ipl-logo

Macbeth Figurative Language Essay

245 Words1 Pages
Shakespeare wrote at least 38 full-length plays and over 150 short and long poems throughout his life, many of which are still to this day considered to be the finest ever in literature. Every single one of Shakespeare’s pieces includes examples of figurative language, and Macbeth is no exception. In Act IV Scene 3, Macbeth and Macduff discuss the state of Scotland under Macbeth’s tyrannical rule. Shakespeare uses various examples of figurative language, including hyperboles, personification, and descriptive language throughout this scene to further develop and convey the suffering of Scotland with Macbeth at the throne. Shakespeare uses an example of a hyperbole in Scene 3, conveying Malcolm’s obvious distress about the state of his country.
Show More
Related
619 Words | 3 Pages

Although this book is a work of nonfiction, Nordlinger uses a variety of abstract language and ideas to convey the facts he presents. These displays of figurative language add texture and life to what would otherwise be a rather dark and dull topic. The most common devices are metaphors, however other devices are implemented throughout. When speaking of Castro, a Cuban dictator, Nordlinger states, “if he has to break a few eggs along the way in order to make an omelette out of Cuba, so be it” (Nordlinger 118). As the majority of Nordlinger’s readers have not experienced the desire to conquer an entire country, Nordlinger uses this metaphor to make the dictator’s drive more relatable.

Read More
675 Words | 3 Pages

The Tragedy of Macbeth is a well known story that revolves around the word “ambition” but this ambition isn’t always self driven by someone, but rather through the influence of someone else who maintains control of the situation. The story is about a man whose desire to be the king and have power leads to the murders of those who might stand in his way. Throughout the story we see many characters who play major parts in how one event follows another, and how some characters seem to completely have control of the events in the story. Although in Macbeth the Three Sisters and Macbeth exhibit some control over the events, Lady Macbeth has the most responsibility.

Read More
250 Words | 1 Pages

Lady Macbeth uses a series of rhetorical questions in order to make Macbeth feel cowardly and unmanly to influence him to kill King Duncan. Lady Macbeth asks her husband, “Art thou afeard to be in thine own act and valor as thou art in desire?” Lady Macbeth is questioning whether Macbeth has the courage to kill Duncan and is suggesting to Macbeth that he is weak and lacks the courage to kill King Duncan. This has a significant impact on Macbeth and it makes him question his masculinity in his decision. This is effective because Macbeth, being a powerful Scottish general, does not want to present himself as cowardly, and will want to prove Lady Macbeth wrong.

Read More
746 Words | 3 Pages

In the play “Macbeth”, written in 1606 by William Shakespeare and the film “The Lion King” released in 1994, Roger Allers demonstrates in depth that ambition for royalty will lead one to betray his peers. This has vividly been portrayed throughout the film and novel with the use of rhetorical language and by the visible actions of the characters involved. In the play Macbeth, he is constantly thinking about what his life would be like if he was king and creates a plan to execute and replace the king. He successfully completes the execution of King Duncan and will become the leader.

Read More
1294 Words | 6 Pages

As individuals, we have a certain degree of control over our own lives and the decisions we make. While external factors such as social pressure, cultural norms, and personal circumstances can influence us, ultimately, we have agency in choosing how we respond to those factors. This is portrayed through William Shakespeare's tragedy, Macbeth, the titular character Macbeth is the protagonist, a Scottish general who receives a prophecy from three witches that he will become king. Consumed by ambition and spurred on by his wife, Lady Macbeth, Macbeth murders King Duncan and takes the throne for himself. However, his guilt and paranoia lead him to commit more murders in order to maintain his power, and he becomes increasingly tyrannical as his

Read More
400 Words | 2 Pages

Macbeth, like many of Shakespeare’s creations, is a tragedy, but this one isn’t about young tragic love like Romeo and Juliet but about a man hungry for power, driven to commit the act of murder. The play Macbeth uses many rhetorical devices such as repetition, tone, metaphor, and lastly pathos. These rhetorical devices are used to extend the feeling of sadness and loss that Macbeth feels but also to show moments of weakness and insanity. These rhetorical devices are used all throughout the play of Macbeth but in this essay, I will be focusing on their use of them in act 5, scene 5. This scene is played right before the conclusion of the play it is also after we find out about the death of Lady Macbeth.

Read More
633 Words | 3 Pages

Lines 49-74, in act 3 scene 1 of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Macbeth is expressing his fears of Banquo. He talks about how it is nothing for he himself to be king if he is not safe. He is worried that he has killed the former King just for Banquo’s sons to rule, as was stated in the witches’ prophecy. At the end of the soliloquy, Macbeth states that he will challenge fate so his gain of power is not in vain. Rather than having omniscient narrator, Macbeth himself provides the narration.

Read More
583 Words | 3 Pages

Thesis statement: In Lady Macbeth's speech convincing Macbeth to kill Duncan in Act I Scene vii, the speaker's persuasive tactics, the audience's knowledge of Macbeth's character, and the effective use of rhetorical appeals and literary devices contribute to the powerful rhetorical situation. Lady Macbeth employs the rhetorical appeals of ethos and pathos and utilizes the literary device of manipulation to convince Macbeth of the necessity and righteousness of regicide. Body Paragraph 1: Speaker, Audience, and Rhetorical Situation Lady Macbeth's speech in Act I Scene vii presents a crucial moment in the play as she persuades Macbeth to commit regicide. The speaker, Lady Macbeth, is a determined and ambitious character who seeks power and control.

Read More
522 Words | 3 Pages

In William Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth, Macbeth truthfully expresses that life is ultimately repetitive and meaningless towards the actions that lead to death. Claiming that life is short and easily extinguished from his reaction towards Lady Macbeth’s apparent suicide. Shakespeare applies rhetorical elements to emphasize Macbeth’s responsiveness to the concept of life and death. Initially, Shakespeare commences with repetition of the word “tomorrow” thrice to accentuate the hopeless future Macbeth perceives.

Read More
449 Words | 2 Pages

In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the tragic hero delivers a soliloquy (I.vii.1-28) in which he reveals his tragic flaw as he internally battles his consciousness, and debates the consequences of his future actions. Macbeth begins with an alliteration and continues to use this literary device throughout the speech. In lines 1-2 and 4, the tragic hero uses alliterative phrases such as “surcease success” (4) and hard to say phrases like “If it were done whet ‘tis done, then ‘twere well it were done quickly”(1-2) when describing the difficulty for him to commit the murder of King Duncan. The use of these tenacious expressions show that just like they are inconvenient to say, it must be much more than just a battle of morality. Macbeth persistently brawls his interior battle of values and emotions, to deliver the chief results without receiving any harsh consequences.

Read More
919 Words | 4 Pages

In Macbeth, Shakespeare writes about a man named Macbeth, who has a very strong ambition to be the the king of Scotland. His credulousness led him into believing the prophecy from the three witches without thinking rigorously. Because of this prophecy, Macbeth is willing to do everything he can to gain the throne, even to the extreme of murdering someone. Shakespeare uses syntax, similes, and personification to convey the evolution of Macbeth’s insanity.

Read More
706 Words | 3 Pages

The Tragedy of Macbeth written by William Shakespeare deals with the concepts of power, ambition, evil and fear. One particular scene in the play seems to deal with more of the concepts of fear and power, as well as feeling nothing. In Act 5, Scene 5, Shakespeare uses differing types of figurative language to add to the somber tone and dark nature of the scene/play. In this scene, Macbeth is preparing to go to war with the people who were once on his side.

Read More
740 Words | 3 Pages

Macbeth is a renowned play about a man dominated by his appetite for power, the same appetite that led to his demise. There have been many adaptations of this acclaimed play and my group’s own adaptation has added to the list. Essentially, for my group’s Macbeth scene adaptation, we decided to focus on changing the diction, setting, and characters of the original play. Diction is important in a piece of writing because it determines how the audience will interpret it. For our Macbeth adaptation we made the decision to greatly change the diction.

Read More
500 Words | 2 Pages

The scene Act 3 scene 2, conveys the theme that killing someone isn't the most proficient way in dealing with problems nor does it make life simpler, instead it creates more complications. Ironically, In this scene Lady Macbeth and Macbeth discuss the death of Banquo; both of them begin to show signs of fear & guilt. Both of them realize the troubles that come with killing Banquo, and recognize that troubles follow; his son Fleance can still cease the prophecy. This is demonstrated in the metaphorical quote “We have scorched the snake, not killed it.” Macbeth refers to Banquo as a snake, who has not yet been killed and is still able to “attack” them.

Read More
674 Words | 3 Pages

Shakespeare, in Act 5, Scene 5 of his play The Tragedy of Macbeth, portrays time as unfeeling. Shakespeare’s purpose is to make the audience ponder the nature of time and denounce ambition as a vain notion of humanity through repetition and personification. In the speech, Macbeth adopts a grim and weary tone in order to convey the meaninglessness of day to day life and the cyclical nature of time to the Elizabethan audience. In Macbeth’s speech in Act 5, Scene 5, Shakespeare uses repetition to create a grim tone which reflects the speech’s message surrounding the cyclical nature of life and time.

Read More

More about Macbeth Figurative Language Essay

Related Topics

Open Document