The world-famous masterpiece, Macbeth, is a tragedy that has endured through the ages and has had a significant impact on English literature. The show is set in turbulent times, where betrayal, lying and concealment lead to misery. To fully understand the suffering and evil that occurs throughout the tragedy, Shakespeare uses dark imagery that evokes a sense of foreboding and impending evil. AC Bradley describes Shakespeare's technique regarding imagery with his quote: “Darkness, we might even say gloom, hangs over this tragedy…. All the scenes that immediately come back to mind take place at night or in some dark place. The night is associated with unscrupulous beings and actions while the morning and afternoon signify all that is good and new beginnings. Time and again, under the cover of night, Macbeth's characters commit grave and heinous crimes that would condemn the soul to hell and corrupt both mind and body. Macbeth himself says: "The good things of the day begin to wither and slumber, / While the black agents of the night wake to their prey" (Act III, scene iii, lines 52-53). The time when darkness envelops the land is usually a favorite time for villains to conspire because the sunset acts as a shield to hide their actions. Darkness makes specific details indistinguishable, so night provides safety for criminals to escape justice by providing natural camouflage. Then, when Macbeth wishes to hide his immoral thoughts of murder, he utters: “Stars, hide your fires;/ Let not the light see my black and deep desires” (Act I, scene iv, lines 57-58). He wants his unspeakable reflections on the fate of the holy King Duncan to remain invisible. Even... in the middle of the paper... the atrocities of life are increased by the restlessness that comes from the absence of light. When the night creatures awaken, the villains in the play come up with their plans to kill. As night falls, weapons are used to do the devil's work rather than to protect. Macbeth uses the darkness to his advantage to kill noble men while remaining safe from just punishment. Lady Macbeth's stress overwhelms her when she is fast asleep and contributes to her future nocturnal suicide. When darkness is mentioned in the play, problems cannot be far behind. The night represents all the malevolent temptations to which mortals give in; therefore, in that period Macbeth experiences desolation and devastation which causes a catastrophe. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. The tragedy of Macbeth. Boston: D.C. Heath and Company, 1915. Google Books. Network. 3 September. 2015.