Irony In Out Damned Spot

While most political and business oriented executives use Shakespeare as a means to prove a point, other individuals in the public sphere, usually entertainers, may simply use a line for the way it sounds. Someone who does not realize the irony or foreshadowing within the original text may use a line that sounds beautiful or inspiring on the surface.
For example, actress Megan Fox has a tattoo on her right shoulder quoting King Lear: “We will all laugh at gilded butterflies (alteredidentity.com).” This is a prime example of the desire within American culture to appear well versed in Shakespeare, and the reluctance of actually having to read his works to truly become well versed in his works. Due to the abundance of technology and ease of access to
In the British comedy, the line changes to “bring me a shrubbery (MacNaughton).” Instead of commenting on a woman’s virtue, Graham Chapman, who delivered the line in the movie, is describing a plan to make a path with a “two layer effect.”
Even humorous adaptations of Shakespearean lines appear in advertising and article titles for common cleaning procedures. The title of one article regarding ways to spot treat stains on delicate clothes without getting the garment dry-cleaned was “Out, Damned Spot (Patel).” Though the reference to Shakespeare is not completely out of context and made a parody on the actual words of the article title, the new context presented creates a comedic parallel to the original
Cook 7 meaning as presented in Macbeth. In Macbeth, Lady Macbeth says the famous line “out, damned spot (Act 5, Scene 1, Line 25)” as an expression of the guilt of conscience she feels toward her cold blooded murder of the late King Duncan. She is sleepwalking in this scene, and her guilt manifested nightmare causes her to hallucinate her own blood covered hands and that no amount of washing is able to cleanse her. By using this particular line, “Out, damned spot,” as the title for