Literary Divices In Shakespeare Essay Research Paper

Literary Divices In Shakespeare Essay, Research Paper

Shakespeare s Literary Devices

Shakespeare, through his use of stylistic devices; namely, his use of metaphors, personification, symbols, imagery, and irony, though not necessarily limited to them; creates rich, vivid verse that has yet to be paralleled in writing since. There are many excellent examples of stylistic devices throughout Shakespeare s work, but for this paper I will only quote from Mac Beth. I would like to quote and reflect some of these devices in the aforementioned order.

There are many examples of powerful metaphors throughout Mac Beth; here are a few I have picked out that have meaning to me:

The deep damnation of his taking off,

And pity, like a new-born babe,

Striding the blast, or heaven s cherubin, horsed,

Upon the sightless couriers of the air,

Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye,

That tears shall drown the wind. (Act I, scene vii)

This example is very deep. It is saying that pity is like a newborn or one of heavens angels, they attract a lot of attention, making it obvious to everyone who killed Duncan.

Another example is this:

True worthy Banquo- he is full so valiant,

And in his commendations I am fed.

It is a baquet to me. (Act I, scene iv)

This quote says that Duncan is fed by Mac Beth s compliments and deeds. This means Mac Beth makes Duncan proud, like how a parent makes his child feel when they compliment him.

And for my last metaphor:

Your face, my Thane, is as a book where men

May read strange matters (Act I, scene v)

Your face can easily be read whether you want it read or not. Lady Mac Beth was telling her husband that he is letting everyone know his face, being a book that is easily read, is troubled.

The examples of personification I have chosen are, first:

Norweyan banners float the sky and fan are people cold (Act I, scene ii)

This implies that the Norwegians being there would bring their cold air to the Battle. But in meaning it would mean that the Norwegians are ravaging the people, making them shiver out of fear.

My second quote is:

Was the hope drunk,

Wherein you dressed yourself? Hath it slept since?

And wakes it now to look so green and pale,

At what it did so freely? (Act I, scene vii)

This would mean Lady Mac Beth is insinuating that Mac Beth becoming weak. She is saying he can t back his actions and should feel pathetic. She wants him to become callous, like her. She has done this by personifying hope. She says it was drunk, that it slept, that now when it has awakened it looks sickly. I like this quote because it has meaning for all of us. Be sure of what you do and it s consequences.

My third and last example of personification is this:

Confusion now hath made his masterpiece! (Act II, scene iii)

I like this line because confusion has made something. Confusion could be the devil or it could be miscommunication between people. It has created a tragic situation; no one knows what happened except the man who caused it.

Shakespeare loves to use symbolism; it helps put an even deeper meaning into the already heavily enriched text. Symbolism helps to better explain and/or familiarize the text for the readers; so it is either more easily understood and/or uses an archetype that everyone can relate to. A good example would be that of the dagger:

Is this dagger which I see before me,

The handle toward my hand? Come let me clutch thee.

I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.

Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible

To feeling as to sight? (Act II, scene i)

Everyone knows that daggers can be fatal and that this dagger represents Duncan s slaying by Mac Beth; he even calls it a fatal vision. Another excellent symbol that I like is: The Thane of Cawdor lives. Why do you dress me in borrowed robes? (Act I, scene iii) When something is borrowed, you know it is not yours and do not feel the comfort you would have if it was yours. If I was to borrow a CD, for example, I would be a lot more careful with it than I would if it was my own. Mac Beth probably felt the same way; he was given a title he knew someone else had and did not feel comfortable being addressed as something he was not. When the title was indeed his, he then thought about attaining the crown. An interesting symbol I found is that of the witches; they always say things that contradict, but at the end of the play all come true; such as this: But in a sieve I ll thither sail, and like a rat without a tail, I ll do, I ll do, I ll do. (Act I, scene iii) For one thing a sieve cannot float, obviously. Rats without tails are not really capable of doing anything. This all symbolizes what Mac Beth does to himself by the end of the play; he sets out to sail, but has forgot to cover all the holes. When he recognizes what he has done he loses all competence and runs around like a crazed man (rat), which, perhaps, he has become.

Imagery is a way of putting words that can make you see, smell, hear, or even touch it, perhaps even, all of these things. Imagery is important to all writing; it brings out the imagination. Making us picture things, if used right, can produce v

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