The phrase "dark night strangles the travelling lamp" profoundly signifies a cosmic and moral disruption, where an unnatural, pervasive darkness overcomes the light, symbolizing the immense evil unleashed upon the world, particularly following a heinous act.
In its essence, this powerful line describes a world where the natural order has been violently inverted, and its meaning can be broken down into literal and symbolic interpretations within its dramatic context.
Literal Interpretation
- "The travelling lamp": This refers to the sun, the source of daylight that "travels" across the sky.
- "Dark night strangles": This vivid imagery suggests that the darkness of night is actively, violently suppressing or suffocating the light of day. It implies an unnatural event where the typical cycle of day and night is brutally interrupted, and darkness reigns supreme even when it should be bright.
Symbolic Significance
This phrase is much more than a description of an unusual weather event; it carries deep symbolic weight:
- Symbol of Evil: The enduring darkness, even during what should be daylight hours, serves as a powerful symbol of the profound evil that has permeated the world. It reflects a universe that is recoiling in horror from the actions of humans.
- Disruption of Natural Order: The inability of day to assert itself against night signifies a fundamental breakdown of cosmic balance. Nature itself seems to be out of joint, mirroring the moral chaos.
- Consequences of Unnatural Acts: The darkness represents the pervasive guilt, corruption, and despair that follow a terrible deed, casting a literal and metaphorical shadow over everything.
Context in Macbeth
This line appears in William Shakespeare's Macbeth, specifically in Act 2, Scene 4. It is uttered shortly after the brutal murder of King Duncan. Despite the clock indicating it is daytime, the world remains shrouded in an unsettling darkness. This persistent gloom highlights the gravity of Duncan's assassination—an act of regicide and profound betrayal—and its immediate impact on the natural and moral landscape. The world itself seems to reflect the horror of the deed, manifesting the evil through an oppressive, unyielding darkness.
The complete quote, "By th' clock 'tis day / And yet dark night strangles the travelling lamp," emphasizes this unsettling contrast between what should be (daylight) and what unnaturally is (perpetual darkness). It underscores that the evil on earth is so immense it overshadows even the sun, the ultimate source of light and life.
