The Many Symbols in Shakespeare's Macbeth

1709 Words4 Pages

The Many Symbols in Macbeth

Shakespeare used clothing both symbolically and as a vehicle of character definition. Clothes were often used in Macbeth's case to symbolize his titles. Symbolic clothing is identified when Ross tells Macbeth of his new title Thane of Cawdor when Macbeth does not know of the Thane's treason,

Macbeth: "The Thane of Cawdor lives: why do you dress me in Borrow'd robes?" (I, III,108)

Symbols using clothing such as borrowed robes, disguises and cross-dressing are found in several plays where they betray a range of situations from sheer mischievousness to dark, treasonable or murderous plots. The symbol appears again when Banquo and Macbeth are discussing whether the witches' prophecy about Macbeth becoming king will come true as well, "New honours come upon him, Like our strange garments, cleave not to their mold But with the aid of use. (I,III,144)" Later, when Macbeth shares the news of his promotion with Lady Macbeth, he speaks with a clothing metaphor again, "Golden opinions from all sorts of people, Which would be worn now in their newest gloss, Not case aside so soon. (I,vii,33-34)" Again it is mentioned in (V,ii,21) by Angus, "Nothing in love; now does he feel his title Hang loose about him, like a giant's robe Upon a dwarfish thief."

Blood as a symbol in the play assumes many different meanings as the story progresses, ranging from virtuous honour to the guilt of murder.

The first reference to blood occurs in (I,ii,1) when Duncan meets the bleeding sergeant and remarks, "What bloody man is that?" The man is bleeding after having fought to protect the noble Malcolm, which makes the blood a symbol of honour. Blood symbolizes another virtuous trait when it appears again in ...

... middle of paper ...

...mples of this in world dictators, military juntas and corporate criminals. So Macbeth can be seen as having contemporary significance.

We may now ask why the works of Shakespeare enjoy an undiminishing acceptance in most countries of the world and an aura of immortality. It is perhaps because we see in Shakespeare the mirror of the human condition with which we may all identify and gain a sense that in some strange way his plays belong to us.

Works Cited

I. The Tragedy of Macbeth New Haven: Yale University Press Revised 1954

II. Shakespeare's Macbeth Total Study Edition Coles Editorial Board 1990

III. Holinshed R. Historie of Scotland (2nd Ed. Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland 1587) "Historie of Scotland"

IV. Paul. Henry N. The Royal Play of Macbeth 1950 pp. 213-17

V. Bradley A. C. Shakespearean Tragedy 1912 pp. 468-9

Show More
Related

  • The Pathophysiology of Diabetes Mellitus.

    1147 Words  | 3 Pages

    Type 1 Diabetes formerly called juvenile onset diabetes occurs typically before the age of 20, but now at any age anyone can be diagnosed with type 1. Individuals with type 1 diabetes are usually thin, go to the bathroom a lot to urinate, and are always hungry. The cause of Type 1 Diabetes is that the pancreas, which is the organ that secretes insulin, is destroyed by auto antibodies, which is why people with Type 1 Diabetes always need insulin, either to be injected or through an insulin pump. When glucose cannot enter the cells, it builds up in the blood causing the body's cells to starve to death. People with type 1 diabetes mus...

    Read More

  • The Death and Trial of Emmett Till

    586 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...f discrimination and segregation. Emmett Till was only fourteen when Roy Bryant and Milam murdered him. The case was held on September 23, 1955. Roy and Milam were set free, and had no charges. This sparked many controversies between the black and whites during that time. Emmet’s story still lives on today, and has had n enormous impact on the world today.

    Read More

  • Use of Blood in Macbeth

    595 Words  | 2 Pages

    Blood is also used to display the guilt in Lady Macbeth near the end of the play. Throughout the play, Lady Macbeth is the one who tries to keep Macbeth sane and to keep from breaking.

    Read More

  • The Symbolism of Blood in Macbeth

    893 Words  | 2 Pages

    The symbolic appearance of blood throughout the intermediate parts of the play maintains the depth of the Macbeth’s unforgiveable guilt. The use of blood as a symbol at the conclusion of the play asserts the perpetuity of the Macbeth’s guilt. Shakespeare’s inclusion of blood as a major symbol in Macbeth creates a compelling tragedy in which the audience is able to comprehend the magnitude of the Macbeth’s irreconcilable guilt.

    Read More

  • Genogram, Reflection and analysis

    1344 Words  | 3 Pages

    How do you feel about my Mother immigrating to your country “Saudi” after getting married?

    Read More

  • Knowledge: The Educated Fellow vs. The Working Fella

    786 Words  | 2 Pages

    Wallace, David Foster. "Kenyon Commencement Speech". "They Say / I Say": The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing with Readings. 2nd ed. Graff, Gerald, Cathy Birkenstein, and Russel Durst. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2012. 198-209. Print.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The No Child Left Behind Act

    1060 Words  | 3 Pages

    In order to determine whether or not the No Child Left Behind Act is doing its job successfully and efficiently, one must first understand exactly what is involved in the act. This act is the most recent renewal of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Similar to laws in the past, this particular act has been revised and added to numerous times to make sure it encompasses everything necessary for the education system and the students. The No Child Left B...

    Read More

  • Memory And Long-Term Memory: Different Types Of Memory

    905 Words  | 2 Pages

    Memory is a group of related mental processes that are involved in acquiring, storing, and retrieving information (Hockenberry and Hocenberry page 232). I will be addressing two specific types of memory: short-term memory and long-term memory. Short-term memory holds temporary information transferred from sensory memory or long-term memory. Sensory memory is the first stage of memory and obtains information for a brief amount of time. Short-term memory is also called active memory and is stored in the prefrontal cortex which is the most active part of the brain during an activity. Short-term memory can hold information for roughly twenty seconds, but sensory memory holds information for a shorter amount of time. We usually store things such

    Read More

  • The Ebola Virus

    1216 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Ebola virus transmits easily from person to person. Most people get the Ebola virus from close contact. The Ebola virus has cells on the infected person's skin, then if you touch the person and touch an opening on your body, such as your mouth, you can be infected. This frequently occurs to hospital care workers before the patients are diagnosed with Ebola. Also family members who care for the infected person without the aid of a hospital often get Ebola.

    Read More

  • The Ebola Virus

    555 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Ebola virus can easily be transmitted through direct contact of blood, organs, secretions of any kind and semen from any person infected. Another method is that of used needles that have been infected. With all countries considered, the 3rd world and the reuse of needles are a common practice, due to lack of funds and supplies. Though recovered patients pose no serious threat, the virus is present up to 7 weeks after being treated. Vomit and diarrhea contain the infected blood and mucus so any contact with this, e.g. in poor drinking water can cause contraction of the virus. Luckily enough Ebola is not airborne and in some cases due to its self-limiting nature, it has been known to die out within a person before killing the host. In one case when a Swiss researcher found the Ebola Tai virus, she contracted it from a chimpanzee. This was during an investigation into the spur of deaths among them at the time. To this day, there is still no evidence as to what host carried the virus before humans and no location of the virus is known.

    Read More

  • The Ebola Virus

    797 Words  | 2 Pages

    Ebola can be spread in a number of ways. Ebola reproduction in infected cells takes about eight hours. Hundreds to thousands of new virus cells are then released during periods of a few hours to a few days. In most outbreaks, transmission from patient to patient within hospitals has been associated within the reuse of needles and syringes. High rates of transmission in outbreaks have occurred from patients to family members who provide nursing care without barriers to prevent exposure to blood, other body fluids such as, vomit, urine and feces. Risk for transmitting the infection appears to be highest during the later stages of illness. Those symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, shock, and frequently hemorrhaging. Even a person who has recovered from the symptoms of the illness may have the virus present in the genital secretions for a short time after. This makes it possible for the virus to be spread by sexual activity. Complete recovery is reached only when none virus’s cells are left in any body fluids. This is quite rare.

    Read More

  • The Ebola Virus

    950 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Ebola-Zaire branch was the first to be recognized and has the highest death rate of 89 percent. The Ebola-Sudan subtype has a death rate of 53 percent, and the Ebola Haemorrhagic Fever virus as a whole having a 68 percent death rate. Since the Ebola virus has not been recognized for a long time, it cannot be said for sure how it is transmitted though it is believed to be zoonotic, meaning that it is transmitted by animals and from contact with the virus, making it spread quickly through family and friends. It also transmits itself nosocomially, where it can transmit quickly through a health care environment, like a hospital. This is especially dangerous in places like Africa,...

    Read More

  • Symbolism In Macbeth

    1089 Words  | 3 Pages

    The image of blood plays an important role throughout Macbeth. Blood represents the murders that Macbeth had committed, the guilt that went along with the murders and the pain that it brought on him during his downfall. The soldier describes the violence and bloodshed, in the war between Scotland and Norway, "Except they meant to bathe in reeking wounds." (I. ii. 43) foreshadows the violent nature of the play filled with murder, guilt and pain. Blood in the murder of King Duncan also plays a major role because it represents Macbeth's guilt as well as his shame for slaying King Duncan. Macbeth observes his blood stained hands and remarks "As they had seen me with these hangman's hands." (II. ii. 28) This reveals his guilt and shame because he is comparing his hands to those of an executioner's. After the murder, Macbeth refuses to return back to the bed chamber of Kind Duncan to smear the blood on the sleeping guards, because he is afraid that the blood will incriminate him further. Lady Macbeth smearing the blood onto the guards represents them trying to rub their guilt off onto the guard. "I'll gild the faces of the grooms withal, for it must seem their guilt" (II. ii. 73) but this proves to be ineffective because Macbeth ends up murdering t...

    Read More

  • Symbols, Symbolism, Images, and Imagery in Macbeth

    793 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Five Types of Memory

    1118 Words  | 3 Pages

    The five types are Memory is classified by a few different characteristics. Declarative Memory is the memory of dates, historical facts, and telephone numbers (Silvia Cardoso). It is easier to build up Declarative Memory but can be easily forgotten as well. Procedural Memory is the memory/ability to drive a car, to play sports and tie shoes. This type of memory involves repetitive practices. The other of types of memory is Elaboration, Self Referent and Visual Imagery. Elaboration is known as memory associating with other information. Self Referent Memory is how it is made personally relevant. Then, there is Visual Imagery, which can be used in a few ways, one of which can be used to add richness to the material to be remembered.

    Read More

More about The Many Symbols in Shakespeare's Macbeth

Open Document