Macbeth Imagery

Macbeth Imagery

  • Submitted By: aw4692
  • Date Submitted: 12/13/2008 12:47 PM
  • Category: English
  • Words: 1026
  • Page: 5
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Macbeth Essay
William Shakespeare used the imagery of animals in “Macbeth” to help describe the nature of various characters throughout the play which helps readers understand the play better. The sergeant said, “Yes, / As sparrows eagles, or the hare the lion” (1.2. 38-39). Eagles and lions have always been considered the proudest of their species. They represent bravery, honor, and everything that is good in a proud way. Macbeth and Banquo are the eagles and lions of this passage. They have been fighting in a battle and their story is being relayed by a wounded soldier to the king. The Sergeant, or soldier, is telling about how Banquo and Macbeth were so brave during the battle that the opposing warriors were sparrows and hares, or that they were weak when compared to Macbeth and Banquo. Sparrows are a very common bird that an eagle would eat, and a lion would easily attack and conquer a hare. This imagery represents Macbeth where he is still morally a good person with the imagery of lions and eagles. Animal imagery sets the role of the witches as foul characters, the change of Macbeth from good to bad, and the good nature of some secondary characters.
Macbeth does not stay a good character very long though, and he becomes corrupted very quickly when he talks with the witches and believes what they say. Lady Macbeth say to Macbeth, “Look like the time; bear welcome in your eye, / Your hand, your tongue; look like the innocent flower, / But be the serpent under’t” (1.5.69-71). “Your hand” is referring to the acts that are done and “your tongue” refers to words that are spoken, and that both of these references look good and innocent like a flower. But really under those things, is the serpent. The serpent has always been viewed as an evil animal from the beginning of time because of the story of Adam and Eve. In this story, the serpent tricks Adam and Eve into eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. God then curses the serpent because of his...

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