Themes & Imagery in William Shakespeare's Play Macbeth

Amanda R. Dollak, Yahoo! Contributor Network
Nov 25, 2008 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites. Start Here."

William Shakespeare is extensively known for his lifelike and memorable characters. Who could ever forget such characters as Hamlet or Romeo and Juliet? They leap directly off the page and come vividly alive each time these plays are read. And they continue to enthrall countless audiences worldwide even today with their breathtaking and heartbreaking stories. Shakespeare directly uses characters such as these to explore human nature and many of the political and social issues of his time in the majority of his plays. However, as A.P. Rossiter points out, the play Macbeth does not rely heavily on the characters to investigate these favorite topics of Shakespeare. Instead, Shakespeare utilizes specific themes and imagery to accomplish his purpose.

Main Theme #1: Regicide

There are numerous themes evident throughout Shakespeare's play Macbeth. Nevertheless, three of these themes are more dominant than the others. The first of these themes is regicide (the murder of a king). It is believed that Shakespeare wrote Macbeth not long after the Gunpowder Plot, which nearly cost King James his life. However, it is crucial to understand how controversial the concept of regicide was during the Elizabethan Era. In Shakespeare's day, Englishmen saw murdering the king as an unspeakable sin. They firmly believed that the king is ordained by God and, thus, has a divine right as king. The king is above the law and superior to his entire kingdom, answering solely and directly to God. Therefore, no man has the right to punish the king or remove the king from his God-given position (Shute).

Shakespeare addresses this widely accepted belief throughout Macbeth. This play reveals through Macbeth's murder of Duncan, the king of the Scots, how futile and evil regicide actually is. Eventually, Macbeth is helplessly imprisoned by his own crime, becoming excessively paranoid that his sin will be uncovered. Furthermore, he becomes obsessed with the idea that others will attempt murder him to gain the throne, just as he has murdered Duncan to become king. In the end, Shakespeare shows that only when the throne is returned to its rightful heir (in this case, Malcolm), may the kingdom be returned to its previous state of harmony and balance (Mack 130-131).

Main Theme #2: Evil

The second dominant theme in Shakespeare's Macbeth is evil. In this play, Shakespeare probes the Elizabethan belief that the universe is deeply interconnected with mankind at its center. Because the different components of the universe are so closely related, one component can start a ripple effect that can drastically affect the others, especially concerning human actions and the rest of the universe. In Macbeth, Shakespeare shows how Macbeth's sin grows, in time, to taint all of Scotland. The darkness and turmoil of Macbeth's treachery spread a spiritual and physical darkness and upheaval over the entire nation, even manifesting itself in the weather (Shute).

Additionally, Shakespeare explores the true nature of evil itself. The play Macbeth portrays another common Elizabethan belief: evil is a reality, existing within human beings and in specific spiritual beings (i.e., demons and Satan). The three witches in this Shakespearean play could be interpreted as either people who have pledged their allegiance to evil or to evil spirits or as physical manifestations of these evil spirits. Either way, they serve as concrete evidence of the existence of evil and how it may influence humanity to pursue evil (as the witches influence Macbeth) (Curry 30-32).

Finally, Shakespeare might be using Macbeth to explore the idea that evil forces can go beyond simply influencing people to literally possess them. Lady Macbeth's speech in Act I, Scene V, from lines 44 to 55, has been perceived by some literary critics to be, in all actuality, a prayer to actual evil spirits to come possess her (Curry 30-32).

Theme # 3: Fate vs. Free Will

The last of the three main themes evident in Shakespeare's Macbeth is fate versus free will. How much of what we do as human beings is affected by fate and how much can we actually control? This play reveals through Macbeth that life is the product of both choice and chance. At some points in our lives, we are able to bend the circumstances we find ourselves in (such as when Macbeth chooses to Duncan to become king), while at other times, we have no real control over the situation (such as when Macbeth is killed to restore order) (Shute).

Some people might argue that the three witches, through their prophesies, make Macbeth commit his crimes. It is true that these witches do actively search for him to reveal to him their prophesies. Yet, never once do the witches suggest to him the concept of murdering Duncan or ever reveal to him how he is to gain the throne. Instead, they merely plant the desire in him to gain the power they have unveiled to him. Macbeth, on the other hand, fosters this desire for power, under the influence of his wife (as can be seen in Act I, Scene VII from lines 4 through 7), until his desire grows so strong that it spawns his plan to kill the king to gain the power he so covets (Murry 23-24).

Image #1: Clothes

To enhance these specific themes in his play, Macbeth, Shakespeare also uses large amounts of imagery. The image of clothes is an example of such imagery that is prominent throughout this play. Shakespeare uses images of ill-fitting garments which belong to someone else to illustrate how ill-fitting Macbeth's new honors are. This symbol is first used in Act I, Scene III when Macbeth addresses Ross in line 108: "The thane of Cawdor lives: why do you dress me / In borrow'd robes?" (Spurgeon 13-15).

This symbolism continues until the end of this tragedy. For instance, when Macbeth and his wife are arguing over his desire to not go through with his plot to kill Duncan (Act I, Scene VII), they both mention ill-fitting clothes (Spurgeon 13-15). Near the end of Macbeth, in Act V, Scene II, as Caroline F. E. Spurgeon explains, "Caithless sees him [Macbeth] as a man vainly trying to fasten a large garment on him with too small a belt" (Spurgeon 15). Finally, literary critic Cleanth Brooks agrees with Surgeon that these images of clothing are essential to Macbeth, noting that these images of clothing parallel Macbeth's unsuccessful attempts to conceal his shameful and perverse nature (Brooks 41-43).

Image #2: Darkness

A second image which Shakespeare uses all through Macbeth is the image of darkness. This image is directly connected to the themes of regicide and evil. Shakespeare shows through Macbeth's treacherous deeds that the most hideous of sins are usually committed under the cloak of darkness (Spurgeon 17). Before each act of treachery and evil by Macbeth (Act I, Scenes I and IV), the scene opens with thick physical darkness, as if to foretell of the coming evil. Furthermore, darkness can also be associated with chaos. Consequently, the darkness throughout Macbeth can also be interpreted as symbolizing the chaos and political turmoil into which Macbeth has plunged Scotland with his act of regicide and other murders (Spurgeon 18). Only when Macbeth is defeated and order is restored does the darkness blanketing all the characters recede so light can return to Scotland and illuminate its people once more.

Image #3: Echoes & Space

A third dominate image in the Shakespearean play Macbeth is that of echoes and space. This imagery parallels the Elizabethan idea that the universe is vastly interconnected with its different constituents affecting the others as a pebble sends ripples across the entire surface of a pond. Shakespeare desires to support this concept throughout this play, largely through Macbeth, to remind the reader or audience that our actions (particularly our crimes) have far-reaching consequences and effects that we cannot start to fathom. The vibration's of Macbeth's sins echo out into the endless night, impacting the rest of humanity and the universe. Because of this close relationship of all things, evil cannot be contained. Rather, its consequences spread throughout the various parts. Even Macbeth eventually realizes that he cannot completely conceal his terrible actions or their consequences from the rest of Scotland. It is merely a matter of time before the blood on his hands is revealed for all to see (Spurgeon 16-17).

Conclusion

In conclusion, Macbeth is not the typical Shakespearean play. Typically, William Shakespeare uses the characters as the primary literary device to explore human nature and the political and social issues of his day. However, in Macbeth, he utilizes rich themes and symbolism to accomplish this goal. In the end, Shakespeare's ingenious usage of themes and symbolism creates, as A. P. Rossiter calls, "a play about the disintegration of the state of man, and the state he makes his" (Rossiter 123). Without this masterful usage of these literary devices, it is doubtful that Shakespeare would have been able to create as clear an image of the corrupt and diseased Macbeth and the sickening and far-reaching consequences of his treacherous deeds.

References:

Brooks, Cleanth. "The Naked Babe and the Cloak of Manliness." Hawkes, p. 34-53.

Curry, Walter Clyde. "The Demonic Metaphysics of Macbeth." Hawkes, 30-33.

Hawkes, Terrence, ed. Twentieth Century Interpretations of Macbeth: A Collection of Critical Essays. Englewood, Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1977.

Rossiter, A. P. "Macbeth's Disintegration." Hawkes, 123-125.

Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Macbeth. Eugene M. Waith, ed. Revised Edition. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1954.

Shute, Sarah, gen. Ed. "Macbeth." Knowledge Notes Student Guides. Cambridge: Proquest Information & Learning, 2002. Literature Online. Chadwyck. Pennsylvania Highlands Community College Library, Johnstown, PA. 10 Oct. 2005.

Spurgeon, Caroline. F. E. "Shakespeare's Imagery in Macbeth." Hakes, 13-21.