Symbolism of Birds in Acts 2 and 3
Animals are undoubtedly one of the most prominent themes in the play Macbeth. They are used to describe the characters and their actions in the play and can also foreshadow events that are about to take place. In Acts 2 and 3, use of animals can be found in almost every scene, but the most prominent imagery is the representation of birds, which symbolize death and bad omen.
In Act 2 Scene 2, Lady Macbeth's well-known words "It was the owl that shriek'd, the fatal bellman that gives the stern'st good night" (line 3) compares an owl to a bellman who rings a bell when someone dies, which foreshadows Duncan's murder. Later in the same scene, Lady Macbeth once again brings up that she "heard the owl scream" (line 15) while Macbeth was murdering the King. Similarly, in Scene 3, the phrase "the obscure bird clamored the livelong night" also refers to the own, and illustrates the disorder and chaos that occurred during the night of Duncan's murder.
In Act 2 scene 4, another imagery of birds appears in lines 12-13, where an old man says " A falcon, tow'ring in her pride of place, was by a mousing owl hawked and killed.". This imagery compares Duncan to a majestic and powerful falcon, whereas Macbeth is a cowardly mouse-catching owl, This represents the absurdity of Duncan's death at Macbeth's hands and the injustice that the murder brings.
In Act 3 scene 4, Shakespeare introduces a new imagery of the scavenging birds through Macbeth's words "our monuments shall be the maws of kites" (line 74). On the surface, Macbeth is talking about how birds feeds on corpses after they are buries, but on a deeper level, Macbeth is also saying that everything he has achieved will eventually expose him as a greedy and cruel predator. This foreshadows that Macbeth's actions will be exposed and people will find out the murders he committed.
Finally, line 127 writes "By maggot-pies and choughs and rooks brought forth the secret'st man of blood" refers to magpies jackdaws and crows, which are all birds that mimic human speech. Here Macbeth accepts that the dead will always get revenge and that his gruesome secret will be revealed eventually.
In Act 2 Scene 2, Lady Macbeth's well-known words "It was the owl that shriek'd, the fatal bellman that gives the stern'st good night" (line 3) compares an owl to a bellman who rings a bell when someone dies, which foreshadows Duncan's murder. Later in the same scene, Lady Macbeth once again brings up that she "heard the owl scream" (line 15) while Macbeth was murdering the King. Similarly, in Scene 3, the phrase "the obscure bird clamored the livelong night" also refers to the own, and illustrates the disorder and chaos that occurred during the night of Duncan's murder.
In Act 2 scene 4, another imagery of birds appears in lines 12-13, where an old man says " A falcon, tow'ring in her pride of place, was by a mousing owl hawked and killed.". This imagery compares Duncan to a majestic and powerful falcon, whereas Macbeth is a cowardly mouse-catching owl, This represents the absurdity of Duncan's death at Macbeth's hands and the injustice that the murder brings.
In Act 3 scene 4, Shakespeare introduces a new imagery of the scavenging birds through Macbeth's words "our monuments shall be the maws of kites" (line 74). On the surface, Macbeth is talking about how birds feeds on corpses after they are buries, but on a deeper level, Macbeth is also saying that everything he has achieved will eventually expose him as a greedy and cruel predator. This foreshadows that Macbeth's actions will be exposed and people will find out the murders he committed.
Finally, line 127 writes "By maggot-pies and choughs and rooks brought forth the secret'st man of blood" refers to magpies jackdaws and crows, which are all birds that mimic human speech. Here Macbeth accepts that the dead will always get revenge and that his gruesome secret will be revealed eventually.
The similes and metaphors with birds are very interesting. My knowledge of birds is not particularly extensive, so I didn't have the knowledge to break down these comparisons. With all the foreshadowing we've seen so far, I can see how Macbeth would continue to be entertaining as a play even after seeing it many times. Reading it, we have the benefit of re-reading sections if we feel like it, but when it was performed I imagine you would have to see it many, many times to understand all the subtleties.
ReplyDeleteGreat observations! I especially like the comparison of Macbeth to a "mousing owl" because it indicates a major shift of people's attitude towards Macbeth as in Act I, Macbeth is "as sparrows eagles or the hare the lion" (1.2:35) whereas he is now merely a "mousing owl". The birds metaphor recurs many times in Act 4 as well. Macduff's wife expresses her worry for Macduff by saying that "For the poor wren, the most diminutive of birds, will fight, her young ones in her nest, against the owl" (4.2:9). Here Macbeth is compared to the owl again but as a abominable figure that hunts vulnerable nestlings, which also foreshadowing his cruel order of killing Macduff's family.
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