The Role Of Blood In Macbeth

The bloody hand on the Castle is also meant to be a stain on the reputation of the Macbeth and Lady Macbeth; a stain symbolizes their guilty consciences (especially Lady Macbeth’s). But this stain is not only viewed by others, but by the owners themselves. For Lady Macbeth, her guilt slowly begins to prevent her from continuing in the seat of power, as seen by her death a few scenes after the visions of the blood-soaked hands. Blood is also represent the consequences of overreaching ambition as well as evil plans. Both play a role in the degrading of the morality and reputations of the Macbeths. SUPPORTING QUOTES:

1. Lady Macbeth’s vision of blood-soaked hands point towards her guilty conscience on the murder of Duncan (seems to

(5.1.25-29)

2. Macbeth, in retaliation for his evil act of murdering Duncan, faces the consequences of his ambition through immediate guilt, as displayed by the lines, “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood/ clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather / the multitudinous seas incarnadine, / making the green one red” (2.2.61-64).

THE RED BORDER Ties in with the symbolism of blood: consequences of overreaching ambition and evil plans. The evil plans of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are the steps taken of free will to fulfill the fate laid out by the witches and are the basis of how the slowly rise to power (castles are a symbol of power), but also how they’ll fall. The fall isn’t the focus of the castle, the rise to power is. SUPPORTING QUOTES:

1. Lady Macbeth’s line, “Make thick my blood” (1.5.33), itself is a showcase of her extreme ambition. To her, the line and her soliloquy strength her determination to rise to power; telling herself to block any human compassion that may coarse through her body, so her plan can be carried out.

THE SHEEP AND THE

The sheep is meant to represent sleep (counting sheep, makes you go to sleep), while the snake is meant to represent sin (fracture in the moral order). The snake is on top of the sheep represents the how the sins of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth (murdering Duncan, Banquo, Macduff’s Family, etc.) cause them trouble in getting rest; cause them guilt. Macbeth seems to suffer from insomnia, while Lady Macbeth sleepwalking. The colors of the two animals are also important. The sheep is white to represent the innocence, purity, restfulness, and relief that Macbeth murdered when he killed Duncan who was asleep. The black snake further represents that murder, since black is often considered the color of sin and immorality. Traits seen when Macbeth kills Duncan, under his own roof (Macbeth’s) and in his guest’s bed, after the promise of