We Shall Meet in Imagery and Diction In all Shakespeare’s tragedies, Imagery and diction have an appearance. In the play Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, imagery and diction are two literary devices that are present and have a great significance to the play. Imagery is a form of a literary device to create a vivid image in the reader’s mind. As for diction, it is the choice of appropriate words and phrases, that the writer uses to make the message clear that is being said.
The use of animal imagery showcases the disturbance caused by the unnatural intervention of the hierarchy through Macbeth’s actions and foreshadows events that will happen in the future. Weather imagery uses thunder, lightning, and rain to develop a setting of darkness and evil. The use of blood imagery uses descriptive words to present a gory image of blood that signifies the character’s guilt. Diction is another literary device, in scenes such as its use in the dagger soliloquy before the killing of Duncan, the conversation between Macbeth and his wife after murdering Duncan, and Malcolm’s last speech.
The use of imagery and diction are significant to the play, as they advance the plot. Shakespeare utilizes imagery in the form of blood, weather, and animals in combination with the literary device of diction in the various dialogues/soliloquies of the characters to provide a depiction of the setting, foreshadow violence, and progress the overall theme of internal conflict. Shakespeare uses blood, weather and animal imagery to foreshadow violence, develop setting and create a theme of conflict.
Blood imagery is being used to foreshadow violence when Macbeth finds blood dripping from the dagger that was not there before,”And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood, Which was not so before. There’s no such thing. /It is the bloody business which informs /Thus to mine eyes. ” (11, ii: 47-50). This is important as it gives the audience a hint of what Macbeth will do with the dagger. Weather imagery is the use of creating a picture of darkness and evil through thunder, lightning, and rain in the audience’s mind to have a gloomy setting, “When shall we three meet again? / In thunder, lightning, or in rain? (I,i i: 1-2).
This image of thunder, lightning, and rain in the audience’s mind will help them understand the atmosphere that the scene is going into. To create a theme of conflict, Shakespeare uses animal imagery, “And Duncan’s horses—a thing most strange and certain)/-Beauteous and swift, the minions of their race,/Turn’d wild in nature, broke their stalls, flung out,/Contending ‘gainst obedience, as they would/Make war with mankind. /Tis said they eat each other. “(II, iv:14-18). This imagery plays a significant role as it shows that the disturbance of the natural hierarchy causes unnatural conflict between the animals.
The use of Imagery through blood, weather and animals play a major role in creating a setting, foreshadowing violence and developing a theme of conflict. Diction is another literary device that Shakespeare uses to describe a setting, to indicate what violence may happen in the future, and apply an atmosphere of conflict. Diction is present through the dagger soliloquy when Macbeth hallucinates a dagger, “Is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle towards my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible to feeling as to sight?
Or art thou but a dagger of the mind, a false creation proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain? ” (II,i: 32-39). The context of the soliloquy gives the audience an idea that Macbeth will commit to the murder plan on killing Duncan. Shakespeare also uses diction to describe the setting of the night of the murder, “The night has been unruly. Where we lay,/ Our chimneys were blown down and,/ as they say,/ Lamentings heard i’ the’ air, strange/ screams of death,/ And prophesying with accents terrible/ Of dire combustion and confused/events/ New hatched to the woeful time.
The obscure bird/ Clamored the livelong night. Some/ say the Earth/Was feverous and did shake. “(II,iii: 26-35). The variety of catastrophes shows the audience how chaotic the setting of the night of the murder has been. When creating an atmosphere of conflict to enhance the theme, Shakespeare uses diction when the sergeant brings the news of Macbeth winning the battle, “Doubtful it stood,/ As two spent swimmers that do cling together/ And choke their art.
The merciless Macdonwald-/Worthy to be a rebel, for to that/ The multiplying villanies of nature/ Do /swarm upon him—from the Western Isles/ Of kerns and gallowglasses is supplied, lAnd fortune, on /his damned quarrel smiling, /Showed like a rebel’s whore. But all’s too weak, /For brave Macbeth-well he deserves that name- /Disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel, / Which smoked with bloody execution, /Like valor’s minion carved out his passage /Till he faced the slave; /Which ne’er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him,/Till he unseamed him from the nave to th’ chops, /And fixed his head upon our battlements. (1,11,7-23). The use of diction is significant as it presents a violent atmosphere in the scene. Diction is added in the play to foreshadow upcoming event, as well as build a setting, and set a theme full of action.
Imagery and diction both enhance the plot through setting, foreshadowing violence, and through animal imagery, Malcolm’s last speech, and Lady Macbeth’s soliloquy in act 1. There is a hint of what will happen in the future during the conversation between Lady Macduff and Ross, “The most diminutive of birds, will fight,/ Her young ones in her nest, against the owl. (IV,ii: 10-11). Lady Macduff foreshadows violence through animal imagery when she speaks about how the most powerless of birds will always fight against any predator to secure their young ones. Lady Macduff and her child represent the weakest animals and how they will have trouble against an enemy.
Malcolm’s last speech displays a new setting in the play for the audience. It explains that there will be no more darkness and evil when Malcolm becomes the new leader, “We shall not spend a large expense of time/Before we reckon with your several loves/And make us even with you. My thanes and kinsmen, /Henceforth be earls, the first that ever Scotland/ In such an honor named. What’s more to do,/Which would be planted newly with the time,/ As calling home our exiled friends abroad/That fled the snares of watchful tyranny, /Producing forth the cruel ministers /Of this dead butcher and his fiendlike queen/Who, as ‘this thought, by self and violent hands /Took off her life; this, and what needful else /That calls upon us, by the grace of Grace, We will perform in measure, time, and place. /So. hanks to all at once and to each one,Whom we invite to see us crowned at Scone. ” (V,VIII: 61-77).
Diction in Malcolm’s speech portrays that the setting will now on be peaceful and there will not be any more chaos with the characters, animals and weather conditions. Macbeth’s soliloquy includes conflict that develops theme between his own conscious,” He’s here in double trust:/First, as I am his kinsman and his subject,/Strong both against the deed; then, as his host,/Who should against his murderer shut the door,/Not bear the knife myself. “(I,VII: 12-16).
Macbeth has a conflict with his conscious as he struggles to decide whether or not to murder Duncan. These two literary devices are significant as they bring conflict, foreshadow violence, and create a setting for the audience to understand what the scene is under. The evidence above shows that imagery and diction have a great significant upon the play. Shakespeare applies imagery through blood, animal and weather as well as diction through dialogues and soliloquies from the characters to include a description of setting, foreshadow violence, and develop theme through conflicts.
Shakespeare uses blood imagery to foreshadow the hidden guilt of a character’s action. Animal imagery is a tool that explains the unnatural causes that occur when there has been a disturbance among the natural hierarchy. The use of weather imagery uses thunder, lightning, and rain to develop a setting full of darkness for the audience to understand the scenes atmosphere. Diction is the next literary device that Shakespeare uses throughout the play appearing in dialogues and soliloquies. Shakespeare does exhibit imagery and diction to form a significant role in his play, Macbeth.
