Imagery


The rich imagery ofMacbeth brings the themes of the play into sharp focus. Shakespeare uses poetic language to metaphorically explore key ideas. The play’s imagery also helps to create atmosphere and enriches the audience’s understanding of the characters. In particular, four recurring images are


interwoven into the text: 


 blood  clothing and masks.


Darkness and Light By settingmany of the important scenes ofMacbeth at night, Shakespeare reflects themoral darkness of the play. The murder of Duncan, the killing of Banquo, the banquet scene and the sleepwalking scene all take place at night. Light and darkness serve as metaphors for good and evil through the imagery of the play. As emblems of evil, the witches are referred to by Macbeth as ‘black, and midnight hags’ (Act 4,


Sc 1); Banquo calls them ‘instruments of darkness’ (Act 1, Sc 3). It is therefore fitting that the night of Duncan’s murder is characterised by an unusually starless sky: ‘There’s husbandry in heaven; / Their candles are all out’ (Act 2, Sc 1). After his death, a strange darkness grips the land. Ross and an old man discuss how the sun fails to rise: ‘by the clock, ‘tis day, / And yet dark night strangles the travelling lamp’ (Act 2, Sc 4). When Macbeth seeks the courage to kill Duncan, he imagines all light being blotted out to


provide cover for his evil desires: ‘Stars, hide your fires! / Let not light seemy black and deep desires’ (Act 1, Sc 4). Similarly, as he prepares for the murder of Banquo, he calls on the night to blindfold the light of day: ‘Come, seeling night, / Scarf up the tender eye of pitiful day’ (Act 3, Sc 2). When LadyMacbeth invokes evil spirits, she imagines darkness smothering her actions, screening


the deed from her conscience: ‘Come, thick night, And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, That my keen knife see not the wound it makes, Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark, To cry ‘Hold, hold!’’ (Act 1, Sc 5)


Towards the end of the play, as she starts to suffer from a guilty conscience, Lady Macbeth keeps a light by her bed continuously. InAct 5, Scene 5,Macbeth imagines life as a candle thatwill inevitably burn out. This pessimistic


image illustrates how the dark forces of evil have coloured his view of the world. For Macbeth, darkness has consumed light leaving him with a desperately bleak outlook: ‘Out, out, brief candle! / Life’s but a walking shadow…signifying nothing’ (Act 5, Sc 5). In contrast, images of light help to highlight the essential goodness of Duncan and Malcolm. It is


no coincidence that scenes focusing on these characters generally take place during the day. Duncan equates nobility and goodness with light: ‘But signs of nobleness, like stars, shall shine /


On all deservers’ (Act 1, Sc 4). Malcolm equates Macbeth’s reign with darkness and his marching army with the coming dawn: ‘Receive what cheer you may: / The night is long that never finds the day’ (Act 4, Sc 3).


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darkness and light  fertility and disease


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