Figurative Language In The Girl Who Chased The Moon

A New York Time bestselling author have stated, “men of thoughtless actions are always surprised by consequences.” (Sarah Addison Allen, The Girl Who Chased the Moon). Humans’ nature is brimful of ambitions and goals and once a desire is inspired, it requires a great deal of effort to release (free) the greeds. Ordinarily, a thirst of power can lead people into inconsiderate behaviors such that resulting in unexpected influences. Out of the main population, people only judge a matter by its current accomplishments whereas the further consequences are ignored intentionally or unconsciously. Among the many effects of figurative languages, Shakespeare's play, Macbeth, develops character tragedies through self-aggrandizing speeches, negative criticism

and excessive ambitions when evil intentions beget dangerous consequences. He argues against Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s initial impression of guilt in such a drama replete with metaphors drenched in clothing, blood and one’s eventual demise. Throughout the play, Macbeth is the most miserable character who can never dominate his acts rationally. His opinions are never espoused by either his ambitions, King Duncan or Lady Macbeth. In absence of consideration, his path approaching the crown is arranged and decided by his wife. Moreover, Macbeth takes more inferior actions in order to fulfill his lust of power and all of these result in his unfitness of royalty and it is foreshadowed through both his soliloquy (himself) and others. On the other hand, as Macbeth gaining power, he isolates Lady Macbeth from his government and all the guilt and bloodiness of murders assaults Lady Macbeth which causes her mental concerns.Thus, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth blindly pursue their political ambitions and murderous ways without considering the consequences; however, through vivid figurative language such as clothing and blood imagery, Shakespeare demonstrates the dire consequences of one’s actions when seeking absolute power at any cost.
If defining Macbeth by one theme is possible, clothing seems the most obvious.

In terms of creating clothing imageries, his downfall is foreshadowed through his early speech of himself and the warriors’ developed discussion upon him. Macbeth provides patterns of clothing images in his own words when he becomes the Thane of Cawdor and before killing Duncan. The king’s servants reports the honourable (good) news yet Macbeth is still confusingly considering the suspicious predictions of him being the Thane of Glamis, the Thane of Cawdor and the king of Scotland from meeting the three witches. Doubting of the fact, he asks, “The Thane of Cawdor lives. Why do you dress me / In borrowed robes” (I.iii.106-7)? It is clear that Macbeth does not intend to overtake anyone else’s designation. The way he makes connection with real life experience indicates that he is even more unsuitable to the crown since he does not match up with his new receiving (present) position. Later in the same act, Macbeth uses clothing imagery again to progress his decision on murdering benevolent Duncan. Macbeth acknowledges his nobility given by Duncan which allows his conscious against his own ambitions in order to persuade Lady Macbeth to give up on murdering the innocent king. To express his conflict, he

reasons,
“He hath honoured me of late, and I have bought
Golden opinions from all sorts of people,
Which would be worn now in their newest gloss,
Not cast aside so soon” (I.vii.31-4).
Macbeth reflects on his gracious honours with a “newest gloss” imagery. The fact that the abstract symbol of his noble deeds is metaphorized as clothing he desires to wear demonstrates his sense of being respected as a real man yet still overtook by his lust upon fame. However, he understands that further admiration will not be received as his price of murdering Duncan because of his unforgivable guilt. Hence, even though Macbeth has ambitions to wear the robes of a king, he simply does not measure up to the trappings of a king and clothing imagery is used at length to place him at lower ranks of society where he belongs to.
Regarding Macbeth’s ruling ability, it is not only expressed in his self-panicking, but also mentioned by the Scottish nobles. After Duncan’s death, one of previous minister, Macduff prefer to return to his territory rather than witnessing Macbeth’s enthrone at Scone. Making his status clear to Ross, Macduff replies, “Well may you see things well done there. Adieu, / Lest our old robes sit easier than our new” (II.iv.37-8). In this case, Macduff expresses his concern for Macbeth’s ability to rule the country as the new king. He uses figurative of languages particularly metaphor to illustrate how Macbeth as the new inheritor of the crown, is not as wise and outstanding as the former king according to Macduff. Macduff is keenly aware that he is not suitable to wear the title that unearned birthright or good deeds and thus will not create a brilliant future of Scotland. Being that, his suspicion is reconfirmed nearing the end of the drama when his fellows turn against him. They questions his noble status with:
“Now does he feel
His secret murders sticking on his hands.
Now minutely revolts upbraid his faith-breach;
Those he commands, move only in command,
Nothing in love.

Now does he feel his title
Hang loose about him, like a giant’s robe
Upon a dwarfish thief” (V.ii.16-22)
Macbeth’s murderous deeds have finally caught up with him and his demise will come up soon. The simile creates between Macbeth’s circumstances and clothing imagery points out his fruitless attempts to be a generally respected monarch. Indeed, his ability and courage are insufficient for the title of the king and thus he loses Scottish’s respects and trusts. As a result, Macbeth is the subject of ridicule for the simple reason that he is eventually a failure although he satisfies his ambitions.
Speaking of Macbeth’s downfall, another character, Lady Macbeth’s behaves act as catalyst to the murderous plot. Affecting by her interchanging role with Macbeth in their relationship, Lady Macbeth’s attitude of blood varies with her mental states. She had no concern for others or their reputations. Lady Macbeth pins the the murder of Duncan to two innocent servants by placing the bloody daggers with them and smearing blood all over their clothes. Lady Macbeth reassures her husband after the cover-up,
“My hands are of your colour, but I shame
To wear a heart so white.
I hear a knocking
At the south entry. Retire we to our

chamber,
A little water clears us of this deed.
How easy is it then! Your constancy
Hath left you unattended” (II.ii.67-72).
Blood stained hands and a murderous psyche cannot easily washed away either by water or self-delusion. Lady Macbeth is an equal partner and now her hands are the same red blood color as her accomplice. Though not consider a suspect in the king’s murder, her conscience begins to get the best of her and nightmare imagery slowly creeps into her every waking minute. As she sleepwalking alone, she bemuses, “Here’s the smell of the blood still; all the per- / fumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand.” (V.i.42-3) Lady Macbeth is in an isolated situation as her relationship with Macbeth distancing. The loneliness increases her terror of vengeance which she is reminded with the offenses she has completed for Macbeth. Ironically, she goes mad from the blood she seem cannot washed from her hands and like her cowardly husband her only solution to remove the sanguine thoughts from her mind is to commit the suicide. Therefore, the comparison between Lady Macbeth’s two completely different perception of blood and guilt in times of her different standards upon her marriage demonstrates how her connections with Macbeth determines her mental health.