In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Shakespeare used plant imagery in many different forms. He used it to relate to character and theme. The main .
character of this book was a warrior named Macbeth. At the very beginning of the .
book, Macbeth was portrayed as a brave and capable warrior. As the plot continued, .
this perspective was soon proved to be incorrect.
Shakespeare used plant imagery to show that Macbeth was evil. Three witches .
told him that he will be the next king, so Macbeth tried to become just that. In .
Macbeth's struggle for mastery, he proved that he is a man that lacked good character. .
Macbeth's character can be classified as irrevocably evil. In Act 1, Sc 5., Shakespeare .
showed that the root of Macbeth's evil was his wife. She told Macbeth to ".look like .
the innocent flower, But be the serpent under't". Basically she wanted him to appear to be good and pure even though she knew he wasn't. Macbeth obviously took his .
wife's advice because he became like a serpent to Scotland. People in Scotland began .
killing each other and there was no control over the people. His kingship did not help .
Scotland at all. Macbeth also was a man full of pride (which was evil) and believed .
that he was invincible. In Act 4, Sc. 1, Shakespeare used the three apparitions to show .
plant imagery in that nature would rise up against him. Macbeth went to the three .
witches and inquired of them the nature of his future. One of the three apparitions told .
Macbeth that he should ".never vanquished be until Birnam Wood.come against .
him". Not realizing that nature was against him, Macbeth felt that he was invincible. .
He killed Macduff's family. He was a man that was evil and full of pride.
Plant imagery proved that Macbeth was evil in another way. In Act 5, Sc. .
2, Lennox, one of Macbeth's nobles that was suspicious of Macbeth, referred to .
Macbeth and his followers as " weeds". Weeds can destroy an entire crop.
