Darkness In Macbeth

The opposition of light and dark as symbols for life and death is the foundation upon which much of Shakespeare's Macbeth is built. Darkness in our society is indicative of many symbols of evil. For instance, a black cat, dark night, and dark place are all ominous symbols. Light, as it is used in Macbeth, often seems to be indicative of truth or life. The contrast between light and dark in Macbeth can best be seen through the dialogue of the characters and the ambiance of scenes in the play.

The characters in Macbeth make several references to light and darkness throughout the play. For example in Act 1 Macbeth says, "Stars, hide your fires; let not see my black and deep desires..." (Bevington pgs.632-633). Macbeth does not want the light, or his goodness, to see that he
For example, in Act 2 while Fleance and Banquo are discussing the conditions of the night, Fleance states, "The moon is down." and Banqo replies, "There is husbandry in heaven; / Their candles are all out." (Bevington, pg. 641). In this exchange the reader learns that the moon is down and the night is starless. This is exactly the kind of night that Macbeth wanted because he thought it might conceal his guilt that he was feeling and make him brave to kill Duncan. Soon after Macbeth has murdered Duncan, Ross reveals that the "Traveling lamp", which is the sun, should be lighting the new day, and speculates that the night is stronger than the day, or that the day is ashamed of itself. Given that the sun did not rise, it can be surmised that the goodness of the light could not be shed on such a sinister and bloody murder scene. Later on in Act 3 the relationship between light and life is again presented. Under the veil of the darkness of the night, the murders make out a light, being held by Banquo before they murder him. This light, which Banquo holds, represents the life that the murders have