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How Does Shakespeare Use Blood Imagery In Macbeth

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In Shakespeare's Macbeth imagery of blood represents man’s constant aspiration for authority, even at the cost of the well being of others. In Shakespeare's Macbeth a Scottish man by the name of Macbeth receives a prophecy from 3 mischievous witches that one day he will become King. Macbeth murders King Duncan and takes the Scottish throne for himself. He is then plagued with ongoing guilt which follows him throughout this novel. Macbeth's intense yearning for authority completely clouds his judgement and causes him to commit unspeakable acts. In the beginning of the play Shakespeare uses blood imagery to display how authority can determine a person's actions by affecting their state of mind, and how morality can also play a part in actions you commit knowingly. Firstly when Duncan sees a bloody man coming from battle he asks, “what bloody man is that? He can report /As seemeth by his plight of the revolt /The newest state”(1.2.1-3) Duncan is going to trust a man because he is all bloody and he wants to know the latest news. In this scenario blood is representing authority Lady Macbeth has just heard that Macbeth is supposed to be king, so she prays to make herself more masculine. “make thick my blood; Stop up the access and passage to remorse" (1.5.43-44). Next Lady Macbeth wants to become remorseless so that …show more content…

Firstly Macbeth said to Lady Macbeth when he told her that he is planning a scheme: "I am in blood / Stepp'd in so far that, should I wade no more, / Returning were as tedious as go o'er" (3.4.135-136). Macbeth has committed too much crime that trying to find a way to stop and redeem himself will be just as hard as continue on his path of killing and crimes. In this scene blood represent guilt and violence. Then Macbeth states, “Blood hath been shed ere now i’ th’ olden time,/Ere human statute purged the gentle

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