How Does Shakespeare Use Hand In Macbeth

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In Acts III and IV of Macbeth the word “hands” or “hand” is used figuratively as well as literally to represent Macbeth’s wellbeing. In the third and fourth apparition Macbeth sees a child crowned with a tree in its hand and eight kings with the last one holding a glass in its hand. Shakespeare mentions them holding something in their hand because it describes the scene with further visual imagery and also represents Macbeth’s well being. After the apparitions leave, and he is talking to Lennox, Macbeth says “The very firstlings of my heart shall be the firstlings of my hand.” (IV.1) This means that from now on whatever he feels he should be doing he will take action towards. His ambition is growing larger and larger making him less stable because he is not even thinking …show more content…

This causes Macbeth to get confused because the apparition that before the crowned child told him that no one woman born shall harm him. He is fixed onto the mindset that he cannot be harmed by anyone. The crowned child tells Macbeth, “Macbeth shall never vanquished be until Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill shall come against him.”(IV.1) His state of mind and wellbeing are getting worse after this; he gets mad at the witches for telling him about a prophecy in one apparition and then contradicting that prophecy in the next apparition. The fourth apparition is described in the stage directions as, “A show of Eight Kings, the last with a glass in his hand; Ghost of Banquo following.” The glass (or mirror) that the eighth king is holding reveals to Macbeth many more of Banquo’s descendants becoming king. The final apparition of the eight kings messes with Macbeth the most and causes him to break down. As the kings are being shown to him, Macbeth cries at the witches to stop showing him the horrible visions of the descendants of Banquo becoming king and questions them as to why they are making him observe the dreadful

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