Shakespeare’s play Macbeth has a series of motifs or patterns of imagery such as ambition and greed, unnatural deeds versus human nature, females and evil, and hallucinations, however the one pattern of imagery that the reader can recognize everywhere in Macbeth without the word beginning said is blood.Blood reveals the theme of violence and cruelty in Macbeth.Where there is violence there is blood, where there is dishonesty there is blood and even when there is uncertainty there is blood.In the next paragraphs I will recognize how bloodshed results in victory, guilt and finally tragedy and how it reveals the theme of violence and cruelty. “Showed like a rebel’s whore. But all’s to weak,/ For brave Macbeth-well he deserves that name-/ Disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel,/ Which smoked with bloody execution,/[...]/ Till he faced the slave;/ Which ne’er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him,/Till he unseamed him from the nave to th’ chops,/ And fixed his head upon our battlements.” (1.2.18-25). In this quotation it reveals that Macdonwald was a traitor and he was winning the battle until his luck ran out and Macbeth came and killed Macdonwald without him saying his last words, he was “smoked with a bloody execution”(1.2.20). A lot of blood was shed that day however Macbeth came out of that battle victorious because he killed the traitor. Another victory was in Act 5, scene 8 when Macduff killed Macbeth. Macduff with Macbeth’s blood on his hands was seen as a hero , for killing this mad man “...Behold where stands/ The usurpers cursed head”(5.9.25-26).Macbeth’s hopes of being victorious was diminished when he learned that Macduff wasn’t born of a woman.Macduff ended up being victorious. The appearance of blood resul... ... middle of paper ... ...ife and child.“His wife, his babies, and all unfortunate souls/ That trace him his line. No boasting like a fool;/ This deed I’ll do before this purpose cool.”(4.1.167-169). It was a tragedy that young Siward was killed because he was an honorable man. It is tragic because if Macbeth had not listen to the prophecies the blood of an innocent and honorable man (young Siward) would not be on his hands. “Your son, my lord, has paid a soldier’s debt:/He only lived but till he was a man;/The which no sooner had his prowess confirm’d,/In the unshrinking station where he fought,/But like a man he died.” (5.9.5-9) In conclusion, blood in Macbeth is a juxtaposition, it leads to victory, however it also leads to tragedy and guilt. The theme of violence and cruelty can be revealed by the imagery of blood because when there is violence or cruelty there is most likely blood.
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.
In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, the lead character of the same name is not sufficiently happy with the high social position he occupies and the honored status he has acquired. Viewing the play simplistically, one may conclude that Duncan is murdered due to the ambition of Macbeth. Ambition is a sin, of course, and therefore Macbeth is punished for his sins. If one does not care to probe more deeply, this evaluation of the play is almost entirely satisfactory, because it is very simple and neat. Yet, this approach converts the work from an extraordinarily complex study of evil into a straightforward morality play and closes off discussion of the most interesting aspects of the play.
In the early 1600’s, William Shakespeare penned an Aristotelian tragedy ‘Macbeth’ which provides his audiences both then and now with many valuable insights and perceptions into human nature. Shakespeare achieves this by cleverly employing many dramatic devices and themes within the character of ‘Macbeth’. Macbeth is depicted as an anti-hero; a noble protagonist with a tragic flaw that leads to his downfall. This tragic flaw of Macbeth’s, heavily laden with the themes of ‘fate or free will’, and ‘ambition’, is brought out by Shakespeare in his writing to present us with a character whose actions and final demise are, if not laudable, very recognisable as human failings.
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.
Deep: Macbeth’s downfall and resultant chaos are shown through many instances by Shakespeare’s use of blood imagery. During Shakespeare’s time, society believed that the world was arranged in layers. These layers would be affected by extreme actions in the mortal world. Shakespeare uses this idea frequently throughout the play. This is shown by the chaos that results from Macbeth’s actions. Blood imagery shows the extent to which Macbeth has fallen mentally and physically. The first example of blood imagery is after Macbeth sees Banquo’s ghost, and this disturbs his conscious as well as his mental state. Macbeth’s state of mind is shown by his words: “I am in blood / Stepped in so far that, should I wade no more, / Returning were as tedious as go o’er”(3.4.137-139).
Following the discovery of Duncan’s murder, the framed guards are found “Steeped in the colours of their trade” (II, iii, 134). Imagery of blood is used as evidence to convict the guards of regicide; the connotation of the word “steeped” constructs a bloody picture for the audience. The blood on the guards is shocking and gruesome to the audience - unlike the honour of the warriors’ blood in the beginning of the play; there is a strong difference in interpretation of the blood by the audience. The blood on the guards is a representation of being wrongly accused - their death before trial is a greater trespass of justice. As a result, the audience will question the ethical boundaries of Macbeth and Lady
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.
Shakespeare uses motifs in many of his works to add more depth to his writing. His play Macbeth includes various motifs such as blood. Blood is one of the most important motif in Shakespeare’s Macbeth and can be seen throughout the entire play. In Macbeth the motif blood symbolizes guilt, mental illnesses, and insecurity/uneasiness.
Use of Blood Imagery in Macbeth William Shakespeare uses many techniques to liven up the intensity, and the excitement, of his plays. In the play of MacBeth, Shakespeare uses blood imagery to add a sense of fear, guilt, shame, insanity, and anger to the atmosphere. The use of blood imagery allows the audience to vision in their minds the crime scene where Duncan was murdered, as well as the scene where Lady MacBeth tries to cope with the consequences of her actions. The talk and sight of blood has a great impact on the strength and depth of the use of blood imagery. MacBeth’s soliloquy in Act 2 scene 1 gives the reader a description of how Duncan will be murdered.
Blood is also used to display the guilt in Lady Macbeth near the end of the play. Throughout the play, Lady Macbeth is the one who tries to keep Macbeth sane and to keep from breaking.
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...
“.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.
Macbeth by William Shakespeare, is a play that exhibits fighting and bloodshed. Regardless of social views, there are instances where violence is considered an honorable deed. However, some characters in the play blur the lines between right and wrong and their actions make blood shedding a point of discussion. Through the course of the play violence is the most prominent theme.
Macbeth’s story highlights the inherent goodness found in all of us, but also the evil that lurks within us, unnourished. Although there is no redemption for Macbeth’s evil sins, he finally comes to acknowledge his crimes and thus can provoke pity in the eyes of the audience. Macbeth’s psychological journey from a courageous general to a “ dead butcher” (5.9.41) is one that truly merits to be called a tragedy.
This specific action consequently resulted in Macbeth’s level of morality to continually decline as he is acutely aware of his own tyranny. Therefore Macbeth attempts to forget the horrific deed he has committed and be the figure that orders and disorders. Our perception of Macbeth being a wise and loyal soldier is now eroded, as we start to view Macbeth constantly questioning his own actions, and is also impelled to perpetrate further atrocities with the intention of covering up his previous wrong-doings.