Shakespeare Often Employs the Imagery of Darkness Throughout Macbeth

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Darkness is invariably associated with evil and to a certain extent deception. In our society, darkness tends to be the primary characteristic of evil. A black cat, a dark and stormy night, and a dark alley, for instance, are all modern day symbols of wickedness and evil. Authors many times will use these and other symbols to describe an evil character or setting. In Elizabethan England night air was said to be impure and rheumy and it was the air in which evils were most free since it was not purged by the sunshine. Darkness is also associated with the supernatural. William Shakespeare employs the imagery of darkness throughout his play of Macbeth. He uses dark images often to describe instruments of disorder and the evils which characters act upon. In Macbeth Shakespeare uses a lot of images of darkness and night and all the dastardly, underhand and sinister deeds will be performed either at night or in times where there is no light; Act 1 of the play is full of images of darkness and night.

The first scene itself starts off on the note of the witches discussing the venue and the time of their next encounter. They mention the ‘set of sun’ which sets off the darkness imagery which is found in plenty all through the play. Evil deeds are always done at nighttime. Magic is often associated with moonlight. The witches can only create an atmosphere in which evil will thrive and thus night is ideal. Witches are also socially boycotted creatures and it is always that they meet at night to brew potions and wind charms as at night they have a less chance of being seen. Banquo refers to these hags as the ‘instruments of darkness’ in Scene 3 after their second prophecy for Macbeth comes true.

In Scene 4 Duncan appoints his elder son...

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...he stars are prepared to hide the foulest deed which could be possibly performed. The turning point in the play is about to take place and the audience is waiting with rapt curiosity to know what is going to happen.

The images of darkness are associated with treachery, betrayal, epiphany, falsity, duplicity, evil and cruelty. Light on the other hand is linked up with innocence, truth and purity. Macbeth and his ‘partner in greatness’ are creatures of the dark. All the sinister deeds will be performed at night. Since the play deals with deceptive appearances at night when it is black there is no need to hide ones monstrous visage as evils are anyways so free bound.

Thus there is a clear link between the images of darkness and night with the plot and the theme of this bloody, violent and tragic play in which there are hardly any scenes with light and sunshine.

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