Macbeth: Serpentine Imagery Essay

In act three, scene one, lines 65-70, Macbeth said “For Banquo’s issue I have filed my Mind [...] the seeds of Banquo’s kings.” Macbeth’s statement shows how he wants to murder

    In the third scene of the first act, Banquo** asks, "...have we eaten on the insane root that takes the reason prisoner?" in response to the witches' prophecies.  Banquo is partly right in the assumption that Macbeth's mind is not pure.  When Macbeth says "The Prince of Cumberland!  That is a step/ On which I must fall down, or else o'erleap" (Act 1, Scene 4, 48-49), we see that Macbeth may have already the idea of killing Duncan.  Macbeth's ultimate goal is to become king; he does this with a certain amount of ease, but the process somehow awakens his tragic flaw, the ruthlessness with which he destroys his own reign.  After he kills the dead king's servents, his targets are Banquo and Fleance, who have heard or are involved in the third prophecy.  Macbeth sends the three murderers who stab the famous dying words out of Banquo's mouth: "Fly, good Fleance, fly, fly, fly! (Act 3, Scene 3, 17).  Macbeth must crush dissent  he kills Macduff's wife and children.  Macbeth's reign of non-stop killing erodes Scotland's confidence in him and he has no chance

Prior to the assassination, Macbeth explains to the two murderers that he has to keep in good relations with the people around him. "And something from the palace (always thought / that I require a clearness), and with him, / to leave no rubs nor botches in the work" (3.1.131-133). He needs to have the murder take place away from his castle. The scene following the murder of Banquo, the two murderers inform Macbeth of Fleance escaping. When Macbeth learns this knowledge, it seems to shock him and surprise him. Macbeth exclaims in response to hearing the news, "Thanks for that! There the grown serpent lies; the worm that's fled hath / nature that in time will venom breed, no teeth for the present" (3.4.30-33).

However, the serpent, to which Lady Macbeth metaphorically speaks of in act one scene five, is not only these evil desires of Macbeth. It also represents the threat that Macbeth possesses to Duncan.

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.

When Macbeth is starting to crave power, he decides that he needs to kill King Duncan. His wife, Lady Macbeth suggests, " Look like th'innocent/ Flower,/ But be the serpent under't"(I.vi.76-78). Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth to be deceitful to get rid of King Duncan, while Macbeth does not want to kill him at this point. The snake is how Macbeth will solve his problem, for he needs to be the snake himself. He needs to be the snake who will get himself to power. Although, Macbeth problems only go deeper from there. Macbeth's best friends Banquo is a part of a prophecy stating that his children will be kings. With Macbeth's power on the line he feels, "we have scorched the snake, not killed it."(III.ii.15). He hopes his problems will be solved once he kills Duncan, except his problems, carries on to Banquo. After Macbeth Gains power he does not want to lose that power so he decides to kill Banquo and his son. At this moment, Macbeth who is lusting for power believes the treacherous snake is now holding him back from the power which Macbeth feels is his. This is a development in Macbeth’s ideology, for now, he is no longer the snake trying to get power, rather he is fighting the snake. He feels less treacherous and he is starting to lose the morals which once held him back. The murder, however, does not go as he has planned and only Banquo is dead, leading

Shakespeare is unarguably famous for his creative and vivid use of imagery in his acclaimed plays. Animal imagery is one literary device he uses often to develop theme and characterize individuals in his plays. One of his most prominent tragedies, Macbeth, contains many examples of animal imagery, most of which characterizes Macbeth himself. Animal imagery at the beginning of the tragedy, such as the comparison of Macbeth to an eagle and a lion, characterize him as loyal, brave, and honorable. As the play develops, however, the animal imagery used, like a predatory bird and a ferocious beast, begins to characterize him as power hungry, violent, and truly inhumane. In his tragedy Macbeth, William Shakespeare uses animal imagery to reflect

On the night MACBETH brutally kills the King of Scotland, Banquo fearful of his own 'cursed thoughts' observes that:

There are many cases in which diction is used to help align the reader with Hamlet and the Ghost in their contempt for Claudius and the Queen. For instance, “a serpent stung me . . . the serpent that did sting thy father's life now wears his crown!” uses diction to allow the reader to feel contempt towards Claudius in particular. The use of the word "serpent" instead of Claudius's name associates him with a serpent's connotation of evil. Ultimately, the evil associated with the snake is an allusion to the Bible.

Macbeth fears Banquo’s descendents will take his kingship. He thinks that Banquo should be murdered to stop it from happening, “And though I could / With barefaced power sweep him from my sight / And bid my will avouch it” (3.1.134-136). In the quote, Macbeth is says that he would kill Banquo and offer his desire for Banquo’s death as sufficient justification for killing him (Shakespeare 88). Macbeth does not murder Banquo but cons murderers into committing the violence. Macbeth is not thinking clearly though because he would know that violence only breeds more violence. The murderers kill Banquo and further continue the

In Mary Oliver’s poem “The Black Snake,” the narrator contemplates the cycle of life with the unpredictability of death. Mary Oliver’s work is “known for its natural themes and a continual affirmation of nature as a place of mystery and spirituality that holds the power to teach humans how to value one’s life and one’s place” (Riley). In the poem, The Black Snake, the narrator witnesses a black snake hit by a truck and killed on a road one morning. Feeling sympathy for the snake, the narrator stops, and removes the dead snake from the road. Noting the snake’s beauty, the narrator carries it from the road to some nearby bushes. Continuing to drive, the narrator reflects on how the abruptness of death ultimately revealed how the

Point #4- Macbeth planning to kill Banquo: Quote: “I wish your horses swift, and sure foot- and so I do commend you to their backs. Farewell. Let every man be master of his time till seven at night- To make society the sweeter welcome, we will keep yourself till supper-time alone- While then, god be with you”- Macbeth. (Act 3 Scene 1).

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 highly acclaimed play called Macbeth often uses many literary devices and imagery to come to a conclusion about a topic. One of the frequent uses of imagery in this play is the imagery of sleep and death. Shakespeare often uses the sleep and death imagery to set a tense and eerie tone in the play. This is seen in the actions of Lady Macbeth in act 5 of the play, the actions of the character Macbeth, and the scene of and following Duncan’s death.