MACBETH Act 4 Scene 2

The murderer uses metaphors in his insults in act 4 scene 2. In this scene, Lady Macbeth and her son talk about their father, and how he left them, and so he is a traitor and a liar. Then they are warned of an upcoming danger, which comes in this scene as a murderer looking for Duncan. The son defends his father and is murdered, while the mother runs. When the murderer is about to kill the son, he says: “What, you egg! Young fry of treachery!”. This is an obvious metaphor on how he is the child of Macduff because the egg represents a recently born animal, such as a child, and a young fry is a fish as a child. He also says ‘of treachery’ which is connecting the son and Macduff, as Macduff is a traitor, so the son is the child of a traitor. A metaphor is used here to describe the murderer’s anger, and thirst for blood, by giving these metaphors saying he is the son of a traitor he is almost giving himself an excuse to kill him. In this scene, metaphors are used to dramatize the events that happen.