Blood As An Image In Macbeth

564 Words2 Pages

Shakespeare uses the symbol of blood in MacBeth to represent treason, guilt, murder and death. These ideas are constant throughout the book. There are many examples of blood representing these three ideas in the book.

Blood is mentioned throughout the play and mainly in reference to murder or treason. The first reference to blood is in MacBeth's soliloquy in Act 2, Scene 1, Lines 33-61, when Macbeth sees the bloody dagger floating in the air before him. Also in this soliloquy on line 46 he sees "on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood", this means that there is blood on the handle and spots of blood on the handle. This is implying that the dagger was viciously and maliciously used on someone. Shakespeare most likely put this in as premonition of murder and death to come later in the story.

The next reference, although indirect, in Act 2, Scene 2, Lines 5-11 is when Lady MacBeth talks about smearing the blood from the dagger on the faces and hands of the servants that she drugged. In Act 2, Scene 2, Lines 11-12, "I laid their daggers ready; He could not miss them". Notice how she said THEIR daggers. She is setting up the innocent servants of the king, making it look like they committed treason. Also in this scene is the first reference of blood pertaining to guilt. MacBeth says this in Act 2, Scene 3, Line 60, "Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?" This is an example of blood representing guilt, because MacBeth wi...

Show More
Related

  • Motif of Blood in Shakespeare's Macbeth

    498 Words  | 1 Pages

    Shakespeare used the image of blood to portray the central idea of Macbeth, King Duncan’s murder.  The crime is foreshadowed in the second scene of the first act.  The king shouts, “ What bloody man is that?” (I,ii,1)  He is referring to a soldier coming in from battle.  The soldier then explains to King Duncan of Macbeth’s heroics in battle.  One assumes that Macbeth is bloody just like the soldier.  The soldier describes Macbeth in action “Disdaining Fortune, with his brandished steel, / Which smoked with bloody execution.” (I,ii,17-18)  This line connects Macbeth with killing, and hints at the future.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of How Blood Builds The Theme Of Endless Guilt In Macbeth

    1104 Words  | 3 Pages

    The blood staining the dagger, therefore, is a way for his conscience to manifest the guilt and horror he feels at killing the king. The fact that there are "gouts of blood" rather than a few drops tells the reader of the depth of his guilt, and foreshadows both the gory visions he will have and the way they will stick with him (2.1.47). The symbol of blood enhances the theme by providing a stronger, visual image for it, which, coupled with the dagger and what it represents, delivers a more impactful message to the audience than a mere statement of the theme could. Another major example of blood symbolism occurs after Duncan's murder, when Macbeth cries out that "all great Neptune's ocean" would not be able to "wash this blood"—the blood staining his hand—"clean" (2.2.61-62). Rather, he says, it will turn "the multitudinous seas incarnadine," (incarnadine means blood-red or pinkish-red) and make the "green" seas "red" (2.2.63-64) (cliffnotes.com).

    Read More

  • Macbeth: Shakespeare’s Two Key Motifs

    1016 Words  | 3 Pages

    Blood is found several times in the text: “may thick my blood”, “the sleepy grooms with blood”, “Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?”, “Would to the bleeding and the grim alarm excite the mortified man.” Blood appears in “Macbeth” in two ways: It appears in the text, and it also appears literally, due to the many deaths in the play.

    Read More

  • Corruption of Unchecked Ambition in Shakespeare's Macbeth

    1294 Words  | 3 Pages

    middle of paper ... ... Blood is everywhere in Macbeth, beginning with the opening battle between the Scots and the Norwegian invaders, which is described in harrowing terms by the wounded captain in Act I, scene ii. Once Macbeth and Lady Macbeth embark upon their murderous journey, blood comes to symbolize their guilt, and they begin to feel that their crimes have stained them in a way that cannot be washed clean.

    Read More

  • The Symbolism of Blood in Macbeth

    893 Words  | 2 Pages

    The symbolism of blood prior to, and immediately following Duncan’s murder amplifies the magnitude of Macbeth’s treachery. Following the prophecy of the witches, Macbeth contemplates the possible effects of murdering Duncan in order to gain the crown. Macbeth believes the killing of Duncan will provide "bloody instruction" to Scotland and will in turn "plague th' inventor" (1.7.9-10). This quotation characterizes the murder of Duncan as a bloody deed, therefore amplifying the severity of the crime. Prior to the murder of Duncan, Macbeth hallucinated bloody splotches on his dagger.

    Read More

  • Motif Of Blood In Macbeth Essay

    711 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the exposition before Macbeth’s entrance, Shakespeare employs the motif of blood to depict Macbeth’s greatness as evidenced by his prowess in battle. In the midst of the battle between Scotland

    Read More

  • Image Of Blood In Macbeth Essay

    738 Words  | 2 Pages

    First, blood plays a major role by showing guilt. It mainly represents guilt for Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. First, the image of blood consumes Macbeth with guilt. To illustrate, Macbeth begins to get second thoughts even before he kills King Duncan. In the moments leading up to his murder of Duncan, Macbeth

    Read More

  • Blood Motif in Macbeth

    620 Words  | 2 Pages

    The longest running tradition in medicine, bloodletting, was a widely accepted practice with a three-thousand year-old history from the ancient Egyptians to the late 19th century. At that time, physicians thought that disease was a curse caused by the supernatural. It was a common idea that blood carried the vital force of the body and was the seat of the soul. Anything from body weaknesses to insanity were attributed to a defect in this vital fluid. Bloodletting was a method for balancing other fluids in the body and cleansing it of impurities. Shakespeare takes the same knowledge of blood and applies it to “Macbeth” in which the connotations not only foretell one’s glory but also one’s guilt.

    Read More

  • The Symbolism Of Blood In Macbeth

    173 Words  | 1 Pages

    Blood symbolizes the initiation and significant points along Macbeth’s downward spiral of corruption and greed. Macbeth’s corruption and greed begins when he commits a dishonorable act. Before killing Duncan Macbeth begins to reveal feelings about murder through his hallucinations. Macbeth begins to hallucinate a dagger covered in blood, which projects the symbol of murder. After the killing of Duncan, blood symbolizes the quilt within Macbeth, causing him to experience fear for the sinful death. Once Macbeth realizes his new position, Macbeth’s greed for authority initiated. Macbeth was eager to manifest his masculinity to Lady Macbeth, by doing so Macbeth began to plan the execution of Banquo. Towards the end of both Banquo and Macduff’s

    Read More

  • Use of Blood in Macbeth

    595 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the beginning of this play blood resembles honor, bravery, and maybe even victory. Macbeth's blood saturated sword after the war portrays him as a brave hero because of the enemy he killed. He is known as "Brave Macbeth" to everyone including Duncan, the King. His bravery is rewarded by the title of Thane of Cawdor, with the help of the current one being executed for treason. I feel that the word blood at the beginning of this play earns Macbeth’s respect from not only the characters, but also the audience.

    Read More

  • Symbolism In Macbeth

    1089 Words  | 3 Pages

    The image of blood plays an important role throughout Macbeth. Blood represents the murders that Macbeth had committed, the guilt that went along with the murders and the pain that it brought on him during his downfall. The soldier describes the violence and bloodshed, in the war between Scotland and Norway, "Except they meant to bathe in reeking wounds." (I. ii. 43) foreshadows the violent nature of the play filled with murder, guilt and pain. Blood in the murder of King Duncan also plays a major role because it represents Macbeth's guilt as well as his shame for slaying King Duncan. Macbeth observes his blood stained hands and remarks "As they had seen me with these hangman's hands." (II. ii. 28) This reveals his guilt and shame because he is comparing his hands to those of an executioner's. After the murder, Macbeth refuses to return back to the bed chamber of Kind Duncan to smear the blood on the sleeping guards, because he is afraid that the blood will incriminate him further. Lady Macbeth smearing the blood onto the guards represents them trying to rub their guilt off onto the guard. "I'll gild the faces of the grooms withal, for it must seem their guilt" (II. ii. 73) but this proves to be ineffective because Macbeth ends up murdering t...

    Read More

  • The Imagery Of Blood In Shakespeare's Macbeth

    858 Words  | 2 Pages

    “.blood will have blood.” , Macbeth is a well known book written by Shakespeare. In it, a once loyal soldier to the king of Scotland starts to seek a way for him to get the crown for himself. In Macbeth, William Shakespeare uses the imagery of blood to represent the guilt of Lady Macbeth and Macbeth, demonstrating the feeling of guilt has consequences of severe punishments. The imagery of blood shows Lady Macbeth wants to get rid of her guilt.

    Read More

  • The Symbol Of Blood In Macbeth

    1124 Words  | 3 Pages

    One of the first references to blood represents a feeling of honour, and bravery. It is in Act I scene 2 line 1. Duncan says, “What bloody man is that?” when he sees the injured sergeant. Then, from lines 9-33 (The Merciless Macdonwald, etc…) the sergeant tells the story of Macbeth’s heroic victories over Macdonwald and the King of Norway. The telling of this story is, in itself, heroic. It is symbolic of the brave fighter who has been injured in a brutal battle for his country. Due to all the blood he lost, he was weak. Consequently, his blood and heroism seem to make Macbeth look like a hero.

    Read More

  • The Significance Of Blood In Macbeth

    1778 Words  | 4 Pages

    Blood was very evident throughout Macbeth by William Shakespeare. Violence caused blood to drip from the fingers of characters and stain them for the rest of their life. Blood meant various things in the play but it was certainly seen, literally and through hallucinations. Blood in Macbeth is more important when it is imagined by characters but is not actually there because it causes main characters such as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to feel more guilty, becomes a reminder of death, and represents violence and murder.

    Read More

  • Macbeth Good Vs Evil Analysis

    809 Words  | 2 Pages

    Shakespeare employs symbolism and imagery to explore the themes of Good vs. Evil and Suffering in his play Macbeth. Shakespeare uses blood to portray murder and wrongdoing, “I am in blood, stepp’d in so far that should I wade no more, returning were as tedious as go o’er.” (III. iv. 136). He uses daggers to portray the same idea, and the two are often used with each

    Read More

More about Blood As An Image In Macbeth

Open Document