Imagery in Macbeth

Imagery in Macbeth “Violence and the bloodshed that results are important symbols in Shakespeare’s Macbeth. While the blood that is shed is a tangible reminder of the outcomes of misused power, it also serves as an image that provokes Macbeth to reflect upon his deeds, even if he does not change his behavior. Macbeth becomes obsessed with the blood on his hands. Unfortunately, this reminder of his guilt does not prevent him from continuing violent acts.”
-Marshall Mc Luhan.
Macbeth, one of the most intriguing tragedies by Shakespeare, has an extensive use of imagery throughout the play. References to blood and other abstract objects set the tone of various scenes in the play- to pace the action, to characterize the nature of death and murder throughout the play, one example being the scene in which Duncan’s assassination in discovered,” his silver skin laced with his golden blood”. Such imageries set the tone of horror for the rest of the play. The references to blood are somewhat more poronouned than other imageries in the play, and that sems apt too, for the entire play is about the rise and fall of Maceth, who is always bent on killing people rather than understanding them. However, it is to be noted that blood imagery keeps itself in a shadow till the murder of Duncan, and references to nature and garments are more pronounced, for example, when the thanes of Ross and Angus greet Macbeth with the title of the Thane of Cawdor, e responds by saying,” why do you dress me in borrowed robes?”. The clear reference to nature comes in the fourth scene of the first act, where Duncan tells Macbeth and Banquo,”I have begun to plant theeand will labour to thy full growing”. Duncan uses nature to express his gratitude towards two of is bravest generals, who have just returned after defeating the Thane of Cawdor, who had rebelled against King Duncan’s regime.
However, soon after the murder of King Duncan, blood seems to dominate the play, for example, Macbeth tells

References: to blood and other abstract objects set the tone of various scenes in the play- to pace the action, to characterize the nature of death and murder throughout the play, one example being the scene in which Duncan’s assassination in discovered,” his silver skin laced with his golden blood”. Such imageries set the tone of horror for the rest of the play. The references to blood are somewhat more poronouned than other imageries in the play, and that sems apt too, for the entire play is about the rise and fall of Maceth, who is always bent on killing people rather than understanding them. However, it is to be noted that blood imagery keeps itself in a shadow till the murder of Duncan, and references to nature and garments are more pronounced, for example, when the thanes of Ross and Angus greet Macbeth with the title of the Thane of Cawdor, e responds by saying,” why do you dress me in borrowed robes?”. The clear reference to nature comes in the fourth scene of the first act, where Duncan tells Macbeth and Banquo,”I have begun to plant theeand will labour to thy full growing”. Duncan uses nature to express his gratitude towards two of is bravest generals, who have just returned after defeating the Thane of Cawdor, who had rebelled against King Duncan’s regime. However, soon after the murder of King Duncan, blood seems to dominate the play, for example, Macbeth tells Donaldbain,” The fountain of your blood is stopped, the very source of it is stopped.”, describing the death of King Duncan to him. All present question this “bloody piece of work”, and King Duncan’s two sons decide that the Scottish nation is no longer safe for them, as the murderer may now focus his attention on them. Hence, they escape from Scotland, Malcolm goes to England, and Donaldbain seeks refuge in Ireland. Post Banquo’s murder, the references to blood increase even further, with quotes like,” don’t shake thy gory locks at me” becoming all the more common. The murderers, whom Macbeth had hired to kill Banquo, describe his body lying in a ditch with “twenty trenched gashes on his head”. The imagery of blood is shown in such a way that there is a profuse amount of blood flowing after every murder in the play. These references to blood observe their peak with Lady Macbeth’s imagined blood and the battlefield which form a crescendo to conglomerate all the murders performed in the play. “Out damned spot. Out, I say! One two!” a passing reference is also made by the ‘second apparition’ to Macbeth, “be bloody, bold and resolute”. Because blood forms the prologue and epilogue of every murder in the play, it sets the ball rolling for the wave of action in the play. The fact that blood imagery predominates in the play gives the play a tinge of horror.” “It will have blood, they say. Blood will have blood” However, blood is not the only abstract object referred to in the play. Passing references have been made continuously at animals, plants and even garments. ”Look like the flower, but be the serpent underneath” is what Lady Macbeth asks her husband to do in while dealing with King Duncan. Here there is a clear reference to nature, which is also seen in the lines,” and Duncan’s horses, a thing most strange and uncertain, turned wild in nature, broke their stalls, and flung out.” There are also several references made to garments, perhaps the best one being,” now does he feel his Title, hang loose about him, like a giant’s robe upon a dwarfish thief”. These comments were made by Angus on Macbeth when he wanted to signify how incomplacent Macbeth was for the title of the King of Scotland, whereas Malcolm was far more compatible. Overall, we notice a general trend of signifying almost evey significant deed or action with a reference to an abstract object, and this seems to be a characteristic of not only Macbeth, but also of several other plays written by Shakespeare. These reerences draw the readers’ attention, and also affect the readers’ line of thought completely, moulding them into thinking the way Shakespeare wants them to. The imageries in the play set almost every mod in the play, from joy to grief, from life to death, and it is this characteristic of Macbeth which enhance all emotions in the play.