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Symbolism in the play of macbeth.pdf
Symbolism in the play of macbeth.pdf
Symbolism in the play of macbeth.pdf
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Throughout many literary works, authors use animals or their behaviour to mimic or represent ideas in order to signify certain aspects of the characters and setting. In the tragic play of Macbeth, William Shakespeare successfully uses animal imagery as a prominent symbol to foresee upcoming events as well to portray Macbeth's growing guilty conscience. Thus, Shakespeare effectively employs animal imagery as a symbol in order to reinforce and highlight Macbeth’s mental deterioration in this tragic play. As intricate as imagery may enhance a literary piece, Shakespeare uses this technique not only to achieve this very objective, but also to foreshadow forthcoming occurrences throughout the ill-fated play of Macbeth. When Lady Macduff says “The most diminutive of birds, will fight, / Her young ones in her nest, against the owl.”, she compares herself to small or weak birds who will fight against any predator, the owl , to protect its young ones as she would to shield Macduff’s and her son from any harm possible (4.2.12-13). Shakespeare uses the qualities and behaviour of the birds in order to portray them as weak and defenceless. These qualities are especially significant later on, as Lady Macduff and her son are taken advantage of when a few men swiftly murder them. Due to this, the audience is easily able to interpret the imagery as foreshadowing Lady Macduff's weakness when an enemy approaches her and her son. Another instance of where Shakespeare ideally uses animal imagery to allow the audience to recognise a clue to an upcoming event, is when the old man says to Ross, "A falcon tow'ring in her pride of place / Was by a mousing owl hawk'd at and kill'd", to which Ross replies "And Duncan's horses /… / Turn'd wild in nature, bro... ... middle of paper ... ...wer and fear of losing it is precisely what drives him to extreme lengths with magnified confidence. As the tragic play concludes, his pompous brashness forcefully disintegrates along with his own life. In the tragic play, Macbeth, Shakespeare effectively integrates the symbol and the use of animal imagery in order to prove how Macbeth’s total mindset and mental stability rapidly decreases. Animal imagery not only predicts future unfortunate occurrences, but it also proves how Macbeth’ guilt further pushes him to irrational limits. Therefore, Macbeth’s dire need to have as much power as possible results in having a mental illness that threatens not only the lives around him but also his, which finally concludes with many lives lost and yet with nothing truly commendable. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. New York: Royal Shakespeare Company, 2009. Print.
Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, is considered to be one of the most powerful and darkest tragedies. The play deals with the destruction brought upon by the rise of the evil. The story tells about a brave man named Macbeth who receives the prophecy of the three witches that one day he will becomes a King of Scotland. Overwhelmed by desire and ambition to be king, Macbeth and his wife plan to murder King Duncan and take the throne for themselves. Many lives are sacrifices by the selfishness of Macbeth and his wife. In the end, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are haunted by guilt, which leads to the theme that there are consequences for every action. In their chant, the witches express another important theme “fair is foul and foul is fair.” The idea that the line between heaven and hell is very thin is suggests in the quote. The use of motif of animals in one of the many ways in which Shakespeare characterizes his character and develops the themes of the play. Animals as well as human need leader in their kingdom. The problem lies on what qualities one need to possess in order to become a good and reliable leader.
Spurgeon, Caroline, Shakespeare's Imagery and What It Tells Us. In: John Wain (ed.): Shakespeare. Macbeth. A Casebook. Bristol: Western Printing Services (1968), pp. 168–177
In the play of “Macbeth”, Shakespeare gradually and effectively deepens our understanding of the themes and most importantly the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. The main theme of Macbeth is ambition, and how it compels the main characters to pursue it. The antagonists of the play are the three witches, who symbolise the theme appearance and reality. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s relation is an irony throughout the play, as most of their relation is based on greed and power. This is different from most of Shakespeare’s other plays, which are mostly based on romance and trust. There is also guilt that leads Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to the final consequences of the play. As the progresses, the constant changes in Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are exposed.
IN THE PLAY KING LEAR written by William Shakespeare a collection of images are used to express certain points. One reoccurring image was animals.Shakespeare portrays these animals when King Lear and many other characters in the play talk about Goneril and Regan. They are compared to tigers , serpents , and even monsters.These reoccurring images have an important idea behind them.When Lear leaves Goneril at the end of ActI , after she has sneered at him, he compares her to a “sea-monster”. He also comments on his daughters ingratitude using animal imagery when he said “How sharper then a serpents tooth it is to have a thankless child” (act15295-296). Lear is showing how he feels about how his daughters are treating him by comparing them to animals.Furthermore,after Lear has an argument with Regan,he uses animal imagery to show how his daughter r sinking to be like animals.They show this when both daughters lock him out into a stormy night.In conclusion, Shakespeare is showing that the sisters are sinking from the level of man to animals.
A lot of people usually get tired of hearing about Shakespeare and “blank verse” this, or “literary genius” that, but when one stops to actually evaluate it, Shakespeare’s Macbeth is more than just a tale about a power-hungry thane that kills to take the throne. As Shakespeare uses sleep imagery, characters who gain power become more and more vulnerable. When these characters fight for power, they become too vulnerable, and usually end up dying. Finally, as the characters struggle to remain strong throughout the play, sleep imagery begins to show the weaknesses the characters didn’t show otherwise. By examining Shakespeare’s use of sleep imagery, one can determine that all characters are vulnerable, even those who are most powerful.
Macbeth’s murders disrupt the natural world. After the slaughter king Duncan, the order in natural world was severely disturbed so much so that: “A falcon, towering in her pride of place,/ Was by a mousing owl hawked at and killed” (II.ii.15-16). A falcon is a much larger and stronger bird than a mere mousing owl, and therefore should never have been killed by one. A falcon being killed by a mousing owl, demonstrates how nature’s hierarchy had been overturned. Macbeth’s murders affected the natural world so deeply
In William Shakespeare’s play “Othello” the use of animal imagery was evident throughout the telling of the story of the.. Shakespeare explained several characters actions by comparing them to similarities in animals. The characters in “Othello” were often depicted as having animal-like characteristics. Some characters were even compared to animals by other characters in the play. By defining characters in terms of these characteristics one can get a clear description of what the character is doing or saying as compared to certain animals.
Thesis Statement: Throughout the play of Macbeth, Shakespeare chooses to use animals to portray foreshadowing, to develop character and to evoke a wide variety of emotions from the audience.
Bird symbolisms and characterization allows the reader to fully understand the complex characters of the play especially Macbeth, who, at first was a honorable and brave general then later became so morally crippled that the audience’s perception of him changed throughout the play. Understanding the play’s multifaceted characters is important because the impact becomes much stronger. The usage of birds as a foreshadowing tool gives the readers the power of omniscience which plays into the play’s dramatic irony. Macbeth is a play that is full of tragic that as readers, knowing what happens next becomes an integral part of enjoying this complicated yet simple Shakespearean play.
: Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, is a tragic play and one of Shakespeare’s most powerful works. The main character, Macbeth, is a man who becomes corrupted and desires power. Macbeth is also influenced by others such as his wife, and witches. Because of his want for power, Macbeth digs himself deeper into dark evils. After one murder, the first link in a chain reaction, Macbeth starts to murder others, and no longer feels the guilt of taking another’s life. He then decides to be completely evil and forget the past. In Macbeth, Shakespeare uses bird imagery to illustrate Macbeth’s changing nature.
William Shakespeare is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the history of English literature as well as the world’s paramount playwright. Possibly the most superlative writing attribute he possessed was his unmatched ability of characterization. Shakespeare created unique, opaque, and eminent characters who related to almost everyone. When one thinks of these famous characters, Shakespeare’s tragedy of Macbeth comes into consideration. Macbeth is possibly Shakespearian Theatre’s densest and most disturbed character, and this prestigious title can be credited to his obvious psychological problems. The troubled mind of Macbeth can be related to several modern day psychological problems.
Another method Shakespeare uses to develop the theme is the characters' dialog with other characters. "On Tuesday last, / A falcon, towering in her pride of place, / Was by a mousing owl hawk'd at and kill'd," (Shakespeare 9) said the Old Man to Ross. The falcon was high in the sky and an owl, who usually stays low to the ground to hunt mice went up to the falcon and killed it (clicknotes 3). This occurred shortly before Macbeth murdered King Duncan. The night Macbeth murders Duncan his best horses eat each other (Shakespeare 9). MacDuff comes in with the verdict that the king's sons bribed the servants to kill Duncan and Ross says "Gainst nature still!" (Shakespeare 10) He is saying that it is just as unlikely that an owl killed a hawk and horses ate each other, that Duncan's sons had him murdered (clicknotes 3).
Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” explores a fundamental struggle of the human conscience. The reader is transported into the journey of a man who recognizes and acknowledges evil but still succumbs to its destructive powers. The character of Macbeth is shrouded in ambiguity that scholars have claimed as both being a tyrant and tragic hero. Macbeth’s inner turmoil and anxieties that burden him throughout the entire play evoke sympathy and pity in the reader. Though he has the characteristics of an irredeemable tyrant, Macbeth realizes his mistakes and knows there is no redemption for his sins. And that is indeed tragic.
In Shakespeare's play Macbeth, there were many animals mentioned that have symbolic meanings. In this essay I will be analyzing the animal imagery/symbolism in the play. The use of animals in the play is to help us better understand the play as the viewer has something to connect to. It also makes the play interesting, helps with dramatic irony, and creates emotion. Animals in the play are used to describe events in a more engaging way, it is used to foreshadow events, used to describe Macbeth, and used to compare things. In my opinion I think that the most important animals in the play is the owl, the serpent, the horse, and the lion.
Macbeth is, however, not only a study of fear; it is a study in fear. The sounds and images in the play combine to give the atmosphere of terror and fear. The incantation of the witches, the bell that tolls while Duncan dies, the cries of Duncan, the cries of the women as Lady Macbeth dies, the owl, the knocking at the gate, the wild horses that ate each other, the story, the quaking of the earth - all of these are the habitual accompaniments of the willfully fearful in literature. (238-39)