The motif of darkness in Shakespeare's play "Macbeth" serves to enhance the theme of corruption and deterioration. From the very beginning of the play, the darkness is associated with the prophecies of the witches and the sense of foreboding they bring. This darkness is further tied to the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, whose actions and desires are shrouded in secrecy and deceit.
The motif of darkness is also used to contrast with the motif of light, which is associated with honesty, goodness, and the natural order of things. The darkness serves to obscure and hide, while the light serves to reveal and expose. This contrast is exemplified in the famous line, "Fair is foul, and foul is fair," which highlights the reversal of moral order that takes place in the play.
One way in which the motif of darkness is used to enhance the theme of corruption is through the character of Lady Macbeth. She is described as "unsex[ing] herself" and "pour[ing] her spirits in [Macbeth's] ear," suggesting that she is willing to go to great lengths to manipulate and corrupt Macbeth in order to achieve her own ambitions. This darkness is also evident in her soliloquy, in which she prays to the spirits to "unnatural" deeds, such as murder.
The motif of darkness is also evident in the character of Macbeth himself, who is described as being "full of the milk of human kindness" at the beginning of the play. However, as he becomes more and more consumed by his own ambition and guilt, he becomes increasingly isolated and paranoid, with the darkness serving as a metaphor for his inner turmoil. This is exemplified in his famous soliloquy, in which he contemplates the murder of Duncan and says, "I am in blood stepped in so far that, should I wade no more, returning were as tedious as go o'er."
Overall, the motif of darkness in "Macbeth" serves to enhance the theme of corruption and deterioration by symbolizing the secrecy, deceit, and moral decay that characterizes the actions of the play's central characters. It also serves to contrast with the motif of light, which represents honesty and the natural order of things.
Macbeth (Motif) – Light and Darkness
The tragic play is set in Scotland in the 11th Century and highlights the key idea of darkness. Even though the darkness overpowers the light it needs light to work to show its greatness. Let not light see my black and deep desires. With night covering the earth like a blanket, no one knows what might happen. In Macbeth, Shakespeare uses sleep, blood, hallucination, darkness and many other motifs to show importance in the play. People, like Macbeth, put on gentle and kind façades in order to keep others from suspecting them of harm or in order to blend into a society that is based on mannerisms and order. Shakespeare uses imagery in Macbeth in order to better convey his theme of deceit.
Motifs in Macbeth with Examples and Analysis
Markedly, Lady Macbeth is shown here in this dark scene, asking to be less like a woman; therefore, defying gender roles because Similarities Between Macbeth And The Great Gatsby 1959 Words 8 Pages She is malicious not only in words but also in her intent. Still, it is left deliberately ambiguous whether some of them are self-fulfilling—for example, whether Macbeth wills himself to be king or is fated to be king. Such ill-intended half-truths are repeated through prophecies of the three witches and deceptions of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. In comparison, Antigone is shown in the light. There are many examples of power in the play Macbeth and every person that got it used it in very different ways. When he is about to kill Duncan, Macbeth sees a dagger floating in the air.
Darkness/Night Motif in Macbeth Flashcards
Darkness, deceiving appearances, and the supernatural are aspects of setting that influence the characters actions and lives. Under those circumstances he would have seen the Queen in power and not conforming to the normal gender roles. Notably, blood is connected to death and darkness, especially throughout Macbeth. The social environment valued friendship among free, white,, and relatively equal men. Nature And Unnatural In Macbeth 583 Words 3 Pages Come, thick night. These three symbols all contribute to the mysterious aura found in Macbeth.
