NOTE: Free essay sample provided on this page should be used for references or sample purposes only. The sample essay is available to anyone, so any direct quoting without mentioning the source will be considered plagiarism by schools, colleges and universities that use plagiarism detection software. To get a completely brand-new, plagiarism-free essay, please use our essay writing service.
One click instant price quote
Nature in Macbeth Macbeth, and all of William Shakespeare's other works include several universal themes. Shakespeare incorporates these themes into his works to emphasize meanings and points. Several times in Macbeth nature is out of order which coincides with unpleasant events occurring. This happens many times in Macbeth.
Shakespeare demonstrates this using setting, characters, and dialog. One of the major ways Shakespeare shows disturbances in nature is use of setting. Thunder and Lightning. (Shakespeare 1) This is how Shakespeare describes the setting before the play begins. The thunder and lightning are disturbances in nature and a great day is not filled with thunder and lightning (Ravi 1).
The three Weird Sisters enter in the midst of all the thunder and lightning. Their appearance could be considered an unpleasant event because whenever the Weird Sisters appear bad things happen. When shall we three meet again / In thunder, lightning, or in rain (Shakespeare 2). This tells the reader that the witches meeting with Macbeth will be filled with thunder, lightning, and rain. A meeting like that is very foreboding (Ravi 1).
Another method Shakespeare uses to develop the theme is the characters dialog with other characters. On Tuesday last, / A falcon, towering in her pride of place, / Was by a mousing owl had at and killed, (Shakespeare 9) said the Old Man to Ross. The falcon was high in the sky and an owl, who usually stays low to the ground to hunt mice went up to the falcon and killed it (click notes 3). This occurred shortly before Macbeth murdered King Duncan. The night Macbeth murders Duncan his best horses eat each other (Shakespeare 9). MacDuff comes in with the verdict that the kings sons bribed the servants to kill Duncan and Ross says Gains nature still! (Shakespeare 10) He is saying that it is just as unlikely that an owl killed a hawk and horses ate each other, that Duncan's sons had him murdered (click notes 3).
Yet another way Shakespeare conveys the theme is through the use of characters. What are these / So withered and so wild in their attire, / That look not like the inhabitants o the earth, / And yet are ont. (Shakespeare 6) This is Banquo describing the Three Witches. The Weird Sisters are disturbances in nature. They have beards like men, but are supposed to be women. Whenever the Weird Sisters appear nothing good happens (click notes 1). Stop up the access and passage to remorse, / That no compunctious visiting's of nature / Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between / The effect and it!
Come to my womans breasts, / And take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers, / Wherever in sightless substances / You wait on natures mischief! Lady Macbeth is trying to get nature out of order so that she will have what is necessary when it is time to kill Duncan. In Conclusion, Shakespeare uses many different ways to communicate a theme to the reader. He makes use of setting several times in Macbeth. Shakespeare also uses dialog and characters to convey the theme of nature throughout Macbeth.
Shakespeare uses all three ways expertly to emphasize the theme that when nature is out of order, it causes bad events to occur. Macbeth Navigator: Themes: Nature and Unnatural. Online. Internet. 3 October, 2000.
Available WWW: web Major Themes in Macbeth. Online. Internet. 3 October, 2000. Available WWW: web macbeth / themes . html Shakespeare, William.
Macbeth. The Language of Literature. Eds. Arthur N. Applebee, et al.
Evanston, Illinois: McDougal Littel, 2000. 327 - 416
Free research essays on topics related to: thunder and lightning, october 2000, kill duncan, internet 3, weird sisters
Research essay sample on Thunder And Lightning Weird Sisters
