Macbeth - Clothing Imagery

Clothing Imagery

Within Macbeth

Setting

In Macbeth, clothing is also used to help establish the mood:

"Why do you dress me in borrowed robes?" (1.3.108)

Borrowed robes: Something that does not rightfully belong to Macbeth.

Reflecting on the dynamic shift of power and the change in situation, as well as the predictions from the witches coming true.

"I'll fight till from my bones my flesh be hack'd. Give me my armour" (5.3.32-33)

Character Development

My Armour: Any apperal that is meant to defend usually signifies an upcoming conflict, mainly of a physical sort. This makes us picture war or the battle scene from the movie 300.

"why do you dress me in borrowed robes."

"Scarf up the tender eye of pitiful day[...]" (3.2.49)

Scarf up: Indicating the covering up of an activity. In this scene it is used to hint towards the fact that Macbeth is hiding somthing.

A: 1 S: 3 L:107

When Macbeth hears that he has just earned the title of thane of Cawdor. This is significant to the play because the witches first prediction comes true.

"Let our old robes sit easier then our new"

A: 2 S: 4 L:38

Macduff has to accept the fact that Macbeth is king and he will have to live wit it.

"upon my head that plac'd a fruitless crown."

A: 3 S:2 L:62

This is Macbeth stating that his bloodline stops with him, because he can't have kids so no one else related to him will be kings.

Plot Development Continued...

Character Development continued..

"...throw her nightgown upon her..."

A:5 S:1 L:4

This image depicts the frailties in Lady Macbeth that she was trying to be without throughout the entire play. Everything that has happened is weighing too heavy for her femine heart to handle

"I'll fight till from my bones my flesh be hack'd. Give me my armour."

A:5 S:3 L:32-33

"Thunder. Enter First Apparition, an armed head." (4.1)

• Means- beware of Macduff

"Thunder. Enter Second Apparition, a bloody Child" (4.1)

• Means- No one born of a women can harm Macbeth

"Thunder. Enter Third Apparition, a Child crowned with a tree in his hand." (4.1)

• Means- Danger will not come till Burnam Wood moves to Dunsinane Hill

• The three apparitions change the plot be confusing Macbeth. The change his actions and emotions by making him over-confident and feel invincible (boastful)
• It causes conflict and confusion in the play

Macbeth is feeling the strain of the approaching army. He wants to be courageous and honorable like the warrior he used to be. He may also feel like an unstoppable force because of the apparitions.

"Blow wind, come wrack; At least we'll die with harness on our back"

Macbeth is realizing his fate as the apparitions are coming true, Birnam wood is coming to Dunsinane. He's going into battle and is expecting to die, assuming his fate is true and not going by his free will.

Plot Development Continued...

"Upon my head they plac'd a fruitless crown."

(3.1.62)

• Significance to the play: Macbeth had been given a crown that can't be passed down to his descendant.
• Said by Macbeth to himself (soliloquy)
• Affect the plot by putting an obstacle in front of Macbeth. He now has to find a way to keep the line of kings in his family.

Plot Development

"Lest our old robes sit easier than our new." (2.4.38)

• Significance to the play: Scotland's old king was better than their new
• Said by Macduff to Ross
• Macduff feels that Duncan was a better king than Macbeth
• This affects the plot by seeing the side of Macduff that doesn't like Macbeth. He is suspicious and concerned for Scotland.

Theme

A very apparent theme within Macbeth is the contrast between Appearance and Reality. Shakespeare uses the metaphor of clothes not quite fitting to illustrate how characters' new roles don't suit them.

“ [...] Golden opinions from all sorts of people, which would be worn now in their newest gloss, not cast aside so soon” (1. 7. 33-35)

“Was the hope drunk, wherein you dress’d yourself?” (1. 7. 36-37)

"Lest our old robes sit easier than our new!" (2.4.38)

By: Justin, Andrew, Ben, Josh, Kennedy

"Now does he feel his title hang loose about him, like a giant's robe upon a dwarfish thief." (5.2.20-23)

Thanks for listening!

Introduction

Shakespeare uses many types of imagery throughout Macbeth. Our group was assigned clothing.

We found clothing to be very important throughout the entirety of the play. Especially because the clothing symbolism rears its ugly head often, as many characters seem a little fascinated with robes.