In Act II, Scene I, of "The Tragedy of Macbeth", by William Shakespeare, the most likely reason he chose to use apostrophe instead of simply describe a menacing dagger when Macbeth addresses an imaginary dagger is to create a more dramatic effect. An apostrophe is a literary device that authors use when addressing a character that is not in the scene or when they address a personification, an idea or an inanimate object like in this case. Macbeth has made up his mind to kill the King. When left alone he sees this imaginary dagger signaling the way. "I see thee yet, in form as palpable As this which now I draw. Thou marshall’st me the way that I was going,.."
