Theme Of Clothing In Macbeth

Clothes are a semiotic sign within human culture that delineate status, class, and self-expression of the wearer. William Shakespeare’s play, The Tragedy of Macbeth explores themes of power, wealth, and worth. A myriad of passages within the text utilize clothing to convey ideas regarding authority and ability. The motif of clothing reveals character’s judgments toward each other as well as toward themselves. Ultimately, the motif of clothing functions to magnify themes such as power and status, and reveal character’s attitudes. In the first act of the play, after Ross discloses that Macbeth has been named The Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth confusedly states, “The Thane of Cawdor lives. Why do you dress me/In borrowed robes?” (1.3.114-115).

For example, in the first act when Lady Macbeth mocks Macbeth’s fear of committing murder she utilizes Macbeth’s clothing to degrade him, “Was the hope drunk/Wherein you dressed yourself?”(1.7.39-40). In the play, clothing also is representative of protection in relation to status; Banquo refers to wearing nightclothes as, “… when we have our naked frailties hid” (2.3.148). Additionally, when the men arrange to meet in the night shortly after in the scene, Banquo says, “Let’s briefly put on manly readiness”(2.3.157), which implies that clothing dictates status as a man. Another excerpt that utilizes clothing as a means of protection occurs within the final act when Macbeth directs Seyton before he goes into battle, “I’ll fight till from my bones my flesh be hacked./Give me my armor”(5.3.38-39). Although armor is physically protective, Macbeth’s desire to wear the armor exhibits his longing for protection as well as the ideal that clothing serves as a form of defense. In whole, the motif of clothing in The Tragedy of Macbeth, serves to emphasize greater themes of power and status, and expose attitudes of characters toward themselves as well as others. From excerpts, it is evident that how clothing fits Macbeth is metaphorical for how the title of king matches with his characteristics and abilities.