Light And Dark In Macbeth Essay

Imagery of Light and Dark in Macbeth In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the reader is submersed in a play filled with imagery. Shakespeare created a world to escape to through eloquently written detail and imagination. From the weird sisters to the phantom dagger, on every page there is a something new and descriptive to find. He masterfully uses different themes throughout his play as symbolically, to convey different truths to his audience. The personification of light and dark in Macbeth is used to symbolize good and evil in various instances throughout the play. Many times throughout the play of Macbeth light is personified to be too pure to shine upon the crimes that are being committed. After King Duncan has named his son, Malcom, as the heir to the throne of Scotland, Macbeth says to the starlight, “Stars, hide your fires; / Let not light see my black and deep desires,”(1.4.49-50) due to his thoughts of murdering both the king and his son. He personifies light, telling it to close its eyes to his thoughts that are too terrible for even the light of the stars to witness. Later in the play, after Duncan has been killed, Ross mentions that the morning is particularly dark. He says, “By th’ clock tis day, / And yet dark night strangles the traveling lamp. / Is’t night’s predominance or the day’s

Throughout the play, light is personified to be too innocent or virtuous to watch the evil crimes that are committed. Light or day is often asked to look away, close its eyes, or even be blindfolded, so that it will not witness the corruption taking place. While in contrast dark or night is often welcomed and invited. Multiple characters, even ask for favors from the night so that they can hide their shame and vicious deeds from both themselves and the light of day. It is through these personifications it can be noted what is fair is not foul, and what is foul is not