Macbeth Blood

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Macbeth Blood

Blood is essential to every human beings survival. It is a fluid circulating throughout the body that carries nutrients and oxygen to the tissues in exchange for life and if this was somehow lost then the life would also be lost. It represents life, death, and injury. It is an essential part of life. Without it, we would not live. As a symbol and major theme in Macbeth, Blood is used most often to represent injury and death, but also life. In Macbeth, he uses blood to represents impurity. Shakespeare often accompanies the image of water with the image of blood. The water represents cleansing and purity.

Imagery is any piece of language that provokes the readers mind to form a mental picture or image. Shakespeare’s plays are well known for the richness of their imagery. Macbeth in particular has numerous vivid examples. Macbeth is also particularly rich in repeated images, such as the image of blood. In the beginning of the story, blood is symbolic of bravery, how he fought bravely, and how he won. Bloodshed for a noble cause is good blood. However, Macbeth's character changes throughout the play. The changes are characterized by the symbolism in the blood he sheds. As these images of blood occur frequently, they often portray the horror of the central action, Duncan’s murder. The brilliant images of blood and water also symbolize the unrelenting guilt of the two protagonists, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. The blood and water represents their inability to erase the memory of Duncan’s murder. The blood of King Duncan clings to their hands and makes them unable to forget the repulsive crimes they committed.

In the beginning, blood is used to show bravery.

“For brave Macbeth--well he deserves that name--

Disdaining fortune, with his brandish'd steel,

Which smoked with bloody execution,” (I, ii, 18-20)

This passage is revering to Macbeth's braveness in which his sword is covered in the blood of the enemy. After these few references to honor, the symbol of blood now changes to show a theme of treachery and treason.

Before Duncan's murder, Macbeth imagines seeing a dagger floating in the air before him. He describes it,

"And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood,

Which was not so before. There's no such thing:

It is the bloody business which informs

Thus to mine eyes." (II, i, 57-60)

...

... middle of paper ...

...ain

Than terms can give thee out!" (V, viii, 8-10)

Macbeth and Macduff then engage in a fight to the death with Macduff eventually emerging victorious. After Macbeth is slain, the symbolic theme of blood swings back to what it was at the beginning of the play. Macduff presents Macbeth’s bloody head to the crowd and to the new King of Scotland, Malcolm, and the people rejoice. The death of Macbeth is honored and the symbolism of blood has returned to its original meaning; the bloodiest are the ones most honored. Macduff is congratulated as he proudly walks in covered with blood and with Macbeth’s head. Ironically, it was blood that brought Macbeth to power and blood that brought him to death.

The play successfully illustrates the complete transformation of Macbeth. He begins as a noble, a just and brave person, to becoming evil, ambitious, and treacherous, to his final feelings of remorse for his crime. Throughout the play, Shakespeare effectively conveys theme of death, murder and treason through the symbol of blood. The reader understands the meaning Shakespeare is trying to convey. The symbol of blood in Macbeth is an effective symbol that is used well.

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