Discuss the use of imagery in Shakespeare's Macbeth.

After Macbeth murders Duncan, he begins to realize the importance of his actions as he tries to wash Duncan’s blood off his hands,

“Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?” This shows the murder has changed Macbeth’s character. Macbeth no longer feels ambitious; he now feels guilt and remorse. Macbeth says that not even all the water in the ocean will wash the blood off his hands, because he realizes he has done something terribly evil. The theme of blood continues after Macbeth has just seen the ghost of the murdered Banquo at his feast. Macbeth seems shocked and has to be taken back to his room by Lady Macbeth. He tells Lady Macbeth before he goes to sleep,

“All causes shall give way: I am in blood stepp’d in so far that, should I wade no more, returning were as tedious as go o’er.” Here Macbeth is saying that he has done so much wrong, that there would be no point in going back, he would still be found out. He is therefore forced to kill more and more people in order to keep control of the throne.

When Macbeth says,

“It will have blood, they say; blood will have blood,” he is in one of his mental breakdowns. This has occurred because he has become overwhelmed with all of his actions and murders. He feels extreme guilt at what he has done and becomes fearful of what he has done and thinks that he will have serious consequences to deal with. He says that because he has murdered and killed many people, he will in turn be killed as a consequence of this. In his breakdowns, Macbeth seems to always feel negative and constantly fears the worst for himself.

        The second theme of imagery used in Macbeth is light/dark. Shakespeare’s use of light and dark in Macbeth is important; it signifies right and wrong within the play and also good and evil. After Macbeth has been crowned Thane of Cawdor, he thinks that he will also become king since that is what the witches prophesized to him. Duncan, however, the king at the time announced that his son, Malcolm is heir to the throne. This angers Macbeth because he was expecting to be crowned Prince of Cumberland and therefore be next king. When Macbeth does not get this opportunity, he realizes what he must do if he were to be king, he must kill Duncan.

        “Stars, hide your fires! Let not light see my black and deep desires; The eye wink at hand; yet let that be which the eye fears, when it is done, to see” Macbeth wants the impossible. He wants the stars to go out, so that no one can see what he wants, not even himself. The light symbolizes other people who might be around at the time of the murder and see him commit the crime. He wants the stars to hide their fires because this means that no moonlight will show through at night and therefore it will be pitch black. This means that Macbeth can commit the murder without anyone knowing. He wants his own eye to blink when he commits the crime. He wants himself to be blinded from his actions but he still wants to kill Duncan. He says that even after he has killed Duncan, he would be afraid to see what he has done.