Macbeth has many important recurring images, such as time, blood, and sleep that help give the reader a more vivid picture of what is happening. Nature is used as an auxiliary image in Macbeth to create atmosphere and foreshadow coming events. The show begins with thunder and lightning as the three witches meet. This creates a dark and gloomy environment for the rest of the story. (fragment/continue?) The drama continues as Ross exclaims, “By the clock it is day, / Yet the dark night strangles the traveling lamp. / Is it not the predominance of the night or the shame of the day / That darkness buries the face of the Earth / When the living light should kiss it?” (2.4.6-10). The darkness that fills the sky and drowns out the sun is very unusual in the middle of the day. The madness continues after Duncan's murder. Ross and the Old Man discuss the owl killing a hawk and Duncan's horses eating each other. The Old Man describes the owl incident as "A hawk, circling in its place of honor, / Was attacked and killed by a mouse owl." (2.4.13-14). All events are related to Macb...