In Shakespeare's Macbeth, motifs from clothing to blood, from disease to sleep, brought

out the major themes and ideas set in the play. However, the motif of light and dark certainly

brought out major symbolism of the tragic hero himself, Macbeth, as well as the plot as a whole.

Through his skillful use of this imagery, Shakespeare shows us a deeper look into the true

character of Macbeth, and proves this play to be one of the best tragedies written.

The first form used to add to the atmosphere of the tragedy is the imagery of darkness. In a

Shakespearean tragedy, we have known him to create a special tone, or atmosphere to show the

darkness in a tragedy. In 'Macbeth', Shakespeare draws upon the design of the witches, the guilt in

Macbeth's soul, and the darkness of the night to establish the atmosphere. All of the remarkable

scenes take place at night or in some dark spot; for instance, the vision of the dagger, the murder of

Duncan, the Murder of Banquo, and Lady Macbeth's sleep walking. Darkness is the time when the

traveler hastens to reach safety in his inn, when Banquo rides homeward to meet his assassins;

play. At the time of Duncan's murder, Macbeth says, "'Stars, hide your fires; Let not light

better of him, and appears to have control over him. He gives in against his moral conscience, and

see how Macbeth is a moral coward. This is evident as, he is undecided as to whether or not to

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Approximate Word count = 830
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)