Macbeths Images and Imagery - 1882 Words

Macbeths Imagery William Shakespeare in the tragedy Macbeth very skillfully uses imagery to support other aspects of the drama, especially the theme. In this essay let us examine the imagery, including literary critical comment. Roger Warren comments in Shakespeare Survey 30 , regarding Trervor Nunns direction of Macbeth at Stratford-upon-Avon in 1974-75, on opposing imagery used to support the opposing notions of purity and black magic: Much of the approach and detail was carried over, particularly the clash between religious purity and black magic. Purity was embodied by Duncan, very infirm (in 1974 he was blind), dressed in white and accompanied by church organ music, set against the black magic of the†¦show more content†¦(1.7) Lady Macbeth will make the two chamberlains drunk on wine. Macbeth feels the pressure of the impending bloody business and thereby has a vision of the murder instrument: Is this a dagger which I see before me, / The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. The image of a dagger intensifies the criminal nature of the act about to be committed. In Act 2, Scene 2, Lady Macbeth confesses to her husband that could not perform the murder because Had he not resembled / My father as he slept, I had donet. So Macbeth follows through with the killing. Immediately he is striken with guilt as he exclaims, looking on his hands, to his wife, This is a sorry sight, and I had most need of blessing. This bit of religious imagery shows that his soul is salvageable. He acts as a type of his wifes subsequent reaction when, alarmed by a knock at the door, he exclaims: Will all great Neptunes ocean wash this blood / Clean from my hand? The sea imagery, strengthened by mythical imagery, demonstrates an inner feeling of futility in his wish to escape from his burden of guilt. The next morning Macduff and Lennox arrive to awaken the king. Lennox relates in an image-filled monologue the strange happenings of the evening: The night has been unruly: where we lay, Our chimneys were blown down; and, as they say, Lamentings heard i theShow MoreRelatedFalse Appearances in Macbeth 895 Words   |  4 Pagesare all important themes which are carried throughout the play. The use of imagery in reference to blood, light versus dark, false appearance and disease reinforce these themes. The imagery appears to tiptoe through every scene to create a malevolent atmosphere of shame and false pretence. One of the key themes in the play that was reinforced and highlighted by the use of imagery was false appearance. The use of imagery to portray false appearance can be seen when Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth toRead MoreEssay about Macbeth Blood1177 Words   |  5 Pagesblood to represents impurity. Shakespeare often accompanies the image of water with the image of blood. The water represents cleansing and purity. Imagery is any piece of language that provokes the readers mind to form a mental picture or image. Shakespeare’s plays are well known for the richness of their imagery. Macbeth in particular has numerous vivid examples. Macbeth is also particularly rich in repeated images, such as the image of blood. In the beginning of the story, blood is symbolic ofRead MoreImagery of Blood, Light and Clothing in Macbeth by William Shakespeare540 Words   |  3 PagesImagery of Blood, Light and Clothing in Macbeth by William Shakespeare Imagery, the art of making images, the product of imagination (Merriam- Webster). Shakespeare uses many forms of imagery in his writing of Macbeth. Three main forms of imagery in this play are blood, light and darkness, and clothing. Within each form of this imagery Shakespeare incorporates symbols that the reader must understand if they are to interpret either the passage or the play as a whole. 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His particular use of blood imagery is highly prevalent in Macbeth, a play set during the tumultuous 11th century – a century filled with unrest and uneasiness (as seen in the unification of Scotland, and the famous Norman conquest of Britain in 1066). Shakespeare’s use of blood follows a circular motion; it begins as a representation of honour, and progresses into one of guilt, then evil and finally