Les formes de littérature qui développent le sujet et favorisent l'intrigue (document en anglais)

The plot and the theme of legends, fables, plays and other types of literature are very important elements of a story that aid reading comprehension by discerning the way reading material is organised. In most forms of literature, there are factors that develop the theme and advance the plot such as symbols and motifs. It will be shown, in this essay, that Shakespeare’s Macbeth encompasses three main symbols and motifs that drive the plot and help make the theme apparent by examining; blood, violence and visions.

To begin, blood is an omnipresent symbol in Macbeth that is key in developing the plot. In Shakespeare’s play blood is everywhere and it is presented in its literal form as drops of blood or it is presented as a symbol signifying guilt. This ubiquitous symbol is the second word Duncan, the current king, uses in order to describe Macbeth who has proven himself as a ruthless and brave fighter. The word blood is then used again to further glorify Macbeth’s victorious conquest. This can be witnessed in the following quotation where the Captain very graphically describes Macbeth’s triumph: “For brave Macbeth (well he deserves that name), Disdaining fortune, with his brandish'd steel, Which smoked with bloody execution, Like valor's minion carved out his passage Till he faced the slave; Which ne'er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him, Till he unseamed him from the nave to th' chops, And fixed his head upon our battlements.” (7). “Bloody” in this quotations acts as a symbol to foreshadow the many murders later on in the play. Furthermore, the redundancy of the killings is mainly due to Lady Macbeth and Macbeth’s interpretation of blood. They both see blood as guilt and something that they cannot rid themselves of, therefore, they simply decide to continue the murders. “It will have blood, they say; blood will have blood.”(99). This quotation shows Macbeth’s openness to continue with his murderous streak and thus developing the plot which revolves around killings. Blood is a by-product of violence which happens to be a motif that will further help us understand the development of the theme.

In addition, referring to Macbeth as a violent play is quite an understatement because this motif is the building block for the theme and essential in driving the entirety of the play. Not is there physical violence present in the play but there seems to be violence seeping into the words of the characters. Lady Macbeth tries to erase any seed of doubt in Macbeth’s mind about murdering Duncan by using language that draws a very intense image because violence seems to be the most persuasive tool in getting Macbeth to do her bidding. This method of characterization is through Lady Macbeth’s lines: “I would, while it was smiling in my face, Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed the brains out, had I sworn as you Have done this.” (41). Another instance in which it is impossible to deny the utter importance of violence advancing the plot is during the climax, when Macbeth cruelly murders Duncan and his guards in their sleep. If violence were to be extracted from this play it would simply be a package of blank papers with no valuable significance and the plot and theme would both be non-existent. In the following quote Macbeth is wrestling with his conscious and trying to evade the consequences linked with killing the king of Scotland. we are all aware that he ends

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