What Does A Snake Symbolize In Macbeth

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Ambition can inhibit one’s personality to be decisive and ruthless. In Act One, Scene 5, of the play, Macbeth, one symbol that illustrates Lady Macbeth’s cleverness and bloodlust is a snake. Culturally, a snake is representative of something negative, fearful, untrustworthy, or mysterious. A snake is a known predator and for a snake to make its kills, it must be quick and cunning. In other words, a snake symbolises a person who will attack or retaliate with vengeance, relating to either temptation or revenge. Although Lady Macbeth seems to be a woman of great nobility by her composure, an underlying ambition is revealed through her actions. She wants to “pour [her] spirits in thine ear” and tell her husband about a plan for him to become King

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