For many writers, using imagery in order to convey characteristics or changing themes throughout their work is a necessity. William Shakespeare, a classic and idolized writer known by all, is no exception to this. In his tragic play, Macbeth, Shakespeare’s imagery is vital to fully comprehend the characters and events as the titular character and his wife attempt to quench their thirst for power. With Shakespeare’s use of blood imagery, the changes in Macbeth’s feelings towards himself and others as well as the change in the supporting characters’ feelings towards the titular character is made clear throughout the play.
In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the theme of guilt and conscience is one of many explored throughout the play. Macbeth, is a well respected Scottish noble who in the beginning of the play is a man everyone looks up to; however as the play progresses he makes a number of bad decisions. Eventually, as a result of his actions he suffers guilt and this plays heavily upon his character until his personality is completely destroyed. Shakespeare uses a range of techniques in order to develop this theme such as, characters, imagery.
Through the use of blood imagery in Macbeth, Shakespeare is able to characterize the character of Macbeth. As Macbeth commits numerous crimes and despicable acts throughout the play, his character transforms from a guilt ridden thane who adores his kind and risks his life to protect him and his country, into a savage, murderous king encouraged by greed and madness.
In conclusion, blood imagery is clearly used to show the character development of Macbeth. It is apparent when it first introduces Macbeth to readers as a noble thane. The development progresses when blood is described as un-washable on Macbeth’s hands. It is obvious that it has changed him after he commits more and more murders. Blood imagery shows him to become the antagonist of the play. Finally, in the end, before his death, blood imagery shows Macbeth’s full development as a disloyal and morally wrong tyrant. It is evident that blood imagery progressively shows the character development of Macbeth throughout the play.
The popular quote stating that a picture is worth a thousand words applies perfectly to imagery in William Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth. Shakespeare is famous for utilizing vivid imagery ingeniously to appeal to the reader’s senses. In his historic play, Macbeth, Shakespeare develops many types of imagery, a few of which are blood, clothing, nature, and light versus darkness. Imagery in this play is crucial in the development and revealing of major themes, conflicts, and character. It is present throughout each scene in the play, creating a malignant atmosphere of shame and deception.
Gratuitous use of blood is the staple of most murder scenes. Perhaps this technique was first developed by Shakespeare for his play Macbeth. The blood imagery used in Macbeth, adds to the horror of the play. There are several examples of this throughout the play. The first noteworthy example occurs in the second scene after the murder of Duncan, when Macbeth is trying to wash the blood from his hands. The second example occurs in the third scene when Macbeth refers to the king’s gory wounds. The third and final occurrence involving blood imagery takes place in scene four while Ross is talking to Macduff about the murder. As a whole, all of these blatant examples of blood imagery help to augment the gruesome atmosphere of the play.
In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, the main character, Macbeth, murders King Duncan with the assistance of his devious wife, Lady Macbeth. Although they get away with the murder, they are unable to omit the feeling of remorse, although it affects them in different ways, the outcome is similar for both characters. It is obvious to the reader that killing Duncan inflicted the character’s odd behaviors and unstable mental state because of Shakespeare’s use of imagery related to illness.
Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, is one of the most influential dramas of the 16th century. Macbeth is about a Scottish guard, Macbeth, who rose to kingship after hearing a prophecy by three witches. Macbeth was centered on King Macbeth of Scotland (reigned 1040-1057), although King Macbeth was the structure of Shakespeare’s drama, Shakespeare wrote in his own situations to deepen the storyline and make a better plot. Overcome with ambition, Macbeth kills the king, Duncan, and his best friend, Banquo, and anyone else who threatens or stands in the way of him becoming king. Fate is another major theme in the drama, considering Macbeth is influenced to crave the king’s position, even more than he already did, by the Weird Sisters revealing
The feelings of guilt in this play are presented to us in the form of blood and water. Blood represents the cruelty that haunts these characters while water characterizes the idea of wanting to cleanse their body and mind of their personal guilt. Confronting their guilt is a huge obstacle for these characters and they do it in different manners. On one hand, Macbeth is left broken in the end because he has lost the ability to have sympathy for others, while Lady Macbeth deals with her guilt by deciding she does not want to live anymore. The way in which these two decide to deal with their guilt reflects how individuals differ when dealing with internal
Act 1, Scene 7 of Macbeth, a play by Shakespeare, is a crucial scene in the drama which observes Macbeth’s conversion to evil. It opens with him talking himself out of murdering King Duncan. There is clear internal conflict in the early stages of the scene, and features a moral dilemma: will Macbeth choose good or evil? The good side of Macbeth seems to be winning when Lady Macbeth enters, insulting his masculinity and effectively convincing him to commit the murder. In this scene the language used defines gender roles and difference, and this begins to reflect the ideologies of the time, which are consistent throughout the play. His use of motifs (Examples include blood, murder weapons as foreshadowing and clothing to reflect concealment)and strong metaphors (An example of which is the horse metaphors used to represent ambition as a leaping beast that causes the rider to stumble and fall) create an imagery-rich scene that sets the stage for a dramatic turning point in Macbeth’s character.
The image and scent of blood symbolizes the unending guilt of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. The blood on their hands represents the inability to annul the murder from their memories. While sleepwalking, Lady Macbeth was aggravated with own hands. She was seen muttering, “Out damned spot! Out, I say!” (V,I,39) This proves that her evil deed in still on her conscience.
The seventeenth-century play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, employs blood as a powerful symbol to amplify the tragic nature of the work. Prior to, and immediately following Duncan’s death, blood magnifies the treachery of Macbeth’s murderous act. Throughout the play, blood constantly reminds the audience of the ruthless means the Macbeths implement to gain the crown. In the culmination of the play, blood symbolizes the irreconcilable guilt that will haunt the Macbeths for the duration of their lives. Blood’s ubiquitous symbolism emphasizes the constant guilt felt by the Macbeths in their tragic pursuit of the monarchy.
In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, he chronicled the story of Macbeth’s rise to power and all he encountered during that journey. One theme that is present throughout the entirety of the play is guilt. As the story progressed, it can be seen that guilt affects each character differently depending on their role in the play. However, every person deals with the guilt in their own way. Everyone is influenced by a feeling of regret at some point in their lives, and the way they deal with it will affect them in the long run. It can be seen taking a drastic toll, particularly on the characters of Macbeth and his wife, Lady Macbeth. Ultimately, the presence of guilt in someone is determined by how easily they let it affect them.
The Shakespearean tragic drama Macbeth uses imagery to stisfy various needs in the play. This essay will develop the above premise, including exemplification and literary critical thought.