Blood symbolism in Macbeth Blood is an indispensable part of any living person and necessary for survival. In William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth,” the symbol of blood is used to highlight issues within the main characters’ life. The play starts with three witches confronting Macbeth and telling him that he will be king, this leads to him killing the king of Scotland with his wife. After that Macbeth’s mental health begins to plummet as he goes mad and eventually is overthrown leading to the son of the person he executed becoming king. Blood is used to symbolize many things including the main character's guilt for killing King Duncan. It can also represent the character’s lack of remorse. Last of all blood symbolizes the main characters’ going …show more content…
For example, after Macbeth kills Duncan he is almost instantly overwhelmed with guilt and he does not think he will ever be able to recover from what he has done. When Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are talking after they murdered King Duncan Macbeth says “Will all great Neptunes ocean wash this blood clean from my hand” (2.2.59-60). This quote is significant because it demonstrates that Macbeth does not think he will be able to overcome the guilt he feels for killing King Duncan and that he deeply regrets murdering him. Secondly, Macbeth also acknowledges that he will eventually have to face the consequences for killing Banquo. In this scene, Macbeth has just found out that Banquo’s son Fleance had survived his assassination attempt so Macbeth says “They say, blood will have blood” (3.4.125). Macbeth realizes that he will have to face consequences in this quote because blood is being used to show death and how Macbeth’s life will be taken in exchange for the assassination of Banquo. Therefore, William Shakespeare uses blood to show Macbeth's guilt towards the murders of Duncan and …show more content…
The first example of this is when Lady Macbeth says that she does not want to feel bad when she murders Duncan. Before they killed Duncan Lady Macbeth already showed that she does not want to feel remorse when she says “Make thick my blood; stop up the access and passage to remorse.” (1.5.42-43). This is significant because it proves that Lady Macbeth knows that killing Duncan is wrong but she does not want to feel remorse because killing him would make her queen and give her power and wealth. Furthermore, after Macbeth kills Duncan Lady Macbeth shows no remorse and tells Macbeth that it is not something to worry about. In the scene, Macbeth is being overwhelmed by guilt for murdering King Duncan but Lady Macbeth tells him “A little water clears us of this deed” (2.2.66). When she says this it is solidifying the fact that she only cares about what happens to her and that she does not feel bad about killing anybody, this is because Macbeth was worried about both the consequences and the damage that the guilt will do to his mental health while she just cares about being imprisoned or executed and tells him to wash his hands so that he does not look guilty. Hence, blood is used to show Lady Macbeth's lack of remorse toward the murder of King
In Shakespeare’s Elizabethan tragedy, Macbeth, Shakespeare utilizes the motifs of blood and sleep to demonstrate the effects of murder ultimately illustrating the power of guilt. The play begins with the three witches telling Macbeth a prophecy that he will one day become king. With this information, Lady Macbeth plots the murder of Duncan for her husband—who is anxious—to become king. However, they realize there are more people in the way, and they start killing more and more people. Malcolm and Macduff see what’s going on and flee to England to think of a plan to get rid of Macbeth.
The image of blood plays an important role throughout the play. Blood represents the murders Macbeth and Lady Macbeth committed along with the guilt and pain they’ve felt afterwards. When Macbeth murdered King Duncan, he was fearful of getting caught. “Will Neptune’s ocean wash this blood Clean from my hand?” (2.2.59-60) Later, Macbeth refuses to go back to the crime scene to smear the blood on the sleeping guards because he was afraid of being accused.
When Shakespeare first introduces Macbeth, he automatically is displayed as a fierce, gruesome general. Blood represents his beneficial doing. Captain quotes, “... with bloody execution... he unseamed him from the nave to th’ chops, and fixed his head upon our battlements” (I.ii.20). Macbeth slashes Macdonwald, a traitor, from his belly to his jaw, and decapitates him.
Shakespeare employs blood to accentuate how guilt ultimately drives Lady Macbeth’s implied suicide. Between Macbeth receiving the initial prophecy and the death of Banquo, Lady Macbeth does not actively exhibit any remorseful qualities, such as guilt or regret. However, before the final battle, she subconsciously reveals her fears, acting and speaking in her sleep. Holding a taper, she repeats an “accustomed action” of “washing her hands”; she agonizes that her “hands [will] ne’er be clean” no matter what “perfumes of Arabia” she uses (Shakespeare 5.1.24-25, 5.1.37, 5.1.43). Contrary to the once ambitious and assertive character, Lady Macbeth is now plagued by anguish; she stresses that the blood of Duncan, Banquo, and Macduff’s family will never fully wash out–she is unable to cleanse her hands.
We see this through the usage of the motif of blood in the play and how it represents different things as the play progresses- originally it is used as a symbol of chivalrous behaviour. We see this when Macbeth is described to have ‘’unseamed him from the nave to th’ chaps’’; demonstrating Macbeth’s heroic nature. However, it eventually changes to become a symbol of violence and guilt, completely changing from its former symbolic
Blood is the symbol of blood in the play that represents both the actual blood of Duncan and the guilt and remorse that Macbeth feels for his murder. ”It will have blood, they say; blood will have blood”-Macbeth(3,4,151). Macbeth is entrapped by the inescapable conflict, which, according to an old proverb, "The blood poured in combat seeks greater slaughter in revenge, establishing a circle of carnage. " Macbeth will understand that he must pay a price for his killings. “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood Clean from my hand?”-Macbeth(2.2.6o-62).
As the play nears the end blood plays a less prevalent role in Macbeth’s character to represent that Macbeth’s morality is completely shot. He has nowhere to turn, he has a loss of all feeling, and his life has become completely meaningless. His wife has begun to sleepwalk saying, “What, will these hands neer be clean? Heres the smell of the blood still: all the perfumes of / Arabia will not sweeten this little hand." (5.1.40, 46-47)
Closely followed by this treacherous act, they continue these bloody atrocities until it leads to their own deaths. From the perspective of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, blood symbolizes the heavy burden of guilt shown through the many crimes they committed, the high amount of significant references to blood, and the psychological struggles that they faced. Horrendously, Macbeth commits his first murderous crime in the second act. Leading up to this moment, the doubt, fear, and straining pressure offer no mercy to him.
Here’s the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand.” (V.i.l 25, 33-34). The blood symbolizes the guilt that Lady Macbeth has after being involved in the murder of Duncan. The Macbeths believe that cleaning their hands with water would make the sin of the murder not be in connection with them.
Shakespeare uses the recurring symbol of blood to emphasize the effect of death and violence on the human psyche. The connotation that Macbeth associates with blood switches from a primary motivator to a guilty reminder. Prior to Duncan’s murder, Macbeth witnessed a floating dagger covered with blood (II.i.33). Macbeth had experienced violence and Blood is also used as a reminder of the guilt and trauma from the murder of King Duncan, the guards and Banquo. Macbeth refers to his hallucination of the ghost of Banquo: “It will have blood, they say.
In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth the symbol of blood is often represented. The symbol of blood changes throughout the play. The imagery of blood is used in two different ways, good and evil. There are several examples of this throughout the play. The symbol of blood is very important in Macbeth.
He feels that murder dooming and a hideous act. Aftter slaying duncan, Macbeth says “Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand” Macbeth is looking at his hands that are covered with blood as he is washing them. Macbeth feels that this apalling deed he had done cannot be washed away. The blood is there permanently. This is because this vision of the murder will haunt him throughout his life.
Blood is something most people see as gruesome and disturbing, and not something ordinary people enjoy to be in the presence of. In the play Macbeth, the playwright William Shakespeare uses the motif of blood to expose a character's thoughts and personality. Blood is an important motif constantly shown throughout the play. Macbeth, the main character, thinks he can advance to the throne without any consequences. Blood exemplifies the guilt he is now stuck with, and due to Macbeth's excessive ambition, and overwhelming guilt, he is now faced with the consequences.
Macbeth went through so much pressure to do the crime he later regretted and suffered and battles with himself and his paranoia. Lady Macbeth only saw the effects of blood visually she did not see how the blood stain was eating Macbeth from the inside. Once again Lady Macbeth is pushing Macbeth to forget about what happened and move on, the murder does not affect Lady Macbeth but the way Macbeth is acting shows that he was never ready to commit this
Shakespeare’s play “Macbeth” explores a man’s fall from morality through committing the act of regicide, as well as ideas of guilt, greed and corruption. A motif of blood is used throughout the play to aid Shakespeare’s character development of Macbeth and it also facilitates further exploration of the figurative moral compass and culpability. Blood is used as a symbol and physical manifestation of guilt within characters throughout the play. Firstly, Shakespeare uses the motif of blood to emphasise the moral deterioration of Macbeth 's character.