CITE EVIDENCE How does figurative language develop mood over the course of the play? Cite examples from the text.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
Figurative language plays a crucial role in developing mood throughout a play, influencing the audience’s emotional response and enhancing thematic elements. In Shakespeare’s “Macbeth,” for instance, the use of imagery, metaphors, and personification contributes significantly to the dark and foreboding atmosphere.
One notable example occurs in Act 1, Scene 5, when Lady Macbeth receives Macbeth’s letter about the witches’ prophecies. She expresses her ambition and desire for power, exclaiming, “Come, you spirits / That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, / And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full / Of direst cruelty!” Here, the personification of spirits and the metaphor of being filled with cruelty create a chilling mood, emphasizing her ruthless ambition and foreshadowing the ensuing violence. The imagery evokes a sense of dread and the supernatural, establishing an ominous tone.
Another example can be found in Act 2, Scene 1, when Macbeth hallucinates a dagger leading him to Duncan’s chamber. He states, “Is this a dagger which I see before me, / The handle toward my hand?” This metaphor illustrates his internal conflict and descent into madness, contributing to a tense and eerie atmosphere. The hallucination of the dagger symbolizes his ambition and the bloody path he is about to take, intensifying the mood of suspense and impending doom.
Finally, in Act 3, Scene 2, Macbeth reflects on his feelings of paranoia and guilt: “O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife!” The metaphor of a mind filled with scorpions encapsulates his torment and mental anguish, enhancing the mood of fear and anxiety as his reign is marked by treachery and violence.
In conclusion, through rich figurative language, “Macbeth” effectively conveys mood shifts, mirroring the characters’ psychological states and the play’s themes of ambition, guilt, and the supernatural, ultimately creating an atmosphere of tragedy and horror.