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Oh come on, Shakespeare! Not another symbol. Make that two more symbols. In Macbeth, it isn’t just blood that’s symbolic. Discover the subtext of weather and nature in this Recap.

Video Transcription:

Are you getting the idea that evil doesn’t go unpunished in the world of Macbeth? It doesn’t even remain hidden. That’s thanks to this play’s second symbol.

If every murder ever committed were accompanied by the kind of freak storms and earthquakes that accompany the murder of King Duncan, there’d either be a lot less murder in this world, or we’d all be underwater.

In all seriousness, though, weather and nature are key symbols in Macbeth because of the way they represent the not-so-hidden moral and political corruption in Macbeth’s world.

Think about it. On the night Macbeth kills Duncan in Act 2, storms rage and the earth shakes. The laws of nature seem violated or suspended. And in addition to the chaotic weather, animals in the natural world are also going crazy: Predators are being eaten by their prey, and horses are consuming each other.

So what does it all mean? Remember that Macbeth is all about consequences. So the disruptions in the natural world don’t just symbolize the way evil can’t be hidden. They also symbolize the way every action has far-reaching effects—sometimes in realms we can’t even imagine.