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1、10CliffsNotesShakespeare’sMacbethfamouslysaysthatthereissufficientbloodonhishandstomakethe“green”oftheocean“red.”Later,heusesthesamemetaphor,remark-ingthathemust“wade”throughanoceanofblood.ThetroublewithMacbethisthat,asapsychologicaldrama,thechar-actersintheplay(accidentallyoronpurpose)donotseethi
2、ngssoclearly:Thisplayisfullofshadows,foreshadowings,andshadowymean-ings.SoShakespearehastoinformhisaudience,whileallowingthecharacterstoremainmystified,or“inthedark.”Thisisonereasonwhytheplayisfullofquestions,mostfamously“Isthisadagger?”Theanswer,forbothMacbethandtheaudience,isunclear.Mostscholars
3、agreethatoneofthemosteffectivewaysinwhichShakespeare’swritingcommunicatesisthroughthecombination(orclusters)ofimages:Inthisplay,imagesofstrengthandweakness,aswellasabilityandinability,areplayedoffoneanotherconstantly.Agoodexampleistheimageofthe“milkofhumankindness”whichresurfaceslaterinLadyMacbet
4、h’sassertionthatshewouldhavemurderedherownchildwhilebreast-feedingit—acontrasttoMacbeth’sweakness.Thecolorofmilk,white,isalsousedbybothMacbethandhiswife,asanimageofcowardice,whilered—thecolorofblood—representsnotonlycourageandtheenergyoflifebutalsoterrorandthecurtailmentoflife.Anotherimagecontras
5、tthatisusedrepeatedlythroughouttheplayisthatofsleepandsleeplessness.NotonlyisDuncanmurderedwhilehesleeps,butalsoMacbeth,Banquo,andLadyMacbethhavetheirrestdisturbedbydreams.WhenMacbethremarks“Duncanisinhisgrave;afterlife’sfitfulfeverhesleepswell”(ActIII,Scene2),heisrecallingthewordswithwhichhiscons
6、cience(orFate)spoketohimimmedi-atelyafterthemurder:“Glamishathmurder’dsleep,andthereforeCaw-dor/Shallsleepnomore,Macbethshallsleepnomore!”(II:2,41–42)ABriefSynopsisSetinmedievalScotlandandpartlybasedonatruehistoricalaccount,MacbethchartsthebloodyrisetopowerandtragicdownfallofthewarriorMacbeth.Alr
7、eadyasuccessfulsoldierinthearmyofKingDuncan,MacbethisinformedbyThreeWitchesthatheistobecomeking.Aspartofthesameprophecy,theWitchespredictthatfutureScot-tishkingswillbedescendednotfromMacbethbutfromhisfellowarmycaptain,
