Student Question

What literary device is used in this passage from Macbeth?

"I will not yield, / To kiss the ground before young Malcolm's feet / And to be baited with the rabble's curse. / Though Birnam wood be come to Dunsinane, / And thou oppos'd, being of no woman born, / Yet I will try the last. Before my body / I throw my warlike shield. Lay on, Macduff, / And damn'd be him that first cries, 'Hold, enough!'"

Quick answer:

The passage from the final act of Macbeth employs several literary devices, including hyperbole, symbolism, metaphor, and irony. Hyperbole is seen in Macbeth's exaggerated refusal to "kiss the ground," while symbolism is evident in his unwillingness to surrender. Metaphor appears in "baited with the rabble's curse," and irony is present as the prophecies that seemed to ensure Macbeth's invincibility turn against him.

Expert Answers

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This quotation comes from the final act of Shakespeare's Macbeth, and the title character refuses to yield to Macduff, saying so forcefully with a round of metaphors, hyperbole, symbolism, and irony. Let's look at these.

Macbeth refuses to “kiss the ground before young Malcom's feet.” This...

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is hyperbole, exaggeration, for Macbeth would likely not be expected to actually kiss the ground. Yet this image is symbolic of his surrender, and he refuses to give up his fight. Macbeth also says he will not be “baited with the rabble's curse.” He refuses to be led into a trap simply because the people hate him. The idea of being baited like prey is ametaphor.

Further, the prophecies that have first seemed to indicate Macbeth's invincibility have now ironically turned against him. Birnam wood has indeed come to Dunsinane as the soldiers disguise their movements with tree branches, and Macduff was not technically “born” of his mother but rather taken from her womb.

Still Macbeth will fight on with his shield before him. He meets Macduff in hand-to-hand combat and refuses to surrender.

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