither sail”; a sieve has holes and is used to separate solids from liquid. One cannot sail in something with holes. “And, like a rat without a tail”; like a human is born with ears, a rat is born with a tail. Rats do not exist

The highly-acclaimed playwright, William Shakespeare, is notorious for his frequent use of symbols and imagery in his works of literature. Shakespeare’s Macbeth poses as another one of his works of literature in which symbolism and imagery is prominent. In particular, act two, scene one, the scene in which Macbeth proceeds to murder King Duncan, includes the recurring symbols of the “Three Weird Sisters” and the floating dagger. Additionally, the use of imagery is prominent in Shakespeare’s ability to touch on images of darkness and blood. Taking a closer look at the character of Macbeth, it is evident that his actions are a result of his id, ego, and supergo—an idea premised on the theory of psychoanalytic criticism. Through these perspectives, both the audience and readers alike develop a more educated understanding of Macbeth.

Macbeth now first questions Banquo's on his feelings about his descendants becoming kings and then starts thinking of killing King Duncan to make prophecy fact but later hopes fate alone will spare him the need to kill...

Shakespeare never fails to stun an audience with a complex yet entertaining character. His play of Macbeth is no exception. One might judge Macbeth to be the valiant hero of the play, to the audiences surprise and bewilderment, he is also the villain. To create such a character requires an unparalleled plot and great writing skill. Macbeth’s character is expressed in a way that relates to the audience. His moral transformation from valiant to vile, his moral hesitation and his torturing conscience are all elements that condemn Macbeth but at the same time evoke the audience’s sympathy.