Shakespeare uses the similar hyperbole of blood to show the suppressing nature that guilt creates after the infatuation of ambition has been allowed to overtake a person. Lady Macbeth and Macbeth have killed king Duncan to take the thrown. After the brutal murder of the king Macbeth washes his hands of the blood as he questions, “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood/ Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather/ The multitudinous seas incarnadine. Turning the green one red,” ( 2:2 ). Macbeth begins his rhetorical question by asking if all of “Neptune’s ocean” could wipe the blood from his hands. With the use of an allusion to the Roman god of the seas he implies the large scale of his guilt. As he shows that all of his oceans could not wipe away. …show more content…
Next, the use of the word “clean” implies that Macbeth is trying to remove every aspect or permeant removal of guilt. He answers his own question by the claim that rather than clean his hand the “multitudinous seas” will simply turn the color of his blood. Thus, proving that his guilt is so large it would infect all of the sea of the world. Finally, he claims that the green of the sea will turn red; in this metaphor, he depicts the world as a natural state that is corrupted by the guilt of his blood. Likewise, Lady Macbeth shows her guilt of the murder through blood; a doctor is called and he observes as lady Macbeth speaks in her sleep. As she walks, she rushes to a sink exclaiming, “Here’s the smell of the blood still. All/ the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little/ hand. Oh, Oh, Oh!” (5:1 52-55). Lady Macbeth states that she still has the “smell of the blood” on her, this hyperbolic metaphor suggests that while the physical blood is not observable, the senses pertaining to the crime can still be
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.
No this my hand will rather the multitudinous seas incarnadine, making the green one red. ”(II.ii.79-81) He sees water, which was once pure like his conscience, now forever polluted by the blood resulting from his evil deed. This image acknowledges that Macbeth knows with killing Duncan there is no coming back from what he has done. This guilt and panic causes him to disconnect with reality and hallucinate infinite amounts of blood.
The Tragedy of Macbeth written by William Shakespeare deals with the concepts of power, ambition, evil and fear. One particular scene in the play seems to deal with more of the concepts of fear and power, as well as feeling nothing. In Act 5, Scene 5, Shakespeare uses differing types of figurative language to add to the somber tone and dark nature of the scene/play. In this scene, Macbeth is preparing to go to war with the people who were once on his side.
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.
If the stars shine their light, his “black and deep desire” will be revealed to everyone. Because he knows that what he is about to do is immoral and no one should hear about it, Macbeth is compos mentis. “The eye wink at the hand” refer to Macbeth’s wanting to blind his eyes so that he will not have to see the actions he will be making. Macbeth have an emotional conflict because he knows he might regret his actions later on and he is afraid to see the outcome. Due to the concerns he is having, Macbeth is still sane because he thinks about it before committing the actions.
Here’s the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. Oh, Oh, Oh!” (Act 5, Scene 1) Though she continuously rubs her hands to get rid of the blood, Lady Macbeth can not washed away the guilt that stains her hands.
Lady Macbeth is sleepwalking complaining about the blood on her hands and if they were going to be clean again, “What, will these hands ne’er be clean? No more o’ that. You mar all with this starting.” (5.1 36-38). This evidence shows Lady Macbeth is sleepwalking in her room, and a doctor and her gentlewomen are watching her.
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.
Throughout the play blood is used as a way to show the evil intentions of not only Macbeth but other characters of the famous play, demonstrating their ambition, anger, and guilt. Undoubtedly, the
Before Macbeth kills Duncan, he says, “Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return to plague the inventor…” He is foreshadowing that after his murder, he will be plagued by guilt of his “bloody instructions”. His
This passage clearly exemplifies how blood can be deceiving being seen in a heroic light only later to be a dark burden on the Macbeth’s. Lastly, Shakespeare shows the reader how blood deceives lady Macbeth by being able to be cleaned off easily at first but then weighing her down with the guilt and responsibility of her actions. Lady Macbeth later realizes bloodshed’s misleading nature and eventually goes insane trying to cleanse her soul saying, “Out damned spot, out, I say! One.
Macbeth indicates his guilt when he say’s "Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood Clean from my hand?”(2,2,61-62). He’s meaning if he would ever be able to forget about the deed that he has committed of killing the kind of Scotland Duncan. He also is saying that even the entire ocean could wash his hands clean of the blood. Macbeth feels that what he has done was wrong and shameful.
From Macbeth feeling “drowned in blood”, to Lady Macbeth not being able to wash her hands, shows how guilt will always come from making bad decisions. One wrong choice can ruin a person's life
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.
At first Lady Macbeth did not feel any guilt until things begin to get carried away. Sleepwalking, Lady Macbeth is heard saying, “Here's the smell of blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. ”(5:1:53-55) and“ Out damned spot, out, I say”(5.1.37). Lady Macbeth is saying these things because she is visualizing that there is blood still on her hands representing her extreme guilt because she knows what she did not was wrong.