Monday, September 2, 2019
Macbeth: Serpentine Imagery Essay -- essays research papers
The snake has long been used as a symbol of sly subtlety. A serpentââ¬â¢s presence has been characterized by cunning cynicism dating as far back as biblical times, when the snake persuaded Eve to eat the forbidden fruit of Edenââ¬â¢s garden. Even the phrase ââ¬Å"snake in the grassâ⬠expresses latency. Shakespeare uses this treacherous reptile in Macbeth to convey the same evil. In his poetic prose, Shakespeare may not speak of a characterââ¬â¢s malevolence directly; rather, he alludes to it through serpentine imagery. Macbeth contains four separate images of this type. What is their purpose, and what do they signify? A deep undercurrent of meaning flows beneath each image. In act one, scene five, Lady Macbeth tries to instill invisible evil into herself and her husband in preparation for Duncanââ¬â¢s murder. She asks for supernatural unsexing, for a thickening of her blood that will ââ¬Å"stop up thââ¬â¢ access and passage to remorse.â⬠She fears her husband is too weak to murder Duncan, which she believes is Macbethââ¬â¢s only path to the crown. After tauntingly questioning her husbandââ¬â¢s manhood, she convinces him to follow her gory plan and gives him instructions to do so. ââ¬Å"To beguile the time, look like the time. Bear welcome in your eye, your hand, your tongue. Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under ââ¬Ët.â⬠She says that to succeed, they must feign mediocrity amongst their guests, concealing their sinister desires. Appearing normal will not invoke suspicions. The serpent Lady Macbeth s...
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