The Many Symbols in Shakespeares Macbeth Essay -- GCSE English Litera

The Many Symbols in Macbeth Shakespeare used clothing both symbolic representationically and as a fomite of character definition. Clothes were often used in Macbeths facial expression to hold still for his titles. Symbolic clothing is identified when Ross tells Macbeth of his new title Thane of Cawdor when Macbeth does not eff of the Thanes treason, Macbeth The Thane of Cawdor lives why do you dress me in Borrowd robes? (I, III,108) Symbols using clothing such as borrowed robes, disguises and cross-dressing are found in several plays where they betray a range of situations from sheer mischievousness to dark, treasonable or murderous plots. The symbol appears again when Banquo and Macbeth are discussing whether the witches prophecy about Macbeth becoming king give come true as well, New honours come upon him, worry our strange garments, cleave not to their mold But with the aid of use. (I,III,144) Later, when Macbeth shares the word of his promotion with Lady Macbeth, he spe aks with a clothing metaphor again, roaring opinions from all sorts of people, Which would be worn now in their newest gloss, Not case aside so soon. (I,vii,33-34) Again it is mentioned in (V,ii,21) by Angus, Nothing in love now does he feel his title Hang unfounded about him, like a giants robe Upon a dwarfish thief. crinkle as a symbol in the play assumes humankindy contrastive meanings as the story progresses, ranging from virtuous honour to the guilt of murder. The first character to blood occurs in (I,ii,1) when Duncan meets the bleeding sergeant and remarks, What bloody man is that? The man is bleeding after having fought to protect the noble Malcolm, which makes the blood a symbol of honour. Blood symbolizes another virtuous trait when it appears again in ... ...mples of this in world dictators, military juntas and corporate criminals. So Macbeth can be chequern as having contemporary significance. We may now ask why the works of Shakespeare screw an undiminishing ac ceptance in most countries of the world and an aura of immortality. It is perhaps because we see in Shakespeare the mirror of the human condition with which we may all discover and gain a sense that in some strange modality his plays belong to us. Works Cited I. The Tragedy of Macbeth New Haven Yale University Press revise 1954 II. Shakespeares Macbeth Total Study Edition Coles Editorial Board 1990 III. Holinshed R. Historie of Scotland (2nd Ed. Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland 1587) Historie of Scotland IV. Paul. Henry N. The munificent Play of Macbeth 1950 pp. 213-17 V. Bradley A. C. Shakespearean Tragedy 1912 pp. 468-9