English Assessment
Religion
Shakespeare presents Lady Macbeth as shy of religion near to the beginning of the play after King Duncan has been killed; this is a flaw because Lady Macbeth shows that she fears God’s judgement; this comes as a shock to an audience, as we are led to believe she is afraid of nothing. She also tries to hide from God so that he cannot see what she is doing. This is evident in the line ‘nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark’, this means that she believed that even God couldn’t see, nor stop what she was doing. Shakespeare used the word ‘peep’ to present how Lady Macbeth felt confident that God couldn’t see her sins. This word also indicates that she knew that what she was doing was wrong. The word ‘blanket’ could connote comfort or warmth, and could also imply she is hiding form her sins; this is juxtaposed to the word ‘dark’ which connoted cold or discomfort. An Elizabethan audience would be shocked by this as they thought that no one could hide from God, and that he is all-knowing. Later on in the play, this is shown as a flaw of her character as she begins to rely upon a candle to guide her. Shakespeare used the quote, ‘she has light by her continually; tis her command’, this could mean that she relies on the candle as a guiding light, to help her get to heaven. The word ‘light’ has connotations of religion and as Jesus was thought of as the light of the world, she may be carrying a candle in hopes that God forgives her. She may also carry the candle so that God can see her as repenting for her sins. Lady Macbeth was given the word ‘continually’ to represent how she feels that God should always be prominent in her life because, as we are led to believe, he is the only thing that she fears.
Similarly, Robert Browning presented Porphyria’s Lover as worried about what God would say or do after he killed Porphyria. Browning uses the quote ‘and yet God has not said a word!’ this could mean that he feels relieved that God hasn’t punished him. The use
Shakespeare presents Lady Macbeth as shy of religion near to the beginning of the play after King Duncan has been killed; this is a flaw because Lady Macbeth shows that she fears God’s judgement; this comes as a shock to an audience, as we are led to believe she is afraid of nothing. She also tries to hide from God so that he cannot see what she is doing. This is evident in the line ‘nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark’, this means that she believed that even God couldn’t see, nor stop what she was doing. Shakespeare used the word ‘peep’ to present how Lady Macbeth felt confident that God couldn’t see her sins. This word also indicates that she knew that what she was doing was wrong. The word ‘blanket’ could connote comfort or warmth, and could also imply she is hiding form her sins; this is juxtaposed to the word ‘dark’ which connoted cold or discomfort. An Elizabethan audience would be shocked by this as they thought that no one could hide from God, and that he is all-knowing. Later on in the play, this is shown as a flaw of her character as she begins to rely upon a candle to guide her. Shakespeare used the quote, ‘she has light by her continually; tis her command’, this could mean that she relies on the candle as a guiding light, to help her get to heaven. The word ‘light’ has connotations of religion and as Jesus was thought of as the light of the world, she may be carrying a candle in hopes that God forgives her. She may also carry the candle so that God can see her as repenting for her sins. Lady Macbeth was given the word ‘continually’ to represent how she feels that God should always be prominent in her life because, as we are led to believe, he is the only thing that she fears.
Similarly, Robert Browning presented Porphyria’s Lover as worried about what God would say or do after he killed Porphyria. Browning uses the quote ‘and yet God has not said a word!’ this could mean that he feels relieved that God hasn’t punished him. The use