Macbeth :: Literary Analysis, Shakespeare

Within the pages of the play Macbeth, one can find the five distinct literary devices of symbolism, allusion, alliteration, personification, and repetition used throughout. These three devices aid the story along and help develop the plot and characters each in a different way. With the use of symbolism, or the practice of representing things by means of symbols that give significance to objects (The Free Dictionary 2011), events, or relationships, one can see that this device helps the overall plot and development of characters by showing the significance of emotions, such as guilt, by the players. Symbolism brings a lot to the overall work as it gives the readers a deeper look into the emotions brought up in the play, helps the reader associate symbols to actual meanings, and gives the story a kind of depth that would not be there without. One quotation that shows the use of symbolism is by Lady Macbeth, â€Å"Out, damned spot! Out, I say†¦Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?† (Act 5, Scene 1, lines 30-34) (Sparknotes 2011). This quote shows the imagined blood on Lady Macbeth’s hands as the symbol of the guilt and remorse, as well as fright, that she feels over all the deaths that have been implemented by her in the play. Lady cannot get rid of the blood which is a symbol for how she cannot get the deaths out of her consciousness. Allusion, or a passing reference to something in the Bible, history, or literature, is used in the play as a way of letting the reader and audience gain depth into the story and overall it helps the actors get the meaning they are trying to convey across to the audience. One quotation that shows the use of allusion is by Malcolm, â€Å"Angels are bright still, though the brightest fell.† (Act 4, Scene 3, line 23) (Sparknotes 2011). This quote is a biblical allusion that refers to the angel Lucifer’s fall from grace. In the context of the play, the quotes is in reference to Macbeth and how even though everything that is evil tries to present itself as good, there will always be a flaw and evil will never prevail. Alliteration, or the repetition of the same sounds or of the same kinds of sounds at the beginning of words or in stressed syllables (The Free Dictionary 2011), is used in the play Macbeth to get an actor’s point across in a powerful and intense fashion.