excerpt from Macbeth by William Shakespeare Duncan: Dismay'd not this Our captains, Macbeth and Banquo? Sergeant: Yes; As sparro
ws eagles, or the hare the lion. If I say sooth, I must report they were As cannons overcharged with double cracks, so they Doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe: Except they meant to bathe in reeking wounds, Or memorise another Golgotha, I cannot tell. But I am faint, my gashes cry for help. Duncan: So well thy words become thee as thy wounds; They smack of honour both. Go get him surgeons. How does Shakespeare's use of figurative language in this excerpt affect the play? By alluding to Golgotha, the site of Jesus' crucifixion in the Bible, the Sergeant suggests that Macbeth and Banquo sacrificed themselves nobly and selflessly on the battlefield. By describing Macbeth and Banquo as "cannons overcharged with double cracks," the Sergeant depicts the two men as being too zealous and eager when confronting the enemy. By referencing fast animals like sparrows and the hare, the Sergeant paints a vivid mental picture of the speed with which Macbeth and Banquo fled during the fight. By comparing Macbeth and Banquo to
By comparing Macbeth and Banquo to predatory animals like eagles and the lion, the Sergeant clearly conveys the idea that these two men were aggressive and strong in battle.
Explanation:
William Shakespeare's Macbeth excerpt shown in the question above shows how the author decided to use figurative language to describe strong men, warriors who were a cause of fear for those who dared to turn their enemies. For this reason, Shakespeare chose to compare them to predators, the eagle and the lion, which are imposing, strong animals, aggressive with their prey and who exhibit an air of superiority related to their strength, leadership and grandeur.
