Theme of Nature Portrayed Using Negative and Positive Imagery

1440 Words6 Pages
In one’s life, nature can be used to express many hard shifts and successes one may go through. In Shakespeare, Macbeth one is able to notice his style of writing by which he uses nature to express the events and action taking place in the play. One of the major themes in Macbeth is nature, which Shakespeare uses to portray the events happening using good and bad nature characteristics. By examining how Shakespeare expresses the good and bad events using nature, one is able to see how he developed the major theme of nature by using imagery. Early in Macbeth, one is introduced to the use of negative imagery and the portrayal nature as a theme. In the beginning of the play, one is already able to understand the bad events taking place within the scene: (All Witches) When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain? When the hurly- burly’s done, When the battle’s lost, and won. That will ere the set of sun. (Act 1 Scene 1, 1-5) With the given description one is able to sense something bad will occur in the following scene, which would change the mood of the setting. Also, it is evident to see why Shakespeare describes what is happening using weather because the imagery he had chosen to represent the setting signifies intensity and tension that may rise in the play. Shakespeare uses the same concept to state other dreadful events taking place as well. This is evident to see when Sergeant explains to the people gathered at the camp of his stories: (Sergeant) As whence the sun’gins his reflection, Shippwrecking storms and direful thunders, So from what spring whence comfort seem’d to come, Discomfort swells. (Act 1 Scene 2 25-28) From this we can perceive the emotions that the characters may have had while this incident was taking place and visualize how it may have happened. Compared to the first quote which just describes
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