Protection Of Power In Macbeth

In the tragic play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Act 3, scene 2 depicts Macbeth conversing with his wife, describing the plot that he is orchestrating to secure absolute safety over the crown. Recently killing King Duncan, Macbeth is content with his newly obtained tyrannical power as king and believes his power is in need of protection. Shakespeare's use of symbolism, visual imagery, and connotative diction conveys the extreme actions Macbeth is willing to take to defend his new position of power. To begin the excerpt, Macbeth informs Lady Macbeth that a questionable event will soon take place; if said event resolves as Macbeth plans then Lady Macbeth will “applaud the deed” he performs to secure power over the crown (1-2). Completely securing

Motivated solely by the purging of the one “Which keeps [him] pale,” day transitions to night, and Macbeth prepares to kill Banquo and Fleance as the “light thickens,” connoting that an unfortunate death, the death of Banquo, will soon transpire. The transition from day to night is also symbolic of the ending of Banquo existence. Waiting to ambush Banquo and Fleance, the “black agents,” prepare to commit the questionable crime of assassination “to their preys” (6-9). By utilizing “black” to describe the murderers symbolises their association with evil, and the malicious crime the murderers will commit in secrecy by the darkness of the night. The word “prey” suggests that Banquo and Fleance will be surprised and defenseless to the attack. Speaking again to Lady Macbeth, Macbeth confesses, “bad things begun make strong themselves by ill,” which reveals that due to Macbeth’s involvement with the assassination of King Duncan has led to the fall of his innocence, so now Macbeth is willfully committing an evil act based off of his own plans and decisions without the influence of a third