The Power of Natural Imagery: Macbeth vs. Frankenstein
“Your mind is your greatest asset”, said the popular American Entrepreneur and author named Robert Kryosaki. Your mind is very important while reading because it processes words and turns them into images inside your head. Authors utilize this in many ways, one being natural imagery. Natural imagery is when the author uses pieces of nature and describes them in the text, which creates images in the reader’s minds. Natural imagery enhances the progression of the plot by bringing natural imagery to tie in personal character realizations and morbid themes in “Macbeth” and “Frankenstein”. The Natural imagery helps gather realistic ideals to further the understanding of events in both stories.
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Natural Imagery is first used in “Macbeth” to show personal character realization.
This is displayed when Macbeth and Banquo meet the witches and they tell Macbeth that he will become king. The witches then disappeared as Macbeth says, “Into the air, and what seem’d corporal, / Melted, as breath into the wind. Would they had stay’d” (Macbeth 7). In this text natural imagery is illustrated through the words used, “Melted, as breath into the wind”. Macbeth comes to realize that if the witches magically disappeared like breath does in the wind, which leads him to then believe that what the witches have told him may have been true. Natural imagery is also used to show a morbid theme. Macbeth kills the king and then returns to his chamber to wash up. Shortly after, Lennox and Macduff knock upon his chamber doors asking to see King Duncan. Lennox begins talking to Macbeth, “The night has been unruly: where we lay, / Our chimneys were blown down, and, as they say, / Lamentings heard I’th’air, strange screams of death… The obscure bird / Clamour’d the livelong night. Some say, the earth / Was feverous and did shake” (Macbeth 32). Lennox brings up how nature seems to be acting odd and uses natural imagery in the text to display a negative image in the readers mind. By Lennox saying, “the earth was feverous and did shake” proves that nature is referred to in the play to help produce a vision allowing the reader to understand the negative theme
portrayed. Also, in the story “Frankenstein” the plot is enhanced with natural imagery by bringing natural imagery to tie in the personal character realizations and morbid themes. At the end of chapter nine, since Victor is stressed from his studies and the monster he makes this voyage to see the beautiful landscape of The Chamonix Valley, “the sound of the river raging among the rocks, and the dashing of the waterfalls around spoke of a power mighty as omnipotence” (Frankenstein 76). This Piece of text shows how Victor becomes relaxed and content while visiting the beautiful landscape. The Chamonix Valley was vacant and had soothing but meaningful sounds allowing him to get off by himself for a while and reflect on his life. Also, Victor experiences a morbid theme at the age of fifteen years old while he was at the family house near Belrive, “As I stood at the door, on a sudden I beheld a stream of fire issue from an old and beautiful oak which stood about twenty yards from our house; and so soon as the dazzling light vanished, the oak had disappeared, and nothing remained but a blasted stump… I never beheld anything so utterly destroyed" (Frankenstein 26). This is describing a violent thunderstorm that had frightened Victor and briefly set a morbid theme to the piece of text. Victor is stunned that lightening could do such damage to such a large tree, giving him fear as to what would happen to him or any human being if they were struck by such a powerful source. Clearly, the natural imagery used in both “Macbeth” and “Frankenstein” enhances the progression of the plot by bringing natural imagery to tie in personal character realizations and morbid themes.
“ The horizon was the color of milk. Cold and fresh. Poured out among the bodies” (Zusak 175). The device is used in the evidence of the quote by using descriptives words that create a mental image. The text gives the reader that opportunity to use their senses when reading the story. “Somehow, between the sadness and loss, Max Vandenburg, who was now a teenager with hard hands, blackened eyes, and a sore tooth, was also a little disappointed” (Zusak 188). This quote demonstrates how the author uses descriptive words to create a mental image which gives the text more of an appeal to the reader's sense such as vision. “She could see his face now, in the tired light. His mouth was open and his skin was the color of eggshells. Whisker coated his jaw and chin, and his ears were hard and flat. He had a small but misshapen nose” (Zusak 201). The quotes allows the reader to visualize what the characters facial features looked like through the use of descriptive words. Imagery helps bring the story to life and to make the text more exciting. The reader's senses can be used to determine the observations that the author is making about its characters. The literary device changes the text by letting the reader interact with the text by using their observation skills. The author is using imagery by creating images that engages the reader to know exactly what's going on in the story which allows them to
Imagery is used by many authors as a crucial element of character development. These authors draw parallels between the imagery in their stories and the main characters' thoughts and feelings. Through intense imagery, non-human elements such as the natural environment, animals, and inanimate objects are brought to life with characteristics that match those of the characters involved.
In the tragic play, Macbeth, Shakespeare effectively integrates the symbol and the use of animal imagery in order to prove how Macbeth’s total mindset and mental stability rapidly decreases. Animal imagery not only predicts future unfortunate occurrences, but it also proves how Macbeth’ guilt further pushes him to irrational limits. Therefore, Macbeth’s dire need to have as much power as possible results in having a mental illness that threatens not only the lives around him but also his, which finally concludes with many lives lost and yet with nothing truly commendable.
The ability to make the reader immersed in the story and the main character is the best thing to have when writing a piece. It helps the reader decide whether to keep reading or not. This ability is known as imagery. Imagery is writing with metaphors and the five sense, which creates a scene for the reader. Imagery is basically the way the author shows the reader what the main character or narrator is seeing. Janet Burroway, author of “Imaginative Writing”, which is a book about writing and the components of it, states that Image is, “An image is a word or series of words that evokes one or more of the five senses.” (Burroway, 15) Imagery is very important and good authors know how to use it to add more meaning and power to their literature.
In Shakespeare's Macbeth, various types of imagery are used throughout the play. Five of these images are nature, paradoxes, manhood, masks, and light vs. darkness. In Act I, Scene i, Line 1, the description of "Thunder and lightning" represents disturbances in nature. The witches are surrounded by a shroud of thunder and lightning, which might personify them as disturbances. In Act II, Scene i, the dark night creates a perfect scene for the baneful murders.
Use of Blood Imagery in Macbeth William Shakespeare uses many techniques to liven up the intensity, and the excitement, of his plays. In the play of MacBeth, Shakespeare uses blood imagery to add a sense of fear, guilt, shame, insanity, and anger to the atmosphere. The use of blood imagery allows the audience to vision in their minds the crime scene where Duncan was murdered, as well as the scene where Lady MacBeth tries to cope with the consequences of her actions. The talk and sight of blood has a great impact on the strength and depth of the use of blood imagery. MacBeth’s soliloquy in Act 2 scene 1 gives the reader a description of how Duncan will be murdered.
Frankenstein, a novel by Mary Shelley, illustrates the trials including Victor Frankenstein's triumphs, a character who owned a lovely with memorable life experiences that shaped the independent college student he became. Despite Victor growing up in a welcoming setting, he struggled to find the intellectual purpose of acquiring a college education in his physical science interest to generate the likelihood of reviving a dead corpse with electricity to acquire the comfortability to feel like God. Mary Shelley used diction and imagery to convey shifts in mood that supported the plot of chapters one through five in Frankenstein to inundate the reader with the feelings the characters of the story were facing.
MacbethL Imagery & nbsp; & nbsp; One of the most important tools in literature is imagery. It is not just in there to fill up paper; rather, there is at least one dramatic purpose. for each image and there are many different types of imagery. This essay seeks to prove that in the play Macbeth the author William Shakespeare uses darkness. imagery for three dramatic purposes. Those three purposes are, to create. atmosphere, to arouse the emotions of the audience and to contribute to the major theme of the play. & nbsp; The darkness imagery in Macbeth contributes to its ominous atmosphere. In At the very beginning of the play, the three witches are talking and the first witch says "When shall we three meet again?
of Macbeth's evil deeds, we still find him likeable. We see him in the same way
The use of imagery of animals such as A falcon, tow’ring in her pride of place, Was by a mousing owl hawked at and killed. helps the reader get a better understanding of the disruption to order and power that has occurred due to King Duncan’s murder. Shakespeare uses this analogy to show that Macbeth is lower in the food chain like the owl meaning he is weaker, yet he manages to kill the king who holds the most power like the falcon. Through this, the audience can see the chaos this creates as the events that have occurred have gone against nature. Imagery of blood is used abundantly in the play as it is frequently repeated to reinforce the guilt Macbeth and Lady Macbeth feel after the murder like What hands are here! Ha! They pluck out mine eyes. Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood, Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather, The multitudinous seas incarnadine, Making the
If a picture tells a thousand words, than imagine the importance of an image upon a play such as Macbeth. In any literary work, it is extremely important that the author can effectively manipulate a reader's feelings towards a character. In Macbeth, that feat is accomplished magnificently by Shakespeare. Through his skillful use of imagery, Shakespeare shows us a deeper look into the true character of Macbeth. Though imagery is widespread throughout Macbeth, it is most dominant in clothing imagery, light and darkness imagery, and blood imagery. Through these images,
If my origin story was a movie, the opening scene would be my discovery of books. It’d be a wide shot of me as a roley poley toddler, as I reached out to one of my brother’s old picture books. And as I grasped the cardboard cover open, I would be swallowed up by a moment of true epiphany. I can only imagine such a dramatic beginning as being dignant of what would be my lifelong obsession. As I grew up, I ate through books quickly, always craving that fantastic feeling of being completely absorbed into a world outside of my own. Until middle school this love was simple, but then there was my introduction to literary analysis. As my eighth grade English class studied Romeo and Juliet, my teacher directed us to the usage of natural imagery. Here
Macbeth: Appearance and Reality. The theme of appearance versus reality is very important in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. The characters of Duncan, Macbeth, and Lady Macbeth are unable to differentiate between appearance and reality, resulting in tragic consequences. Poor judgment is evidenced by Duncan, who trusts Macbeth too much; Lady Macbeth, who is fooled by the witches; and Macbeth, who is tricked repeatedly by others.
Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley, is an all around thinking read. It makes you think about who’s bad who’s not, why death is something to leave it be, and why do we make certain actions. WIth the use of Shelley’s tone, imagery, and theme, we can think about all these things and why this book is so memorable. The use of imagery in this passage was thorough. The moment the monster was waking up Victor described his creature “beautiful” with the satisfaction he made him.
Shakespeare uses many forms of imagery in his plays. Imagery, the art of making images, the products of imagination. In the play Macbeth Shakespeare applies the imagery of clothing, darkness and blood. Each detail in his imagery contains an important symbol of the play. These symbols need to be understood in order to interpret the entire play.