The Red Candle & Macbeth

Red Candle With Smoke Curling

By: Brian Gordon Green

What do you see in the photograph above? Although it may be different, everyone sees something. This is an explanation of what I see and why it is important...

Stories are often told through art. Art is a universal language that all people speak and understand. It breaks cultural, racial, age, and educational barriers and it brings people together. Every detail in a painting, photograph, or sculpture is significant. It holds hidden symbols and underlying messages. Art often serves as a purpose to better one’s understanding of a complex idea, dilemma, or anything that is thought provoking. With no rules, art is opinion based and people are free to perceive and appreciate it in their own way. Taken by Brian Gordon Green, the photograph of a red, blown out candle below is an example of an artwork that connects to Macbeth. The photograph relates to Macbeth because it connects to the tomorrow soliloquy and it symbolizes Macbeth’s reign as King of Scotland.

The blown out candle connects to Macbeth’s soliloquy in Act five because in it he describes death similar to a candle being blown out. He states that life is an actor walking across the stage, projecting all of his emotions, but then finally being blown out. Life is brief, it must end someday, much like a burning candle. Although it is ambiguous, Shakespeare may have intended to represent life as light, a common theme that many artists explore. In the soliloquy, Macbeth projects his beliefs that the story of life is told by an idiot. He says that although life is full of passion, it is meaningless. Macbeth says, “And all our yesterdays have lighted fools. The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle” (Shakespeare 5.5. 22). According to the secondary source No Sweat Shakespeare, Macbeth is convinced that everyday the candle light is guiding him towards his death bed. In the photograph, the smoke signifies the end of a life, and in this case, it is Lady Macbeth’s life. Not long before her death, Lady Macbeth says, “Here’s the smell of blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand” (Shakespeare. 5.1.39). The redness of the candlestick symbolizes her blood-stained hands during the night of King Duncan’s murder, an event that haunted her for the rest of her short life. The photograph represents the end of Lady Macbeth’s life and her eternal guilt.   

The photograph also symbolizes Macbeth’s reign as King of Scotland. The fire and smoke from the candle symbolizes the shortness of the duration of his success and power. The flame symbolizing his short-lived success, and the smoke symbolizing the end. Macbeth’s reign is damaging to the land and to the people.

Ross says, “Alas, poor country, Almost afraid to know itself. It cannot be called our mother, but our grave, where nothing but who knows nothing, is once seen to smile; where sighs and groans and shrieks that rend the air are made, not marked; where violent sorrows seem a modern ecstasy. The dead man’s knell is there scared asked for who, and good men’s lives expire before the flowers in their caps, dying or ere they sicken” (Shakespeare 4.3. 164-173).

Fire is also potentially harmful and can be dangerous if not properly treated or monitored. It can be uncontrollable, and could burn a house down, similar to how Macbeth’s reign could damage the entire state of Scotland. The beauty of the light also symbolizes how power is beautiful. If used correctly, the flame or power could lead to greatness and protection for all. However, power is dangerous because it often leads to corruption.

Art is often associated with underlying meanings and intricate ideas. Instead of using words to tell a story, visual artists use colors and images to create meaning and emotions. Children’s books with many pictures are an example of why artwork is not only entertaining, but it also helps the audience to understand the context of the story. An artwork that encompasses many aspects of Macbeth and of Shakespeare’s distinctive writing is Green’s photograph of the red, blown out candle. The artwork connects to Macbeth because it represents parts of the tomorrow soliloquy and it represents Macbeth’s reign.

The picture below is from No Sweat Shakespeare