Shakespeare incorporates darkness into Act One by . King Duncan has just named Malcolm as the heir to the Scottish throne. Macbeth realizes for him to be king, Malcolm must be taken care of. Macbeth says, “Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires” (1. 4. 50-51). Macbeth is thinking of how he can get Malcolm out of his way on becoming king. He knows he will do anything it takes, even if he must commit an immoral act. He’s asking the darkness to hide his evil …show more content…
Ross is speaking to an old man right outside of Macbeth’s castle, where Duncan had just been murdered. They appoint out all of the unnatural events that occurred that night. Ross tells the old man, “By th’ clock ‘tis day, and yet dark night strangles the traveling sun” (2. 4. 6-7). Ross is referring to how a strange darkness is covering the sun. The unnaturalness of this situation was caused by Duncan’s death, evil turning the world upside down. Since Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a play, the darkness helps convey the mood of the scene and how the characters feel to the audience.
In contrast to darkness symbolizing death, light symbolizes life. Lady Macbeth has begun to feel the guilt of Duncan’s death weighing her down. She thinks there is only one way to rid her of this guilt: suicide. After she is dead, Seyton informs Macbeth. He responds by saying, “Out, out brief candle!” (5. 5. 23). Macbeth is comparing life to a candle. Neither life nor a candle lasts very long and neither have any importance. Life can be ende d at any moment. It is only a few years in a long history of our