1. Darkness and Night: Darkness is a recurring image throughout the act. The scenes often take place at night or in dimly lit settings, symbolizing the moral darkness and internal turmoil that Macbeth and other characters are experiencing.
2. Sleep and Death: Sleep and death are intertwined in Act 4. Macbeth is haunted by insomnia and nightmares, highlighting his troubled conscience and the guilt that consumes him. The imagery surrounding sleep and death suggests that Macbeth is unable to find peace or escape the consequences of his actions.
3. Nature Imagery: Nature is used to reflect the characters' inner states and the unfolding events. The storm and thunder during the witches' scene create a chaotic and ominous atmosphere, symbolizing the turmoil and disorder caused by Macbeth's ambitions.
4. Blood and Violence: Blood continues to be a significant image, representing the violence and bloodshed that have marked Macbeth's rise to power. The witches' cauldron scene involves references to blood, further connecting it with the acts of murder and guilt.
5. Disease and Corruption: The imagery of disease and corruption is prevalent in Act 4. Macbeth refers to himself as "infected" and compares his actions to a "disease," emphasizing the destructive and corrosive effects of his crimes on his soul and the kingdom.
6. Prophecy and Fate: The prophecies and visions seen in the witches' scene contribute to the play's imagery. The apparitions of Banquo's ghost and the procession of kings with double crowns and bloody hands evoke a sense of foreboding and inescapable fate.
These patterns of imagery in Act 4 of Macbeth enhance the play's dramatic intensity and thematic depth, creating a vivid and symbolic representation of the characters' struggles, guilt, and the consequences of their actions.