case, not only surprised the characters with the outcome of these prophecies, but also the audience, the difference being that Macbeth believed he was to be victorious but the audience knew his failure to be inevitable - they just did not know how it was to come about.The cumulative irony is that of the weird sisters telling the inquirer exactly what he wished to hear. All his ambitions are reinforced by this universal trick of soothsayers which strongly predisposes the hearer towards total belief. That this belief leads to the sense of invulnerability which in fact makes him vulnerable, is the ultimate irony.Shakespeare used clothing both symbolically and as a vehicle of character definition. Clothes were often used in Macbeth's case to symbolize his titles.Symbolic clothing is identified when Ross tells Macbeth of his new title Thane of Cawdor when Macbeth does not know of the Thane's treason,Macbeth: "The Thane of Cawdor lives: why do you dress me in Borrow'd robes?" (I, III,108)Symbols using clothing such as borrowed robes, disguises and cross-dressing are found in several plays where they betray a range of situations from sheer mischievousness to dark, treasonable or murderous plots. The symbol appears again when Banquo and Macbeth are discussing whether the witches' prophecy about Macbeth becoming king will come true as well, "New honours come upon him, Like our strange garments, cleave not to their mold But with the aid of use. (I,III,144)" Later, when Macbeth shares the news of his promotion with Lady Macbeth, he speaks with a clothing metaphor again, "Golden opinions from all sorts of people, Which would be worn now in their newest gloss, Not case aside so soon. (I,vii,33-34)" Again it is mentioned in (V,ii,21) by Angus, "Nothing in love; now does he feel his title Hang loose about him, like a giant's robe Upon a dwarfish thief." Blood as a symbol in the play assumes many different meanings as the story progresses, ranging from...
