Act I scenes IV-Act II

In this section of Act I, there is a lot of night symbolism in the quote on page 52, "Come, thick night, and pale thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, that my keen knife see not the wound it makes, nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark, to cry 'Hold, hold!'" This quote is said by lady Macbeth, and in this she is praying to let go of her womanly features, and to be ruthless and cutthroat. Then there is also a reference to death and injury on page 60, "Assassination, blood, plague, murderer, knife." All of these words, in a monologue done by Macbeth symbolizes that the plot to kill Duncan is thinking about not going through this plan. Then we also see a sleep symbolized in scene VII, when Lady Macbeth is going through her plan to kill Duncan by getting his guards drunk. Page 61, "A limbec only: when in swinish sleep; When we have marked with blood those sleepy too." This also emphasizes, the common theme of death which we see a lot of in this play.