FREE ESSAY ON MACBETH

MACBETH

Many critics hold that the imagery in Macbeth is more rich and dramatic than that of any
other of Shakespeare's plays. Woven throughout the tragedy, are the recurring images of
darkness, blood, and sleep. These images aid in portraying the evilness and the moral
disintegration of the murdering tyrant Macbeth and his fiend-like queen.
The images of darkness and night symbolize evil in both mankind and Macbeth. Instruments
of darkness is referred to as the witches, the witches are consequently darkness and the
devil. Shakespeare seems to have made the witches purposely ambiguous. On the other hand,
their words and appearance suggest they are evil. However, Shakespeare also uses them to
symbolize fate. Darkness is often call upon by Lady Macbeth: " Come, thick night, and
pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell..."(Mac.1.5.48). Lady Macbeth calls on the night
to cover her deeds with the thickest "smoke of hell," so that "heaven" would not see the
deed and cry out to stop.
From the beginning of the second scene until the end of the entire play, Macbeth is a
play about blood, symbolic of murder and its consequences. Macbeth's encounter with the
witness took an evil hold on him. All realization of basic morale's such as friendship
and family become second to the evil darkness. His first act of blood shed was
accomplished Lady Macbeth. She drugged the grooms in the King's bedchamber, and Macbeth
stabs the sleeping Duncan, killing him. Macbeth ordered his friend Banquo's death,
because of his fear that Banquo had suspicion of his involvement in Duncan's murder. The
witches' prophesy began Macbeth's bloody crusade and a second prophesy began the end
when, Macbeth encountered an apparition. "Be bloody, bold, and resolute! Laugh to scorn
the scorn the power of man, for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth". (Mac.5.1.79)
Yet, another important image is that of sleeplessness - a symbol of guilt and the
consequences of evil. Macbeth is troubled by a voice that called out, "Sleep no
more/Macbeth does murder sleep". (Mac.2.2.34)