Premium Content Serpentine Imagery in Shakespeare's Macbeth
By Sarah Downey - May 19, 2001
The snake has long been used as a symbol of sly subtlety. A serpent's presence has been characterized by cunning cynicism dating as far back as biblical times, when the snake persuaded Eve to eat the forbidden fruit of Eden's garden. Even the phrase "snake in the grass" expresses hidden threat. Shakespeare uses this treacherous reptile in Macbeth…
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