Light and immorality
Shakespeare uses the metaphor of darkness to illustrate Macbeths slide towards depravity. He cannot face his deeds but needs the dark to pelt what he is doing: Stars, wrap up your fires,/Let not light gossip my black and deep desires (i.iv.50-51)
This line that is one of the first indications of Macbeths bloody intentions. During the murder of Duncan, Lady Macbeth invokes the iniquity not only to hide from herself and her husband their evil deeds, but also to hide it from heaven, the theme of morality (i.v.49-53). Soon Macbeth and his wife are embracing night and its evil (iii.ii.46-55), and becoming inured to the horror of the murders they are committing.
Darkness is also used as a symbol of danger, as when Banquo says that he must become a borrower of the night for a dark hour or twain (iii.i.27-8), and the reader knows that Macbeth plans to gull him murdered.
In fact at the stroke of nightfall, when Banquo comes to the palace guardianship a fresh torch, both he and the light are struck down by the hired murderers.
Darkness is used to illustrate the unnatural character of Macbeths villainy in cleaning the king (which was considered at that time to be a crime against God and nature) when Ross remarks that although it should be day, it is still as dark as night (ii.iv.6-10). Night is also used as a metaphor for Macbeths reign itself, and its impending end when Malcolm comments that The night is colossal which never finds the day. (iv.iii.243)
Finally, Lady Macbeths sleepwalking, turning her nights into days, and her insistence that she always prolong a light by her at night (v.i), convey how the the darkness she embraced in order to pursue her ambitions has become...If you want to pay a full essay, order it on our website: Ordercustompaper.com
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