![]() The battle is winding down, the generals are talking to their King, and the success of one great man is being discussed. This first use of a specific aviary description is in the opening act of the play. The last use of the word bird is in an indirect reference to the owl as an “obscure bird” and to the martlet, both of which shall be discussed along with another direct naming below (2.3.59 1.6.7). This scene also mentions ways to trap a bird, such as nets, lime, pitfalls, and gin (4.2.34-35). The scene involving Lady Macduff and her son involves birds in fact, Lady Macduff calls her little son a bird once, and he to himself twice (4.2). The crow “wings” to its home in the “rooky wood,” leaving the night and evil tidings to the owl (3.2.50-51). Duncan uses the beautiful word wing to say how repayment for good deeds is slow compared to how quickly Macbeth does them (1.4.16-18). There is also a reference of a bat’s flight to the witch Hecate in order to fulfill its evil duty (3.2.43-44). The last use of the word fly is when Macbeth relates just how trapped he is when he asserts, “They have tied me to a stake I cannot fly” (5.7.1).įlight is used as well in reference not only to a person fleeing but to Banquo’s “soul’s flight” to its resting place (3.1.140-141). Macbeth, frustrated with reports of the Lords who have abandoned him, brashly says, “let them fly all.” (5.3.1). After her husband’s flight, Lady Macduff questions Ross as to why her husband had to “fly the land,” an action she calls madness (4.2.1, 3). The next event is when Lennox tells another lord that some messenger needs to “fly” to England to report the evils befalling the land (3.6.45-49). The first occurrence is at the time of Banquo’s murder when he tells his son, “Fly, good Fleance, fly, fly, fly!” (3.3.17). Most of these uses are in connection to flight, as in fleeing from a place. Throughout Macbeth, there are many general references to birds. Shakespeare uses birds as symbols to represent the ambiance of a situation and describe the nature of the characters in his play Macbeth which, knowing what they symbolize, gives the reader an added depth of understanding of the play. Thus, explaining the symbolism and omens behind the birds that Shakespeare uses is important to understanding an underlying message of the play. Yet to the modern-day reader, these birds infer little meaning besides name, shape, and perhaps color if the reader is well-versed in bird species. The imagery of the bird is used well by Shakespeare as it is both poetically beautiful and culturally significant. Macbeth’s final lines state that he cannot fly, as if he was a bird snared (5.7.1). The use of fly and flight occur eleven times, wing three, and the word bird appears six times. In addition to the actual naming of birds, there are also many tangential references to them. Others are a sign of prosperity and peace. Some of these birds are terrible omens, their presence bringing about the worst of calamities. They are not placed as a description mentioned by happenstance, rather, the birds are often used to characterize a person or give more meaning to a scene’s atmosphere. Birds in Shakespeare’s Macbeth have a surprisingly important role in the nature of the play. … Shakespeare’s images from bids form by far the largest section.” (48). As Spurgeon writes on Shakespeare’s animal imagery, “Of the large animal group, the outstanding point is the great number drawn from birds. Yet some of these superstitions are hidden in the feathers of more aloft creatures, creatures found frequently in the pages of Shakespeare’s play, yet often remaining unnoticed in the greater scope of the tale. Most of the story revolves around the supernatural and forces untouchable. Macbeth is a tale of witches, murder mysteries, secrecy, and superstition. ![]() This assignment gave me a deeper appreciation of this great play, and I hope it will do the same for you. You could go into his class hating English and literature and come out with at least an enjoyment of it. As a side note, the Professor for this class was one of the best I had. This is a paper I wrote in college for a class on the works of Shakespeare.
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