Macbeth : Animal Imagery
If anything plays to one's senses and imagination the most, it is the use of animal imagery. William Shakespeare was a master in the incorporation of such imagery to personify emotions, deeds and qualities found in all his works, and particularly, Macbeth. Within this tragedy there is a motif of animal imagery which unveils many of the qualities of characters, foreshadows many events and serves as a medium for the audience with which to identify. During the time of Shakespeare there was a common understanding of a hierarchy that was preordained by God. In the case of the kingdoms of the earth, the animal kingdom was seconded only by man, giving animals a high place in the chain. The animal kingdom itself had it's own hierarchy where it was understood that a lion was perhaps more important than a sheep. Shakespeare used this in many scenes such as 2.4.12, where "a falcon, tow'ring in her pride of place, was
Because the human mind can identify so well with animals, it is a very effective tool in any work of literature. This reoccurring use of the animal imagery to display the chaotic destruction of the natural order of things is very effective and shows how backwards and wrong the world is with Macbeth as king. 4 the martlet makes "his pendent bed and procreant cradle" in the spires of Macbeth's castle. The martlet was understood to only nest in sanctified places and Shakespeare employs this bird as dramatic irony making the characters think that Macbeth's castle is safe and holy where the audience knows it is a place of death and treachery. In his tyrannical rule, Macbeth has been pegged as a minion and butcher of hell, and going with the past metaphors of Macbeth and canines, Shakespeare labels him "hound". This motif is masterfully incorporated in the tragedy of Macbeth and aids the audience in the full enjoyment and appreciation of the work. Lastly, Shakespeare uses animal imagery to personify the qualities of characters and exhibit their emotions or thoughts for the audience to better understand or identify with. In relation to the animal motif, Macbeth is symbolized by the noble owl who kills the falcon, which symbolizes the king, Duncan. 37 the raven is used to foreshadow the death of Duncan, as he "croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan" under Lady Macbeth's "battlements.
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