Motifs Of Animals In Macbeth

There are many different themes displayed in Shakespeare's famous play Macbeth. Many of these themes play with nature, the supernatural, and fate. From ghosts to horses eating each other the play uses symbolism, language, and characters to portray these themes. During the play the audience learns of several themes such as ambition, guilt, fate versus free will, nature versus the unnatural, and how things are not always as they seem.

Machiavelli uses imagery/ symbolism to show animals being certain characteristics, the fox being wit and slyness, and the lion strength and bravery. Just as Machiavelli wrote, his rule applies to Macbeth 's character in this quote.

Another important factor that sets a dark atmosphere is how the animals react to the events of the play. From cats to dogs, animals have always been portrayed with the supernatural. In Egyptian time, cats were perceived as god-like creatures and treated as such. In Macbeth, animals played a different, but crucial role. In Act 2, scene 2, Lady Macbeth states that she had heard an owl shrieked, at the same time Macbeth was killing Duncan. It is evident that there is a relationship

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.

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.

People’s characteristics develop depending on the choices that they make, for some may choose to do a noble deed, while others make decisions for the sake of no one but their own. In William Shakespeare’s, Macbeth, the main character Macbeth faces off against many major decisions, each one changing his perspectives, and his morals. All of the decisions that Macbeth makes throughout the play further develop his character so, after five acts, Macbeth has changed significantly from who he was at the start. The way the play shows his developments occur are different, but one of the major techniques used is through the language of animals. These animal motifs recur throughout the play, in the shapes of many different animals. The play uses animals

Macbeth and animal farm share a very similar theme but each has their own distinct setting, language and enhancement of scenes. In Animal farm the idea of power corrupts is enhanced through languages techniques such as imagery and alliteration. These techniques are used to give detail and information, evoking the reader’s imagination. Whereas, in Macbeth the scenes are enhanced through cinematic devices: editing, zooms, types of shots, lighting and etc. the setting in both text are also different, the animal farm the story takes place on a farm in England. This farm becomes a dystopian setting after Napoleon gains more and more power. In Kurzel’s Macbeth the story takes place in Scotland in medieval times, where wars, castles still existed.

Shakespeare demonstrates Macbeth’s downfall to a king trapped in his madness in the latter portion of Macbeth by comparing Macbeth to a predatory bird and a fierce bear. In Act 4, Macduff, one of Macbeth’s enemies, has fled to England, and Shakespeare describes Lady Macduff as the “poor wren, the most diminutive of birds, will fight, her young ones in the nest, against the owl” (4.2.12-13). Lady Macduff is the innocuous prey, while Macbeth is the owl, a cruel predator; turning merciless, devoid of emotion. and choosing to kill an innocent lady and her children. Macbeth’s reckless ruthlessness shows his decline in emotion, he isn’t killing for honor and as a job anymore. He will not come back from this cruel behavior, as it has obtained control of his mind; therefore, his actions are plagued by coldness and brutality. When Malcolm, Macduff, and their soldiers from England are about to attack

Every one of Shakespeare 's plays are heavily imbedded with motifs. A motif is any element, subject, idea or concept that is constantly present through the entire body of literature. (motif) I chose to examine the play Macbeth. It is a very intense play full of violence, betrayal, and even the supernatural. It is well known to be saturated with themes and motifs that are repeated throughout the play. These motifs are important because they often foreshadow events on the play. They also create a atmosphere that helps shape the events of the play. I am going to focus on two motifs that seem to play a heavy role in the storyline of Macbeth. The two I have chose to focus on are the motifs of blood and nature. Since Macbeth is know for its violence blood is a very important part of the play. Nature also is representative of things to come and upsetting the natural balance of things. These are only a fraction of motifs that are present in this tragic play.

A motif is a repeating symbol that takes on a figurative meaning. A motif can be an object, a color, the weather, or even an idea or a concept. Motifs are usually used to establish a certain mood or a theme, and they have a symbolic meaning. For example, in a fairy tale, some motifs would be: the handsome prince, the wicked witch, talking animals, and magic fairies. Another example would be the song “Beasts of England” in Animal Farm by George Orwell, and it is a motif that mainly serves as propaganda to the animals. In Macbeth by William Shakespeare, motifs are seen all throughout the book, like the motif of blood and how it represents guilt. The motifs of blood, sleep, and birds affect the character development and relationship of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.

In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Shakespeare often uses a motif of birds in order to foreshadow future events and relationships. Shakespeare achieves this by likening two influential characters, Macbeth and Macduff, to an owl and a crow, respectively, as well as using references to other types of birds in order to set a tone.

"Oh, treachery! Fly, good Fleance, fly, fly, fly! / Thou mayest revenge"(III.iii.18-19). "Avaunt! And quit my sight!Let the earth hide thee! / Thy bone are marrowless, thy blood is cold; / thou hass no speculation in those eyes"(III.iv.93-96). Banquo's ghost haunts Macbeth, and Macbeth is unable to face it. Macbeth's evil ambition usually leaves Macbeth feeling at peace or safe, but now his ambition has left him with a painful vision of his dead friend. "What, you egg! / Young fry of treachery! / He has killed me"(IV.ii.79-82). Macbeth has sent his men to catch and kill Macduff, and instead Macbeth's men kill Macduff's innocent son and later his wife. Macbeth is now giving orders to kill woman and children; he has become a complete tyrant.

Nature is constantly changing, and many books make use of this fact to give it more dimension. Between its use of animals and weather, Macbeth is no exception to this trend. Shakespeare explores social order and the effect of switching it around by bringing in two examples of order among animals. He also incorporates changing weather, and its strikingly similar to Macbeth. In Macbeth, Shakespeare uses nature to parallel the developments of the play as fair turns foul and foul turns fair.

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.

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.