A Description Macbeth's Scene Two

In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Shakespeare uses figurative language to more fully explain the thoughts and actions of his characters. This helps the reader, who is now able to obtain a much greater understanding of Shakespeare’s characters because of the use of figurative language. In Act II, scene two, lines 33 – 60 of Macbeth, he uses a great amount of figurative language. Although Macbeth has just purposefully murdered Duncan, he feels incredible guilt over his actions because he believed Duncan was a good king. Macbeth only murdered Duncan after he succumbed to the pressure from Lady Macbeth to do the deed.

In line 42, Macbeth exclaims to Lady Macbeth, “As they had seen me with these hangman’s hands.” This is a metaphor in which Macbeth calls his hands the hands of a hangman because he believes what he has done is just like what a hangman does. Despite the fact that Duncan was a good king in Macbeth’s eyes, he killed him. A hangman, similarly, will execute someone regardless of what he or she has done to him. Shakespeare’s use of figurative language here is to show Macbeth’s guilt and the conflict that still rages in his mind over murdering Duncan.

Lines 43 – 44 and 46 – 48 state, “[…] I could not say ‘Amen!’ / When they did say ‘God bless us!’ / But wherefore could I not pronounce ‘Amen’? / I had most need of blessing, and ‘Amen!’ / Stuck in my throat.” Macbeth explains to Lady Macbeth that he cannot say, “Amen” along with the soldiers in prayer. Macbeth says he needs such a blessing most, but that he could not utter the word to receive one. By murdering Duncan, Macbeth has committed a mortal sin and is therefore separated from Holiness. Macbeth’s inability to verbalize the word “Amen” is a symbol of his depravity. Here, Shakespeare uses figurative language to show just how wicked Macbeth’s action was.

Lines 51 and 52 describe to Macbeth the words of the crying voice he was hearing. The voice cried, “Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep!” Because Macbeth will have no more sleep as a result of his guilt, as it says in lines 59 and 60, he has “murdered sleep,” and that “Macbeth shall sleep no more,” he will miss out on the benefits of sleep which are said later in lines 53 – 56. Line 54 states, “Sleep that knits up the raveled sleave of care.” Personification is used here to describe the way in which sleep is responsible for repairing us when we are worn out from living our life for another day. After every day, our sleep prepares ourselves for the next day in which we do what we care about. Shakespeare’s use of figurative language conveys to the reader how guilty Macbeth feels in that he will no longer sleep with the painful consequences of the guilt since now Macbeth won’t be have sleep to knit him back together for a new day from here on out.

This small part of Macbeth serves to illustrate the consequences and guilt of Macbeth’s murderous act. With Shakespeare’s use of figurative language, he has been able to show the reader just how much wickedness is corrupting many aspects of Macbeth’s life, such as sleep and his connection with God. Despite the seemingly soul endangering and life ruining consequences that Macbeth faces here for murdering one person, they seem all but absent further in the story when he goes on to become responsible for the deaths of many more people. When Macbeth goes onto murder the likes of Banquo and Macduff's family, Macbeth is not at all restrained by his conscience. His guilt present in this scene isn't seen ever again, which suggests that this first mortal sin, this first murder, was the spark for the end of any sense of morality or belief in the sanctity of human life that Macbeth had in him.