Images, Imagery, Symbols, and Symbolism in Macbeth

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Imagery and Symbolism in Macbeth

With its eye-opening plot and interesting cast of characters, William Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth is one of the greatest works one could ever read. But, above all, the aspect of the play is most impressive and overwhelming with imagery and symbolism that Shakespeare so brilliantly uses. Throughout the play, the author depicts various types of imagery and symbolism instances that, eventually, lead to the downfall of the main character, Macbeth.

Instances of imagery and symbolism are seen throughout the play. Imagery and symbolism are unavoidable features in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. One of the most prominent symbolic factors in the play is the presence of blood. It has been noted that the presence of blood “increases the feelings or fear , horror , and pain” (Spurgeon , Pg. 20). From the appearance of the bloody sergeant in the second scene of the to the very last scene , there is a continued vision of blood all throughout the play. The imagery of blood seems to affect almost all the characters in the play. It affects Lady Macbeth in the scene in which she is found sleepwalking talking to herself after the murders of Duncan and Banquo : “Here’s the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand.” Also , the blood imagery is present in the “weird sisters” , or witches. Most evidently , it is present in act four, scene one, when Macbeth visits the witches to seek their insight and his fortune for the future. He is shown three apparitions , one of which is a bloody child that commands him to “Be bloody , bold and resolute : laugh to scorn…”

Although blood imagery deals with almost all the characters of the play , no where i...

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Shakespeare, William. Tragedy of Macbeth . Ed. Barbara Mowat and Paul Warstine. New York: Washington Press, 1992.

Staunten, Howard, The Complet Illustrated Shakespeare, New York, Park Lane Publishing, 1979.

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Wills, Gary. Witches & Jesuits. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995.

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