Imagery may be defined as a collection of mental pictures or thoughts, formed in an individual's mind, that appeals to any of one their five senses. In the play Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, various images are used. Macbeth is a play about an ambitious young man who goes to great lengths in order to become king of Scotland. In the play, the dominant images are of clothing, blood, animals, and sleeplessness. The use of imagery creates an effect in the readers" minds and enhances their understanding of the play through helping to create a moral, mental, and physical atmosphere in a work.
Firstly, images of blood and animals play a prominent role in establishing the moral atmosphere. In Lady Macbeth's statements to Macbeth before the murder of Duncan, an animal image helps to convey moral atmosphere. Lady Macbeth says to her husband, " look like the innocent flower, / But be the serpent under't". (1.5 65-66) Lady Macbeth is telling Macbeth that to escape suspicion he needs to act innocent, while acting like the devilish fiend to accomplish his murderous goals. The serpent has often been used as a representation of evil or a representative of the devil. Thus, although Lady Macbeth is arguing to Macbeth that the murder of Duncan is the righteous thing to do, her use of the image of the serpent suggests that the murder of Duncan is wrong. Another image that particularly helps to establish moral atmosphere is found in the words of Macbeth. Just after Macbeth murders Duncan, he begins to show his feelings of guilt and remorse when he says:.
With all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood.
Clean from my hand? No; this my hand will rather.
The multitudinous seas incarnadine,.
Making the green one red. (2.2, 60-64).
Macbeth is saying that the sea does not contain enough water to wash the blood from his hands without turning the seas themselves red with blood. He is illustrating to the viewer .
