MACBETH Act 2 Scene 4

Shakespeare introduces pathetic fallacy in scene 4 to elaborate on the impacts of the King’s recent murder. In this scene an old man, Macduff and Rosse comment on the world around them, and how it has reacted to the murder. The characters are unaware that this is nature reacting to murder but they do notice an almost absence of light and the occurrence of some natural events. One example of this is when ‘Is ‘t night’s predominance, or the day’s shame, That darkness does the face of earth entomb’. In this quote by Rosse, he describes the unnatural and freakish events that have happened, specifically that the night or darkness has remained when it should be the day. Pathetic fallacy is used here to describe the night, saying that darkness has covered the earth. Nature in this act is given many human-like traits, almost portraying nature as a sentient being, that has reacted to this terrible deed. To do this Shakespeare uses pathetic fallacy to help give nature these attributes.