Shakespeare's Imagery in Macbeth and King Lear

This book deals with an analysis of the imagery of Shakespeare in the two great tragedies- Macbeth and King Lear and which exhibits the unique and unprecedented role played by imagery. Shakespeare’s two great tragedies - Macbeth and King Lear , undoubtedly are rich in imagery and it would be an irrelevant question to ask whether the use of imagery in King Lear is superior to that of Macbeth or vice-versa. For, the imagery in these plays obeys the varying requirements of expression, atmosphere, and characterization, its functions, and uses being ruled out by the inherent structural law of the respective tragedy in question. A study of Shakespeare’s imagery in the two plays helps in appreciating the abundance of imagery, which are not only interrelated but also mutually attuned. The rich imagery in these tragedies acts as an important element not only in creating a dramatic unity, but also in binding the separate elements of the play into a real organic structure.