Macbeth Light and Darkness

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 wants to murder King Duncan in order to receive the crown. Later on in that same act, Lady Macbeth cries out, “Come, thick night, and pall the in the dunnest smoke of hell, that my keen knife see not the wound it makes, nor the heaven peep through the blanket of the dark” (Bevington pg. 635). Lady Macbeth does not want anyone to see what she will do, and she also does not want to see it herself. The darkness, or evil, will cover her deed, and the light,

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For example, in Act 2 while Fleance and Banquo are discussing the conditions of the night, Fleance states, “The moon is down.

The imagery of light and darkness plays an important role in the scenes wherein murders occur. For instance, in Act 4 Malcolm declares, “Angels are bright still, thought the brightest star fell” (Bevington pg. These statements by Macbeth and Lady Macbeth illustrate the contrasting views between light and darkness. The distinction between light and darkness is further developed as the play progresses. 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. These elements combine to contrast the features of the distinction between light and darkness in the play. The witches are the main sources of evil within the play. Darkness is again associated with evil when Macbeth describes the witches’ appearance as “secret, black, and midnight hags”. This scene indicates that Lady Macbeth is afraid of the dark because she doesn’t want to be bothered by the dead that can appear as ghosts to haunt her in the night. It is used to portray an image of a desolate, deranged place, full of tumult and disorder. She has light by / her continually. The dialogue spoken by the characters greatly demonstrates the contrast between light and darkness, but Shakespeare also utilizes atmosphere to broaden the notion.

Approximate Word count = 1006
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

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