Spoiled–Lady Macbeth
The name of this palette encompasses Lady Macbeth’s life during the time of the play. She had her moment of victory, but it was spoiled by the true nature of how she earned it.
L—>R: Stormy, Mourning Glory, Statue, Reap, Permanent.
Stormy: This shade is similar to the color of a stormy sea. Much like the inside of Lady Macbeth’s mind and subconscious, the ocean during a storm is roiling and restless. This is demonstrated by Lady Macbeth talking in her sleep, “.
Mourning Glory: A morning glory flower blooms once and dies on the same day. Lady Macbeth had her moment of glory, but it was short-lived and culminated in death (her own) as well. The softer quality of the color is because while Lady Macbeth’s actions were intense, there was nothing bright or courageous or about them. She is also literally mourning the glory she once had.
Statue: Statues are often described as ‘cold as stone’. Even a statue of a beautiful person or object is, in reality, unloving and cold to the touch. Lady Macbeth projected a warm and innocent exterior, but her heart and soul were the exact opposite.
Reap: This color was named ‘reap’ in a ‘reap what one sows’ sense. It is the same shade as old blood because Lady Macbeth was the one behind the taking of King Duncan’s life. He suffered greatly and did not get to die a peaceful death. However, the suffering was on her part too, as she never quite recovered from the crime she committed.
Permanent: The name may be misleading because this color is a soft, pastely pink. However, it is a similar shade as a bloodstain that won’t come out completely. ‘Permanent’ signifies the permanence of Lady Macbeth’s role in the death of an innocent man–a deed that remains forever etched in her mind.
Sunset Years–King Duncan
Duncan was a fair and honest king who had commanded respect and won his share of battles. The palette name, sunset years, represents the stage of his life that he did not get to live. It also gives a sense of his legacy both during his life and after it. In addition, he progression of colors from left to right mirrors that of a sunset.
L—>R: Everything the Light Touches, Ripe, Prosper, Field of Dreams, In the Stars
Everything the Light Touches: This color name is part of a well-known line from the Lion King: ‘Everything the light touches is our kingdom’. King Duncan could have had everything had his life not been cut short.
Ripe: This shade was inspired by the color of a ripe peach. In some cultures, this fruit is used to represent a bountiful harvest that would generally provide good things for the upcoming year.
Prosper: If King Duncan had lived, he would have gotten to see the fruits of his labor after having conquered rival armies and acquiring land and property. Most likely, his subjects and kingdom would prosper.
Field of Dreams: This is another color inspired by a belief in different cultures/mythology. The field of dreams is a place a person comes to right after they die where they see everything they thought and said and did in their life. Duncan probably visited that place after he was killed, and hopefully, he was able to reflect on a life well lived.
In the Stars: King Duncan’s fate seemed to be written in the stars the minute that the witches prophesied Macbeth would become king. The name could also be interpreted in a more hopeful way–that Duncan is among the stars watching over his kingdom and he is happy that his son was finally given his throne back.
Uncharted Territory–King Duncan Is Invited to the Macbeth Home Scene
When Duncan and various other people are invited to Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s home, all parties involved enter uncharted territory. For example, Macbeth is pulled into a side of himself he didn’t know he had and Duncan loses the upper hand in a familiar place that he too late finds out he is unsafe in.
L—>R: Smooth Sailing, Dancing on Deck, Worthwhile Cause, Seasick, Artifical Sweeteners
Smooth Sailing: In the beginning of the scene, all the guests are surrounded with good food and good company. Nothing seems amiss and everyone (especially King Duncan) is genuinely enjoying themselves.
Dancing on Deck: For me, this color evokes the feel of being on the deck of a boat, dancing with someone you love as the sun sets. This is similar to the warm and content atmosphere after dinner where the party guests were dancing, although things quickly got out of hand.
Worthwhile Cause: The couple plotting Duncan’s murder at the end of the feast would probably argue that their actions were justified as it was “quick” and “for a noble or good cause”. The blue represents the honor they probably forced themselves to see in trying to attain the throne for Macbeth.
Seasick: This color embodies the part of the entire banquet situation where a bad storm begins to brew. The fact that things take a turn for the worse–and not just in terms of weather–can be translated into seasickness for the ocean voyage theme of this palette.
Artificial Sweeteners: While Lady Macbeth was clearly being sickly sweet to divert attention from her plot, the banquet as a whole also represents a good thing turned bad, concealed by a layer of dishonesty and “fake-ness”.
Recipe for Evil–Infamous Witches Brew Scene
The line that this palette is based on is the “double, double, toil and trouble” incantation as said by the three witches. The colors are inspired by the ingredients themselves as well as the intentions and story behind each one and the overall mixture.
L—>R: Yew Berries, Shark’s Maw, Dragon Scales, Lizard’s Egg, Snakesin
Yew Berries: The ingredient ‘twig of yew’ involves the use of yew, a tree which rows berries. These berries are a similar shade to this color. In addition, some beliefs and cultures consider yew to be a symbol of fantasy and that which is not of this world, much like the witches are.
Shark’s Maw: This deep mauve-purple color comes to mind when describing the mouth of a shark. It represents one aspect of the witches’ true nature: their ability and willingness to swallow an unsuspecting individual with no mercy.
Dragon Scales: The deep blue of this shade reminds me of the way dragon scales are usually described. The jewel tone adds an air of mystique, which is fitting since the witches are shrouded in mystery.
Lizard’s Egg: The color here is intended to reflect the color of an actual lizard’s egg. An egg holds the promise of something that could either be good or terrifying. This quality describes the mixture that the witches are brewing in this scene; however, in this case it turns out to do more harm than good.
Snakesin: This name wasn’t a typo; it is based off of the ‘fillet of a fenny snake’, or essentially, snakeskin. However, because the witches are not of good character or intention, the act of brewing this potion is a sin and snake just happens to be one of its ingredients.
Rewrite the Stars–Macbeth as a Whole
This palette portrays all the ins and outs of the play Macbeth, including major themes. It also embodies what I learned from the play as a whole and represents the choice that we as individuals are able to make. While fate is an overarching idea in both the play and in life, we are free in the smaller parts of life itself to do more than we allow ourselves to. Whatever happens may happen, but we control how we react to it, what we make of it, and what steps we take from then on.
L—>R: The Calm, Glitter, Muddy Waters, The Storm, Macro-Micro
The Calm: The light and innocent quality of this color represents the (short-lived) period of tranquility and relative contentment for all of the characters in the beginning of the play. Also, it comes chronologically before another color named “The Storm” which represents a very different part of the play.
Glitter: This name was inspired by the famous quote “not all that glitters is gold”. Macbeth was originally prophesied the life of his dreams where he would rest upon bountiful triumphs and happiness. As it turns out, the events that unfolded were not what he thought they would be, even if they did line up with the prophecy. ‘Glitter’ is warm and alluring, but who knows what truly lies underneath?
Muddy Waters: People often compare the feeling of guilt to drowning. For that reason, this mud-like shade is fitting as characters in Macbeth are consumed by the weight of their actions and are eventually crushed beneath them.
The Storm: This color summarizes the darker parts of the play. Characters turn on each other and relationships crumble at the hands of thirst for power and self-salvation. The murky green is similar to what I imagine all of the colors symbolizing the characters’ feelings would look like mushed into one.
Macro-Micro: Macbeth often feels helpless and small in the grand scheme of things. He is seemingly watching his life unfold as a bystander, unable to bring about positive change or fix whatever isn’t going right. In my opinion, a large part of the reason why this is so is because he lets himself succumb to the will of the witches’ prophecy. He isn’t truly powerless, he has just shrunken himself down to a smaller role on the scale of something as large as his own life. This color reminds me of outer space and its vastness compared to ourselves.