Imagery in Macbeth - Part II

The other image which recurs in the play is that of robes too big and unfit for Macbeth. Indeed, from the very beginning of the play, Macbeth is aware that the honours due to a King are too much for a person like him. When he learns from Rosse that he has been made the Thane of

Cawdor, he asks:
“…Why do you dress me
In borrow’d robes?”

Even Banquo uses this image of robes and says:

“New honours come upon him,
Like our strange garments.”

When Duncan has supped and is resting in Macbeth’s home, he (Macbeth) expresses his inability to his wife doing the dark deed. He says that he has earned a good reputation from all sorts of people, which is like robes I “their newest gloss”, which he cannot throw down so soon. At this, continuing this image of robes his wife asks him if he was drund when he hoped to wear those robes. After the murder of Duncan, when Rosse says that he is going to Macbeth’s coronation, Macduff uses the same image of robes and says:

“Lest our old robes sit easier than our new.”

Towards the end of the play people are aware of Macbeth’s villainy and Augus, using the same image of clothes remarks about Macbeth:

“…His title
Hang loose about him, like a giant’s robe
Upon a dwarfish thief.”

It completes the imagery of robes of honour being worn by a most dishonoured person like Macbeth.

Next post will be about the imagery of light and darkness.