macbeth

Bird Imagery in Macbeth In literature, animals are often used to depict and explain certain ideas. Certain animals are used to suggest power and strength, others are used to imply sneakiness and slyness, and others are used to demonstrate fragility and helplessness. In Shakespeare’s tragedy, Macbeth, references to animals are made over 70 times. The witches, especially, make many references to animals, even in the first act; “I come Grey-Malkin” (1.1.8), “Paddock calls!”(1.1.9), “Killing swine”(1.3.2). But …

…King Duncan. All of Shakespeare’s bird imagery quoted and explained are all related. They all symbolize death, either the sounds of it or the thoughts of it. The birds Shakespeare uses in this essay or evil, such as a raven or screech owl, and if not evil, such as a sparrow, than its contrasted with evil. Bird imagery adds definition to the unnatural images that accumulate certain characters throughout Shakespeare’s tragedy of Macbeth.