Theme Of Darkness In Macbeth

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A picture can paint a thousand words. William Shakespeare paints a thousand words with the image of darkness in abundance throughout The Tragedy of Macbeth. Darkness can be conveyed in many ways. Darkness in society is symbolic of evil. For instance, a black cat, a dark night, or even dark places are all symbolic of things connected with witchcraft or evil. When an individual imagines darkness, they imagine wickedness, evil, and negativity. Through Shakespeare’s use of imagery, he is able to show the reader a deeper importance behind the darkness in this tragedy. He uses darkness to influence Macbeth’s decisions and illustrates darkness as a blanket to cover up bad deeds; in addition, he evolves darkness into a personality which plagues both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.
Shakespeare begins the play with darkness; using lightning and thunder to introduce evil, the evil introduced are three witches. Before the witches meet with Macbeth, together they recite “Fair is foul, and foul is fair” (Shakespeare I, I 10), simultaneously. By saying this, the presence of darkness sets the temperament for the entire play. These three witches use their ability to influence the future in order to effect Macbeth’s decisions. The witches play a very important role as they initiate the evil plot. This tragedy opens with a scene filled with thunder and lightning. This scene takes place in darkness, and is the first time the reader is seeing it as being natural. The combination of the dark weather and witches gives the reader an indication that something vile is about to occur. After the Norwegian forces have been defeated, King Duncan wants to give Macbeth his new title as the Thane of Cawdor. However, before this happens, the witches greet Macbeth ...

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...mind too. She gradually loses her power after Duncan's death. She fades into a lonely, guilt-ridden, and suicidal sorrow. She sleepwalks, hallucinates, and carries a light source with her at all times. Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking turns her nights into days. Her insistence that she always have a light by her at night shows that the darkness she once embraced has taken control. “What, will these hands ne'er be clean? -- No more o' /that, my lord, no more o' that: you mar/ all with this starting” (Shakespeare V, I 48-50). The darkness that she welcomed in order to pursue her selfish ambitions has become guilt. She chooses death as an escape from her guilt of the murders committed. She commits suicide because she could not handle the torment of her conscience any longer. The darkness that takes form in both of these characters leads them to their internal destructions.

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