Shakespeare’s language in his plays is very true to his era of Elizabethan times. His figurative richness further shows the society in which he lived.

In Act 3 Scene 1, Shakespeare writes “Upon my head, they placed a fruitless crown” said by Macbeth using a metaphor. In this example, Shakespeare compares a crown with no fruit to him who has been given the title of king but he has no airs to pass it on to. As fruit is often used as a metaphor for children. This quote is well placed and used as it clarifies the thoughts and emotions of Macbeth.

In Act 1 scene 5 Shakespeare writes “It is too full o’th’ milk of human kindness” Said by Lady Macbeth. Here Shakespeare uses milk as a metaphor for gentleness and humanity for Macbeth, as milk is very nurturing for people and she believes that Macbeth is too gentle and kind the same way milk is. By using this to describe Macbeth, the readers are able to understand the character of him but also of Lady Macbeth and it shows how she views her husband.

Once again in Act 2 scene 3, Shakespeare presents the readers with another metaphor said by Donaldbain, “Where we are, there’s daggers in men’s smiles” Donaldbain is trying to explain how peoples positive attitudes and harmlessness may not be genuine and it may be there to deceive you. The “daggers” are meant to represent a threat or someone causing harm towards them. So whilst people may seem sound and cheerful they may actually try to cause harm. This quote paints an honest picture of the people and their motives and allows the readers to understand the caution and fear of Donaldbain. It has also stayed relevant to current situations even though it was written centuries ago as most people have encountered a person acting false towards them at one point or another.