CONCEPTUAL METAPHORS IN SHAKESPEARE'S TRAGEDIES OTHELLO, HAMLET, KING LEAR AND MACBETH - LIFE AND DEATH

This work analyzes conceptual metaphors in metaphorical linguistic expressions which are extracted from Shakespeare's four major plays Othello, Hamlet, King Lear and Macbeth. Metaphorical linguistic expressions selected from the plays refer to abstract concepts of life and death, which preoccupied Shakespeare in his tragedies. In order to understand the four plays mentioned and individual lines in them, it is very importnat to gain insight into how Shakespeare's characters, Shakespeare himself and man in general reason about existential questions and questions of purpose which have always been the subject of our contemplation. By identifying and analyzing conceptual metaphors in the base of metaphorical linguistic expressions that talk about life and death, we will be able to illustrate the process of mapping that goes on between the source and target domains. The mapping process will clearly indicate how it is that we understand and reason about abstract concepts of life and death while relying on concrete and physical concepts from our vicinity. Conceptual metaphors given in small caps such as LIFE IS THEATRE or DEATH IS SLEEP mean that expressions exactly like these are not to be found in Shakespeare's plays. They are a mechanism that we all have and use to understand thoughts of immense philosophical power and psychological depth. This same mechanism is also used by the greatest of writers and poets in the expression of their literary genious.