Abstract
It is widely known that the use of numbers in literature works is quite rare. However, Shakespeare and Marlowe used numbers in their literary works to convey different things. This paper draws on various academic articles to determine how numbers were used in multiple plays of the authors mentioned above to describe their work’s overall meaning. This paper will look at how the ‘numbering’ in Shakespeare’s selected three plays differs from those in Marlowe’s better to comprehend the relevance of ‘numbers’ in writing. It will review the numbers’ uses, frequencies, and potential meanings. The findings of this study will shed light on how numbers may be used in writing to express meaning and strengthen a piece’s overarching themes and ideas. The research will be valuable in clarifying the purposes of the numbers used in literature, particularly in Shakespeare and Marlowe’s plays. It will provide new perspectives on how to employ those numbers. This project will compile and offer many views and interpretations per facts and outcomes.
Introduction
For centuries, scholars have been captivated by the use of numbers in literature. Two of the most well-known playwrights of the Elizabethan period, William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe, used numbers to communicate meanings that have captivated literary critics for centuries (Sokol 53). Authors may utilize numbers to communicate hidden meanings and symbols to add complexity and depth to their literary works. By associating particular numbers with particular ideas, feelings, or issues, authors may give their writings a wealth of additional importance that attentive readers and literary critics can appreciate. Even though these numerical allusions may be subtle and easy to overlook, those who take the time to find them will find them incredibly fascinating and alluring (Leventhal 2022).
This essay will explain how Shakespeare and Marlowe employed numbers to send different messages to their audiences as it analyzes the relevance of numbering in their plays. This essay will discuss how the number 3 is used in Macbeth before moving on to King Lear and Twelfth Night. Next, it will discuss how numbers are used in Doctor Faustus, The Jew of Malta, and The Massacre at Paris. Thus, this paper will compare the importance of numbers in the plays mentioned above.
Significance of the number 3 in Macbeth
One of William Shakespeare’s most well-known dramas, Macbeth, has several allusions to number three. The probable significance of Shakespeare’s use of the number three in the play has been extensively studied by scholars. One of the most well-known uses of the number three in the play is in the scene with the witches in Macbeth. Shakespeare introduces them in the first scene, where they are seen as trios (Camati 350). This trio, who have come to represent the witches in Macbeth, are key figures in the narrative. The witches’ three prophesies to Macbeth during the play further emphasize the play’s focus on the number three. In many cultures, the number three is significant and symbolic, and in theological theology, it is closely associated with the Holy Trinity. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are collectively referred to as the Holy Trinity in Christianity. According to scholars, Shakespeare may have referenced the Holy Trinity in Macbeth by using the number three.
Nevertheless, this is one of the play’s many possible interpretations of the number three. The play’s recurring themes of fate and the paranormal are repeatedly emphasized using the number three. In Macbeth, the three witches stand in for fate and destiny and are the ones who foretell Macbeth’s future. Three predictions are made about Macbeth: he will become Thane of Cawdor, King of Scotland, and the crown will pass to Banquo’s line (Moonik et al. 99). According to the witches’ predictions, Macbeth’s destiny is decided, and he has no control over it. The play’s examination of the supernatural makes use of the number three. The three witches, who also have precognitive abilities, represent the supernatural. The three supernatural beings that appear to Macbeth and foretell his impending death are similarly supernatural.
The supernatural components of the play frequently use the number three, which implies that there is a higher order at play in the universe that people cannot understand. Furthermore, the play’s examination of power and ambition uses the significance of the number three. Power is the one thing that Macbeth, an ambitious individual, wants above everything else. He will murder if it helps him achieve his goals. The witches’ three titles given to Macbeth—Thane of Cawdor, King of Scotland, and father of kings—reflect his utmost yearning for power and his determination to do whatever it takes to obtain it (Javed 110). Using the number three in Macbeth is not accidental or repetitive. Shakespeare utilizes it to communicate important topics, concepts, and messages to his audience through its profound symbolic meaning.
The play’s recurring themes of fate, the paranormal, power, and ambition are repeatedly emphasized using the number three. Shakespeare’s use of the number three in Macbeth exemplifies his command of symbolism and his capacity to communicate complicated concepts using seemingly straightforward methods.
Significance of number 7 in King Lear Play
Number seven has been used in the King Lear play to convey several meanings. The importance of number seven in King Lear is multifaceted and open to many interpretations. According to one interpretation, the number seven stands for completion or perfection. Since God created the world in seven days, according to the Christian faith, seven have come to represent completion. The fact that Lear had seven daughters and Gloucester had seven sons illustrates this concept. The wholeness of their families might be interpreted as a metaphor by using the number seven in this context. A feeling of hierarchy or order is another way to interpret the number seven in King Lear. The prime number seven cannot be split into smaller, equal pieces since it is a prime number. Lear is at the head of the hierarchy, and his daughters are grouped in declining order of social standing, which reflects this notion in the play’s structure (Keast 50). The usage of seven here represents the social hierarchy and order.
Significance of number 4 in King Lear Play
As with many other things, the number four is frequently linked to the four elements: earth, air, fire, and water. It also appears in King Lear. The number four in this context underlines the play’s balance and order themes and represents the physical universe’s fundamental components. Four suitors are vying for Cordelia’s hand in marriage, which is consistent with the premise that the four elements are sometimes used to symbolize the world’s four corners. The number four, in this context, represents the equilibrium and order needed for society to run smoothly. In the article, he discusses “Imagery and Meaning in the Interpretation of “King Lear” in his article. According to W.R. Keast, the play King Lear emphasizes the notions of order, balance, and completion through numbers.
According to Keast, the reference to Lear’s daughters and Gloucester’s sons using the number seven “stresses the completeness and harmony of the families.” (Keast 54). According to Keast, who asserts that this “suggests a sense of order and balance,” the number four is also utilized to allude to the four elements and Cordelia’s suitors. (Keast 55). The connotations of seven and four are deeply entwined and subtle in King Lear. The use of the number seven emphasizes the play’s themes of completeness and hierarchy, while the use of the number four emphasizes balance and order. These facts support the play’s underlying themes of the importance of social order and the consequences of its disintegration.
Importance of number 12 in Twelfth Night
The significance of the number twelve is abundantly evident in the plot and structure of the play Twelfth Night. For instance, the play’s title refers to the twelfth day of Christmas, which marks Epiphany’s beginning and the holiday season’s end. (Thomson, 2013). The Christian holiday of Epiphany honors the voyage of the Magi, which served as a metaphor for Christ’s presentation to the Gentiles. The number 12 represents the beginning of one cycle or season and the conclusion of another. The story of the play also refers to the number 12. For instance, Olivia mourns the loss of her brother for a whole year before the meeting and falls in love with Cesario, who is Viola. In response, Viola pretends to be a male for a year before coming out as a woman. The play’s emphasis on time and metamorphosis is emphasized by using the number twelve in several situations.
While Viola’s metamorphosis is a method of getting access to the world of men and ultimately finding love with Orsino, Olivia’s grieving time is a crucial stage in her emotional path toward finding love (Thomson, 2013). The characters in the play also frequently reference the number 12. The play’s primary cast comprises twelve characters, including Sir Toby Belch, Olivia, Orsino, and Viola. The fact that each character is integral to the play’s actions furthers the concept of wholeness and balance. With twelve zodiac signs and twelve houses in a horoscope, astrology also emphasizes the significance of 12. This relationship to astrology gives the play’s themes of identity and transition a deeper degree of significance. In The Twelfth Night, number twelve plays an important structural role. The drama is structured into five acts, with twelve scenes in the fifth act.
The play’s tensions are entirely resolved in this last act, and the identities of the individuals are revealed. As all loose ends are tied, and the characters’ destinies are established, this supports the concept of completion and harmony. The play’s storyline, structure, and themes all refer to the significance of twelve in Twelfth Night. The themes of completion, harmony, time, and transition are all central to the play’s events and characters and are all related to the number 12 (Lewalski 168). Shakespeare adds depth and purpose to his work by highlighting the significance of the number 12, producing a rich and complex drama that still holds the attention of spectators today.
Significance of the number 24 in Doctor Faustus
Doctor Faustus has texts A and B, where the former is often regarded as closer to the play as it is older than the latter text. The number 24 appears multiple times in Doctor Faustus and has deep symbolic significance. In the scene where Faustus summons Mephistopheles, the number 24 is mentioned crucially. Faustus asks Mephistopheles to bring him a bride, and he specifies that she must be 24 years old. Using the number 24 in this context is not accidental; it has several symbolic connotations. The number 24 is significant in Christianity because it symbolizes the number of thrones or elders who surround God’s throne in heaven. It also represents the oneness of the Old and New Testaments by being linked to the twelve apostles and the twelve tribes of Israel. The play Doctor Faustus stresses the themes of sin and salvation and the struggle between good and evil by using the number 24 (Okerlund 200). Therefore, the number 24 was used to relay the theme of the struggle between good and evil.
Additionally, the number 24 can be seen as a representation of completion and totality. There are 24 hours in a day and 24 results from the critical numbers 2 and 12, which are both significant in and of themselves. Using the number 24 in Doctor Faustus symbolizes that through acquiring knowledge and power, Faustus is looking for wholeness and completion in his life. However, his misdirected pursuit ultimately spells his demise (Marlowe, 2013). The zodiac is also linked to the number 24, with each hour of the day representing a different sign. Considering that astrology and divination were seen as wicked and prohibited during Shakespeare’s time, the number 24 in Doctor Faustus might be interpreted as a reference to the perils of these practices. Marlowe underlines the risks of pursuing knowledge beyond what is possible for a human being to understand and the value of accepting one’s position in the natural order by employing the number 24.
In summary, Doctor Faustus’s use of the number 24 is an important symbol that highlights the play’s themes of sin and atonement, the struggle between good and evil, and the perils of pursuing knowledge beyond the scope of human understanding. The play’s Christian themes are alluded to by the number 24, which stands for completion, wholeness, and the unification of the Old and New Testaments.
Significance of number 4 in the Jew of Malta Play
Beyond Barabas’ four jewels and the play’s four acts, the number four holds particular importance in The Jew of Malta. The drama also has four people who attempt to seduce Abigail (Barabas’ daughter), four leaders who split Malta among themselves, and four disguises that Barabas wears during the play. The play, The Jew of Malta, repeatedly uses the number four to highlight its themes of corruption, greed, and power (Hunter 70). The fact that Malta is divided among four leaders, each driven more by their self-interest than by the welfare of the people they rule, symbolizes the debased character of power. The four leaders are; Barabas, the Jewish merchant, Ferneze; Malta’s governor, Calymath, the Ottoman prince; and Don Lodowick. The destructive character of greed is further shown by Barabas’ fixation with his four jewels and his readiness to use violence and lies to safeguard them.
The number four also has symbolic meaning in various cultural and religious settings. Numerous civilizations relate stability, order, and balance to the number four. For instance, the number four is bad in Chinese culture because it sounds like the word for death. The four evangelists and the four cardinal virtues of prudence, temperance, justice, and fortitude are connected to the number four in Christian theology. The Jew of Malta’s usage of the number four can also be seen as a criticism of society’s standards and beliefs. The drama questions the principles of the Christian culture, which was produced by portraying Christians as morally bankrupt and corrupted while portraying Jews as victims of religious persecution; the drama questions the principles of the Christian culture in which it was produced (Hunter 92). The repeated use of the number four may help to cast doubt on the concept of societal stability and order by indicating that a society’s values and beliefs are not always set in stone.
The play’s themes of greed, corruption, and societal critique are reinforced using the number four in The Jew of Malta. The play’s critique of the destructive nature of greed and power is highlighted by the recurrent use of the number 4, which also questions society’s conventions and ideals.
The implication of number 3 in the Play ‘Massacre at Paris.’
In the play ‘The Massacre at Paris,’ Marlowe discusses the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre in 1572. The number 3 is frequently used in the play, and the numbering is significant in understanding the play’s meaning. First, the play’s three acts are divided into separate parts, each describing a different killing stage. In the play, the conflict between Catholics and Protestants leads to the themes of chaos and violence, and the killing theme is evident (Briggs 98). Besides, number 3 reflects the play’s structure, divided into three sections. The first section discusses the tension between Protestants and Catholics, the second section examines the actual massacre, and the third section examines the fallout from the massacre. The play’s themes of war and division, evidenced by the battle of power between Henry of Anjou and Queen Mother, is the notion that the massacre marked a turning point in French history.
In addition to being used in the play’s framework, the number 3 also appears in several other places. For instance, the play’s action is driven by three primary characters: Charles IX, Queen Catherine de Medici, and the Duke of Guise. Another character in the play is Henry of Anjou, who becomes a weak king, and Guise and the queen’s mother plot to overthrow him and dominate Catholicism. Catherine de Medici is the queen’s mother, striving to preserve control of the French monarchy, while Charles IX is the youthful king whom people around him readily sway (Kocher 159). Meanwhile, the Duke of Guise is a strong and cruel Catholic leader who wants to drive out Protestants from France (Kocher 353). Using the number three to symbolize these important figures highlights the disparities in their goals and motives and the likelihood of their ultimate collision. Furthermore, three moments in the play include significant conflicts between these individuals. The Duke of Guise and Catherine de Medici hatch a scheme to exterminate the Protestants in the opening scene (Briggs 80).
Charles IX made a few attempts to ensure peace and reconcile his people by arranging his sister’s arrangement with Henry of Navarre, a prominent protestant nobleman in succession to the French throne. His mother, a fervent Roman Catholic, influenced most of his decisions. In the play, using the number 3 also has a religious connotation. The struggle between the two religious factions, the focus of the slaughter committed by Catholic mobs that attacked Protestant Huguenots, is a significant element in the play (Briggs 211). The Trinity and the three crosses on Calvary are only two examples of the religious imagery in the play that uses the number 3. This usage of the number three draws attention to the religious hostility and violence that permeated the massacre and how religion was used for political purposes. Generally, The Massacre at Paris stresses the themes of violence, war, and separation by frequently using the number 3.
The format of the play, as well as the number of acts and sections, shows the distinct phases of the massacre and the aftermath. In contrast, the number of critical characters and religious iconography underscores the reasons and tensions between the different factions engaged. The Massacre at Paris uses the number three to highlight the event’s violent and chaotic character and its long-lasting effects on French history.
Conclusion
The use of numbers in literature is a fascinating topic that helps us better comprehend literary works’ themes, symbols, and motifs. Shakespeare and Marlowe’s plays demonstrate the importance of numbers in writing, in which each author employs numbers to produce various effects. The concepts of fate, order, balance, and time are emphasized in Shakespeare’s plays using numbers like 3, 4, 7, and 12. The themes of power, greed, and violence are emphasized in Marlowe’s plays using numerals like 3, 4, and 24. Shakespeare frequently employs numbers to support the main concepts of his plays; meanwhile, Marlowe frequently uses numbers to highlight the characters’ preoccupation with financial success and dominance. Shakespeare and Marlowe used numbers in their works, illustrating how the exact numbers may have various implications and consequences depending on the situation.
Thus, using numbers in literature can be a powerful tool for conveying feelings, themes, or complex ideas rather than just serving as counting aids. Remarkably, the study of numbers in literature demonstrates how even the most minor particulars may improve reading knowledge and enrich the comprehension of the themes and patterns found in literary works.
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