Symbolism In Macbeth

Shakespeare’s play ‘Macbeth’ is about the leading male protagonist succumbing to his ambition and need for power. Though Macbeth is liable for his own actions, he is not solely responsible for the events that eventually result in his downfall. Macbeth is corrupted by his wife, Lady Macbeth, as well as the three weird sisters. Macbeth’s contribution towards his downfall is his strong ambitious nature. Lady Macbeth is the person who induces Macbeth to assassinate King Duncan. The three weird sisters (witches) play with Macbeth’s ambitious nature and sense of security. Macbeth’s downfall is due to himself and two external factors.

This is said by Macbeth because this is his new title. He was given the position “Thane of Cawdor” and admits that the “greatest” is “behind” meaning that there is no need to fear because he is rightfully the best fit for this position. This could foreshadow his tragic downfall later in the play because the witches were correct

In Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, Lady Macbeth undergoes many emotional and psychological changes. Shakespeare uses motifs and numbers to show Lady Macbeth is stoic and unrepentant in the beginning, but becomes desperate for death by the end because she is frantic and overcome with guilt.

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.

Throughout history, writers have developed a plethora of literary devices.  This allows them to essentially spice up their writing, or make it more interesting to the reader.  One of the most commonly used and talked about literary devices is theme; theme is a specific idea or lesson that an author is trying to get across.  Just a few examples are, ambition, guilt, things may not always be what they seem, or even nature verses the unnatural.  In fact, these are common themes used by one of the greatest play writes of all time, Shakespeare.  All throughout arguably his most renowned play, Macbeth, we see Shakespeare use each of the four previously listed themes.

In Act 2 (scene 2), Lady Macbeth says that she’s “drunk [which has] made [her] bold” (2.2.1-2). While she waits for her husband to return from killing the king, she hears a shrieking owl and recognizes it as a “fatal bellman” announcing the murder (2.2.5). When Macbeth enters the room, Macbeth expresses his guilt and horror, announcing the crime as “a sorry sight” (2.2.8). Macbeth is particularly bothered by his inability to bless the guards before taking their lives, but his wife is quick to tell him to “[c]onsider it not so deeply” (2.2.41). blah blah blah…

Shakespeare’s Act IV of Macbeth is a short act, yet he manages to introduce suspense, a vivid turning point, and key character developments. Every line of this act is significant, adding another layer to the plot in some way, for example, the doctor’s one verse introduces King Edward’s ability to heal “wretched souls” (IV.III.161) in contrast to MacBeth. The succinctness of Shakespeare’s introduction to the foil of Macbeth and Edward’s kingship, the true evil that has gained control of Macbeth’s mind, and the foreshadowing that occurs, are what make this act critically stellar.

In this excerpt from Act 3, Scene 2 of Macbeth’s soliloquy in William Shakespeare’s tragedy, Macbeth, Macbeth worries he will be punished for killing Duncan. He thinks“[w]e have scorched the snake, not kill’d it” (15). The snake is an image of Duncan, who has only been wounded, but not yet killed. Using animalistic imagery, life-after-death imagery, implicit diction, and figurative language, Shakespeare reveals Macbeth’s worried thoughts, caused by killing Duncan and the effects that come after the murder.

The Throne of Blood is a film that attempts to recreate Shakespeare's tragedy "Macbeth." This tale is one of greed, deception, and backstabbing traitors. It is the tale of a man prophesized to be king. Once king, he wants more and tries to get what he wants. However, his `trustworthy' friend stabs the king in the back and eventually dies himself. In the end, all that is left is a bunch of dead guys and a castle without a king; pretty tragic if you ask me.

While the rest of the characters speak in a blank verse, the witches often use rhyming couplets, distinguishing them as special characters. Whether through their synchronized chanting or their creepy choice of words, the witches’ odd speech give the audience a sense of eeriness.

Motifs contain symbolic significance in stories. By motifs repeating themselves, they guide by making narrative or literary aspects such as the theme and mood in stories. It’s also created through the use of imagery, structural components, vocabulary, and other narrative elements. In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, uses blood, dead babies and infants, and clothing. These motifs are repeated throughout the play.

Everyday, people face decisions that could impact the rest of their lives. However, few are as far-reaching as Macbeth’s. Through his use of metaphors and symbolism, Shakespeare in his tragedy Macbeth explains the title character's predicament, to kill Banquo or not, reflecting the unstable world he lives in.

Soliloquies provide the audience with a unique insight into the thoughts of the speaker. When they are delivered, the focus is entirely on the character as they share their own deepest thoughts. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the protagonist includes descriptive metaphors, repulsive imagery, and gory diction to emphasize the gruesome nature of the killing and Macbeth’s disbelief.

     Shakespeare used clothing both symbolically and as a vehicle of character definition. Clothes were often used in Macbeth's case to symbolize his titles.  Symbolic clothing is identified when Ross tells Macbeth of his new title Thane of Cawdor when Macbeth does not know of the Thane's treason,

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.