“This tyrant whose sole name blisters our tongues, was once thought honest…” (77). This quote represents the change of Macbeth throughout the play. The use of blood imagery is used to represent the character development of Macbeth from a noble thane to a murdering tyrant. We first see blood imagery characterizing Macbeth when he is called noble for defeating Norway. Then, the idea of un-washable blood shows that Macbeth’s character will change. When Macbeth begins to experience the blood of others on his own hands, it leads him to ultimately become the “villain” or antagonist of the play. Finally, before the death of Macbeth, blood imagery has been used to characterize Macbeth so much that he is now over confident and seems to be fueled by the idea of it. By examining the use of blood imagery, one can determine that blood represents Macbeth’s character development from an honorable thane to a disrespected tyrant. First, readers see blood imagery representing Macbeth’s character development when it defines him as noble in the beginning. Macbeth is first introduced in the play by a valiant captain. Even with all of the captain’s unbearable wounds, he still manages to be able to speak highly of Macbeth. He says, “But all’s too weak, for brave Macbeth- well he deserves that name” (5). This is significant in analyzing character development because these are the very first things we hear about Macbeth. It stands out to readers that blood is the first thing to characterize Macbeth. We see he is honorable because the use of blood imagery defines him as a leader. It says, “…with his brandished steel, which smoked with bloody execution…” (5). The audience now gets an image of brave and bold Macbeth winning a battle. Knowing the outcome of... ... middle of paper ... ... use of blood imagery has given the audience the idea of Macbeth’s character completely changing from honorable to despicable in the people’s eyes. Obviously, blood imagery is used at the end to show the full development of Macbeth’s character. 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.
In literature as in life, blood is not only in the body, but symbolizes many other things. The play, Macbeth, by William Shakespeare describes the life of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth and how they become ruthless killers. They are determined to get power and will not stop until Macbeth and his sons are kings. Throughout the Macbeth by Shakespeare, blood is a prominent symbol and represents murder, guilt, and the difference between characters. Blood represents murder when Macbeth returns from war and when Duncan’s guards are killed. Also, blood represents the guilt of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth after the murder of Duncan. Moreover, the difference between Duncan and Lady Macbeth is represented by blood. Altogether, blood symbolizes murder, guilt, and different characters in Macbeth.
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.
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.
In the beginning of the play, blood imagery is very important. "Till he unseamed him from the nave to the chaps, / and fixed his head upon our battlements"(I.ii.22-23). Macbeth has just killed the enemy and become a hero; Macbeth killed the enemy not for fame or fortune but to defend his land and people. In this next quote Macbeth's evil spirit starts to grow by completing the witches prophecy. "I go, and it is done; the bell invites me. / Hear it not, Duncan; for it is a knell / that summons thee to heaven or to hell"(II.i.62-64). Macbeth's selfish and evil desires have grown; he kills his own king in order to obtain the crown; this is no act of a heroic general but a selfish cold-hearted man. "Oh, yet I do repent me of my fury, / that I did kill them"(II.iii.99-100). Macbeth slaughters these two men to conceal his actions and to remove suspicion from him; Macbeth's evil spirit is growing; he must commit more evil crimes in order to cover up his others.
Throughout William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, the main character, Macbeth, has a lot on his hands as the king of Scotland… especially blood. In fact, blood imagery and the use of violence were large parts of Shakespeare’s style of writing. By examining the blood imagery in Macbeth, one can determine that the loss of blood of others symbolizes illness and Macbeth’s health, mentally and physically declining. This presents the idea that the more he kills, the closer he comes to the ultimate illness, death.
The imagery of blood shows Lady Macbeth wants to get rid of her guilt. Lady Macbeth states, “And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full Of direst cruelty. Make thick my blood” (1.5. 49-50). Lady Macbeth is saying that she wants be filled with cruelty from top to bottom and to thicken her blood because she knows that from what she is about to do, she will get guilt.
The blood motif shows the consequences of the guilty characters. One example is when Macbeth killed King Duncan, and walked out of the room very distraught and in a haze of panic and sorrow. “I see thee still, / And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood, / Which was not so before" (shakespeare 2.1.45-47) Macbeth said this as he was going to kill duncan. Then
If a picture tells a thousand words, than imagine the importance of an image upon a play such as Macbeth. In any literary work, it is extremely important that the author can effectively manipulate a reader's feelings towards a character. In Macbeth, that feat is accomplished magnificently by Shakespeare. Through his skillful use of imagery, Shakespeare shows us a deeper look into the true character of Macbeth. Though imagery is widespread throughout Macbeth, it is most dominant in clothing imagery, light and darkness imagery, and blood imagery. Through these images,
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).
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.
William Shakespeare uses many techniques to liven the intensity, and the excitement in 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.
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.
Shakespeare employs the powerful symbol of blood to augment the tragic nature of Macbeth, while dually adding dramatic effect to the play. Blood’s recurring symbolism throughout the play constantly reminds the audience of the Macbeth’s irreconcilable guilt. Blood’s symbolism in the murder of Duncan transforms an act of treachery into a ghastly betrayal. The symbolic appearance of blood throughout the intermediate parts of the play maintains the depth of the Macbeth’s unforgiveable guilt. The use of blood as a symbol in the conclusion of the play asserts the perpetuity of the Macbeth’s guilt. Shakespeare’s inclusion of blood as a major symbol in Macbeth creates a compelling tragedy in which the audience is able to comprehend the magnitude of the Macbeth’s irreconcilable guilt.
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...
The scene with Macbeth finding a bloody dagger thinking “ And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood.” (2.1.55) This asserts guilt through the symbolism of blood, that Macbeth imagines blood on the dagger on the grounds that he feels guilty about what he is going to do. When Macbeth orders the murderers to kills his friend Banquo and he returns as a ghost. Macbeth tells that "There’s blood upon thy face". (3.4.16) The blood also symbolizes guilt because Macbeth indirectly kills Banquo and now Macbeth knows that the blood of a person who is murdered will come back to the person who committed the murder. Another scene utilizing blood as a symbol is when Macbeth assumes the throne as king of Scotland and mentions to Banquo about Malcolm and Donalbain fleeing to England and Ireland saying “We hear our bloody cousins are bestowed In England and in Ireland.” (3.1.33-34) The word “bloody” mention by Macbeth portrays how Macbeth wants Banquo to see that the two sons are guilty and fled because they killed their father. The recurring symbol of blood symbolizes guilt from the actions characters that are responsible for a specified wrongdoing.