Macbeth Imagery

Macbeth Imagery In Macbeth William Shakespeare uses vivid imagery blood, sleep, and nature to convey emotion, meaning, and the gravity of the the scene. Blood is used vividly throughout Macbeth, from the beginning battle of the Scots and Norwegians to Lady Macbeth's Hallucination. The mention of blood serves to set the tone of a scene and to emphasize the death and killing in the play. Such as when Duncan's body is discovered, “his silver skin laced with his golden blood” (2.2.102), the mention of blood sets a dark tone for the rest of the scene. In Macbeth there tends to be an large amount of blood imagery after each murder, as if the progression of the story flows along with the blood of the murdered. Before Duncan's death there is very little mention of death in the current scene, but after blood is used profusely. Such as when Duncan's chamberlains are described being “badged in blood” as well as Donalbain being told “the fountain of his blood is stopped” (2.3.91,88). A large amount of blood is mentioned after Banquo's murder as well. The murderers describe Banquo's body to Macbeth in gory detail, as well as the description of Banquo's ghost when he haunts Macbeth. Third, blood imagery characterizes the deaths and killings in the play, as in the opening when Macbeth is honored and called “Brave Macbeth” when he slashes Macdonwald from “nave to th' chops”. Then after the murderers killing of Banquo Macbeth is characterized as evil and trecherous. William Shakespeare emphasizes the importance of sleep by using it as a sign of peace as well as using a lack of sleep as punishment or a sign of guilt. In the beginning of Macbeth, when the witches meet to prophesize Macbeth becoming the king of Scotland; one of the witches recounts an incident between her and a sailors wife. The wife refuses to give the witch a chestnut so the witches agree to punish the sailor. “I’ll drain him dry as hay. Sleep shall neither night nor day/ Hang upon his penthouse