Macbeth: Imagery In his plays, Shakespeare uses many forms of imagery. Many forms of his imagery are used in his play `Macbeth,' including the forms of clothing and darkness. Each detail in his imagery, it seems to me, contains an important symbol of the play, and symbols that we must understand if we are to understand either the passage it is in, or the play as a whole. In `Macbeth' I think that the imagery of clothing is used to suggest that throughout the play, Macbeth is seeking to hide his "disgraceful self" from his eyes and from others. I think that Shakespeare wants to keep alive the ironical contrast between the wretched creature that Macbeth really is and the disguises he assumes