spot”).

Act V, Scene VI comes near the end of the play, as Macbeth finally has to come face to face with the characters who are set on overthrowing him. Here are the first lines of the scene:

Macbeth: They have tied me to a stake; I cannot fly,

But bear-like I must fight the course.

There are two literary devices in these lines. First, Shakespeare creates a metaphor when Macbeth says he is “tied to a stake.” This is not literally true; if it was he would be tied up like an animal. But, like all metaphors, it is true in the figurative sense. He is trapped by the army outside his castle. Second, within the metaphor he has inserted a simile: “bear-like.” Here Shakespeare compares himself to a trapped animal who has no choice but to fight--escape is impossible.

Shortly after this, Macbeth and Young Siward fight, and Young Siward is slain. Macbeth addresses Young Siward's corpse:

Thou wast born of woman.

But swords I smile at, weapons laugh to scorn,

Brandish'd by man that's of a woman born.

Lines spoken to an inanimate object or something not present on the stage are called an “apostrophe” (not to be confused with the punctuation mark we use to denote contractions and possession). In this case, Macbeth is revealing his thoughts by speaking to a dead body. Although the body cannot hear him, the audience can. It is a way for the dramatist to reveal the character's inner state.

This scene opens with the use of figurative language from Macbeth, who, "bear-like," knows he must "fight the course." This is juxtaposed with the enigmatic advice he has been given that only one "that was not born of woman" can kill him. Macbeth is heartening himself and telling himself that he can indeed continue on because such a person surely does not exist.

We know that Macbeth feels very sure of himself in this regard; Shakespeare uses the technique of the rhyming couplet to signify a sense of completion and conclusiveness in Macbeth's thought: "But swords I smile at, weapons laugh to scorn / Brandish'd by man that's of a woman born."

The stage directions are important in this short scene. The repeated use of entrances and exits and the continuous "alarums" underscore the chaotic nature of what is going on. The interchanges between characters are generally short parries, reminiscent of swordplay. At the end of the scene, we see a temporary lull which is, in fact, an example of dramatic irony: Siward says that the castle is "gently render'd" and that "little is to do." He does not know how fierce the fighting has been, nor that Macduff, who is indeed not "of woman born," will yet kill Macbeth in a pivotal scene.

As the opposing armies make their way toward his stronghold, Macbeth uses a metaphor to describe his situation. He says that his enemies have tied him "to a stake...bear-like." This is a reference to bear baiting, a blood sport popular in Shakespeare's day, in which bears would be tied to stakes and forced to fight off dogs until they finally succumbed. After setting the tone with this gruesome literary device, which reveals Macbeth's state of mind as the battle approaches, Shakespeare uses irony in two places in the scene. First, when Macbeth points out that young Siward, whom he has just killed, was "born of woman," and exits, only to be followed by Macduff, who, we find out, was not born of woman, having been delivered by Caesarian section. Then there is an example of classic dramatic irony. Siward describes the battle in terms that suggest that Macbeth's castle was taken with relatively little loss. "The castle," he says, "is gently surrounded...little is to do." He does not know that his son was among the dead before the castle walls, killed earlier in the scene by Macbeth. These are the main literary devices in this relatively short, but important scene.

Literary devices are methods used by writers to convey a sentiment or mood and to create a specific effect. This helps the reader in analyzing and interpreting the text so that the author's purpose becomes clear. In the final scene of Macbeth, Shakespeare has employed a variety of such devices, of which a few are mentioned below:

Allusion:

The indirect reference to a significant person, act or event of cultural, historical or literary significance.

Why should I play the Roman fool...

In this line, Macbeth is alluding to a Roman soldier who would, as per their custom, rather commit suicide than suffer the ignominy of surrendering to his enemy. He is not prepared to take his own life since he sees this as a foolish act. He would rather courageously fight to the death.

Anaphora:

The repetition of a word or phrase, especially at the beginning of a sentence, to create a literary effect.

And be these juggling fiends no more believed,
That palter with us in a double sense;
That keep the word of promise to our ear...

In this example, Macbeth repeats "that" to emphasize his disgust with the witches' deception and his utter disillusion that he had been so gullible as to believe them.

Juxtaposition:

Creating a comparison between contrasting ideas by placing them next to each other. 

So great a day as this is cheaply bought. 

In the quote above, the words "cheaply" and "great" are contrasted to indicate Siward's sentiment that the day is significant but that its enormous importance is undermined by the ease with which they have been able to attack Macbeth's castle.

There is, however, also great irony (the opposite of what is expected) in his statement, for he soon discovers that his son has paid dearly for their victory because he has been killed by Macbeth.

Exaggeration:

Making something seem worse or better than it actually is.

...your cause of sorrow
Must not be measured by his worth, for then
It hath no end.

Ross, in stating that Siward's sorrow would have no end if he should compare it to the value of his son, is a kindness in which he attempts to bring the grief-stricken lord some comfort when he learns that his son is dead.

Alliteration:

The repetition of the same consonant sound.

And so, his knell is knoll'd. 

The repetition of the n-sound helps emphasize the depth of Siward's grief at losing his son. It is also an allusion to the ringing of a church's bell when someone has passed on.

Rhyme:

The repetition of similar sounds, normally at the end of a line of poetry. 

He's worth no more
They say he parted well, and paid his score

The last words in these two lines rhyme perfectly and the effect is lyrical. The rhyme is used to indicate that Siward is eulogizing his son and he uses the lyrical form to give his words a musical tenor, as in a praise-song. 

William Shakespeare's play Macbeth is filled with examples of literary devices. The following literary devices are found in Act V, scene viii.

Metaphor: A comparison between two, typically, dissimilar things (not using the words "like" or "as" to make the comparison).

Examples:

- "Why should I play the Roman fool and die" (1). Here, Macbeth states that he would not be a Roman fool and commit suicide as Roman fool would.

- "Turn, hell hound, turn!" (4). Here, Macduff is comparing Macbeth to a hell hound. By calling Macbeth a "hell hound," Macduff is saying that Macbeth reminds him of this creature known to live in hell and behave evilly.

Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of a consonant found within a line of poetry.

Examples:

- "But get thee back; my soul is too much charged" (6). Here, the "b" sound in "but" and "back" are repeated. Also, the "m" sound in "my" and "much" are repeated.

- "Than terms can give thee  out!" (10). Here, the "th" sound in "than" and "thee" are repeated.

Kenning: A kenning is typically found in Anglo-Saxon texts. This literary device is a two word phrase which elevates the imagery and language of the text.

Example:

- "Your son, my lord, has paid a soldier's debt" (44). Here, the kenning "soldier's debt" refers to death. 

Figurative language is language that is not meant to be taken literally.  It can be a metaphor, which is an indirect comparison where you say something is something, rather than like something.

Since there are some versions of this play where scene 9 is part of scene 8, I have included a link to it to avoid confusion.

Malcolm begins this scene with a euphemism.

I would the friends we miss were safe arriv’d.

They miss their friends because they are dead.  A euphemism is a kind of metaphor used to avoid saying the reality you’d rather avoid talking about.  It is a battle, and soldiers will die.

An example of figurative language from Act 5, Scene 9, is this line from Siward.

Some must go off; and yet, by these I see,

So great a day as this is cheaply bought.

This is a metaphor, because of course you cannot buy a day.  The soldiers are talking about how they wish some of their friends had not been killed in battle.  They bought time with lives.  It is a sad reality.

Malcolm, Siward, and Macduff have a noble cause—to kill Macbeth and take back their beloved kingdom.  However, there is an actual battle going on, and some people will unfortunately die in it.

When Ross tells Siward that his son is dead, he says this:

Your cause of sorrow

Must not be measur’d by his worth, for then

It hath no end.

This too is a metaphor.  Of course young Siward is worth more than his father can mourn.  When Ross says his worth has no end, he does not want Siward to be sad as much as his son was worth, because then he would be sad forever.