Symbolism in Macbeth - Essay Example

Symbolism in MacbethMacbeth is one of the most famous plays by Shakespeare. The play’s main theme is the destruction that occurs because of unchecked and unrestrained ambition. In bringing out the theme of play, and in the development of the plot, the play makes use of symbols and symbolism. The symbols are present throughout the paper, and they help in representing the different concepts that Shakespeare wishes to discus. One of the symbols that appear throughout the play is that of blood.

From the opening where there is a battle between the Norwegian invaders and the Scotts, blood keeps recurring throughout the play. In the second scene of act 1, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth can be seen to embark on their murderous missions. From this point on, blood comes to be a symbol of guilt. The two feel that they are so stained by the crimes they have committed that the blood on their hands cannot be cleaned. The blood is therefore a permanent stain of guilt on their conscience. In one instance, when Macbeth has killed Duncan and his wife insists that water will clean the blood from him, she comes to find out that it cannot.

She cries ‘who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?’ (5.1.30–34)Another symbol that is dominant in the book nature or natural occurrences. The murders that Macbeth commits are followed by unnatural weather occurrences. When the witches appear, they are accompanied by thunder and lightning. On the night that Duncan is murdered, there are severe storms. These occurrences are symbolic of the moral corruption that has pervaded the society. In the play, there is an instance in which an owl is seen to kill a falcon, and horses are seen to go wild and eat each other (2.4.2-5).

This is a reversal of nature as horses are not expected to eat each other, and owls are not expected to prey on birds that are larger than them. This reversal is symbolic of the rebellion, and of the upset of the natural order of things that happens when Macbeth starts to commit the murders. The play is also rich in the use of light and darkness. Whenever something evil or terrible is about to happen, night is invoked. Lady Macbeth for example asks for ‘thick night’ with the ‘smoke of hell’ (1.5.3).

Darkness in the play is seen as a symbol of the evil that the characters intend to commit. Light in the play is symbolic of protection from evil. Lady Macbeth for example calls for the spirits to stop heaven from pervading the blanket of darkness that would enable her to commit the crimes that she has planned on committing. This shows that light prevents evil from happening. She is later seen to be afraid of the darkness that she once craved for. She carries a candle to light her way. This shows that she is now afraid of the evil that she has committed and which now haunts her.

Sleep is also used symbolically in the play. When Macbeth murders Duncan, he imagines to hear a voice that says to him ‘Macbeth does murder sleep” (2.2.34). sleep in the lay is symbolic of innocence and purity of conscience. After committing murder, the characters in the play are unable to sleep, meaning that they are no longer of a clear conscience. Another symbol that appears in the play is that of water. After the Duncan’s murder, Lady Macbeth says ‘"A little water clears us of the deed"; (1. 2. 67).

Water therefore symbolizes the purification of a guilty conscience and the removal of guilt from the conscience. It is however important to note that the guilty ones do not succeed in removing the guilt or clearing their conscience for the actions that they have committed. Symbolism is seen to be dominant throughout the play and it plays an important role in developing the important themes in the play, such as the theme of unrestrained ambition and murder. The symbols used are appropriate for what they represent.

Work citedShakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Macbeth. Chicago: Aquitaine Media Corp, 2008. Print.