Macbeth: Imagery of Animal Behavior and Class Status Advances


In Macbeth, the imagery of animals behavior and class status advances
the theme of animals in relation to human characteristics. The examples
discussed in my paper will make it quite clear that this imagery is evident,
throughout the play.

     In Act 1 sc. 3 line 8, the first witch chants and says that the sailor
is the master of the Tiger. The witch is comparing the man to a Tiger. The
tiger is a very good animal and is near the top of the Elizabethan World Picture.
Hence the man is good. Furthermore the witch say's that she herself is like
a rat without a tail. Thus she is missing something important. The witch is
incomplete, just like the rat. Furthermore I believe she is hiding something
because when you are missing something you are apt to be very self conscious and
hide it. In addition the rat is veer low on the chain of being.

     The next passage is Act 1 sc. 7 line 49. In this passage Lady Macbeth
is quoted saying “like the poor cat I ‘th' adage” (1, vii., 49). That means “
the cat who eats fish but will not get his feet wet ” (Folgers, p 40). Lady
Macbeth is telling Macbeth that he is like the cat because he wants to become
king but he won't get his hands bloody. However Lady Macbeth would find someone
else to get their feet wet, someone to do her dirty work.

     In act 2 scene 4 line 15, the old man and Ross talk about the recent
murder. The old man says that the killer, an owl made sure no one was looking
and attacked the falcon and killed it. The owl, lower then the falcon on the
chain of being usually eats mice, which is low on the hierarchy. But this time
the owl eats the falcon whom is usually on the top of the hierarchy.

     Later in the play during act 3 Macbeth talks bout the list of dogs and
the list of men. On line 140 in sc.1 Macbeth compares the murders with the
lowliest of dogs. In the next act, Act 4 three witches use very lowly animals
to describe Macbeths kingship. In sc. 1 lines 1-30 the witches say that
Macbeths is very similar to the hedgehog, toads and lizards. These animals
describe Macbeth in different ways. The hedge hog shows that Macbeth is as
greedy as a pig. The lizard shows that he is as slippery and slimy as a lizard.
Finally the toad might be symbolic of Macbeths soul, his soul is as ugly as a
toad.

     Throughout the play the animals behavior and status relate to human
characteristics. Sometimes these relationships are very abstract and sometimes
they are quite evident. To conclude the animals represent human
characteristics very accurately.