1. SYMBOLISM IN WILLIAM
SHAKESPEARE’S WORKS
Justin Winters
English 1102
Mrs. Owens

2. CONTENTS
 About William Shakespeare.
 What is symbolism?
 Symbols in “Romeo and Juliet”
 Symbols in “Macbeth”
 Symbols in “Hamlet”
 Conclusion
 Works Cited

3. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
 Born April 23, 1564
 Died April 23, 1616
 Wrote over 30 plays and 154 sonnets.
 His works are still immensely popular today and
many are the primary subjects of recent films and
songs.

4. SYMBOLISM:
WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
 The use of symbols to represent thoughts, ideas, and qualities
and give them deeper meanings.
 These symbols can be concrete items, colors, characters, or
ideas.

5. SYMBOLISM IN
ROMEO AND JULIET

6. ROMEO AND JULIET
Night and Day
• Day is used to describe Juliet’s Beauty.
“and Juliet is the sun. Arise, fair sun, and kill the
envious moon.”
• Night is used to portray their
love. The darkness of night
keeps their love safe.

7. ROMEO AND JULIET
Poison
The Friar mentions that poison is
something that exist on Earth
naturally and without human
intervention would not cause harm.
Therefore, poison is used to symbolize
the choices humans make.

8. ROMEO AND JULIET
Used to
symbolize a new
beginning where
Romeo and Juliet
can be together.
Death

9. SYMBOLISM IN
MACBETH

10. MACBETH
Used to symbolize
Macbeth and Lady
Macbeth’s guilt.
Blood

11. MACBETH
Weather
Used to intensify the
moment of Duncan’s
death by casting
darkness over the land.

12. SYMBOLISM IN
HAMLET

13. HAMLET
The Cloak
Used to symbolize the
importance of the character
before he is even introduced.
Also could be a symbol of
Hamlet’s death because it us
a mourning cloak.

14. HAMLET
Symbolizes the
transition from life
and the
undeniable fact
that we will all die.
The Skull

15. IN CONCLUSION
Shakespeare used symbols
throughout his works to not only
intensify the meaning behind objects
but to also bring his audience into his
works even more.

16. WORKS CITED

Chang, Joseph S. M. J. "The Language of Paradox in Romeo and Juliet." Shakespeare Studies 3 (1967): 22-42. Rpt. in
Shakespearean Criticism. Ed. Michelle Lee. Vol. 87. Detroit: Gale, 2005. Literature Resource Center. Web. 3 Mar. 2014

Cohen, Derek. "Macbeth's rites of violence." Shakespeare in Southern Africa 23 (2011): 55+. Literature Resource Center.
Web. 3 Mar. 2014.

Cusick, Edmund. "Macbeth: Overview." Reference Guide to English Literature. Ed. D. L. Kirkpatrick. 2nd ed. Chicago: St.
James Press, 1991. Literature Resource Center. Web. 3 Mar. 2014.

Frye, Roland Mushat. "'Looking Before and After': The Use of Visual Evidence and Symbolism for Interpreting Hamlet."
Huntington Library Quarterly 45.1 (Winter 1982): 1-19. Rpt. in Shakespearean Criticism. Ed. Michelle Lee. Vol. 137. Detroit:
Gale, 2011. Literature Resource Center. Web. 3 Mar. 2014

"Iconography." Shakespearean Criticism. Ed. Michelle Lee. Vol. 84. Detroit: Gale, 2004. Literature Resource Center. Web. 3
Mar. 2014.