Blood and it’s Major Roles
"The spring, the head, the fountain of your blood / is stopped; the very source of it is stopped" (2.3.98-99). This classic quote from Macbeth comes when Macbeth is letting the two sons of Duncan know of their father’s death. Beneath the lies and treachery of this poem is the theme of blood. Blood signifies a great deal to many and is referenced in a great deal of literature throughout history. It signifies life but we have also seeing many accounts where it is spilled and in deep contrast signifies death.
Motif of Blood in Macbeth Shakespeare
In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the motif of blood plays an important factor in the framework of the theme. A motif is a methodical approach to uncover the true meaning of the play. Macbeth, the main character in the play, thinks he can unjustly advance to the title of king without any variation of his honest self.
When reading Macbeth, one might notice the repeated use of the word blood. While it might be thought that this is due to the violent nature of the play, it actually signifies a loss of innocence. This is demonstrated through the treacherous deeds of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, and Shakespeare’s reoccurring theme of the corruptibility of the human mind. By examining these, it can be determined that Shakespeare’s use of blood represents a loss of innocence.
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.
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The use of imagery and “blood” in Shakespeare’s play Macbeth.
Imagery is the use of symbols to convey an idea or to create a specific atmosphere for the audience. Shakespeare uses imagery in Macbeth often, the most prevalent one, is blood. I believe he uses this as a way to convey guilt, murder, betrayal, treachery and evil, and to symbolize forewarning of events.
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.
Analyzing Macbeths statement "Blood will have blood" in Macbeth by William Shakespeare
In Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth, Macbeth says, "Blood will have blood…," is implying one of the main themes. Along with this quotation, there are many more quotations throughout the story that support the theme of blood. Macbeth has always been known to be a bloody story, but it is proven so much by the numerous quotations dealing with blood and murder.
The first well know quotation to come across, dealing with blood, would most likely be agreed upon to be "Will all great Neptune's oceans wash this blood clean from my hand?"
Use of Blood Imagery in Macbeth
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.
MacBeth’s soliloquy in Act 2 scene 1 gives the reader a description of how Duncan will be murdered.
Both the original adaptations of Macbeth and the Bell Shakespeare production, blood and clothing are used to emphasise important themes of guilt and fate. Both versions use blood in similar ways to symbolise guilt. Characters such as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth talk about the blood on their hands as a type of guilt that will not wash away. Both interpretations maintain the hierarchy of the characters through their clothing, contrastingly the Bell production has actors in modern clothing. Fate also ties into this, where predictions of the character’s fate are questioned through the type of clothing they should be wearing. Evidence for both versions of the play will be provided to support that blood symbolises guilt and that the character's relationship
Did you know you could read a summare of Shakespeare’s Macbeth in 32 seconds and still grasp the use and idea of blood? The main character Macbeth kills Duncan to become king and he starts to hear things. The temptation of having power, Lady Macbeth urges Macbeth to kill Duncan and she starts to halluceate. While in power Macbeth gets worried that Banquo’s kids will get power that he has him and his son killed and because of it he starts to halluceate. Finally Macbeth thinks and acts on the idea of killing Macduff and his family and this leads to his otter demise because Macduff is the only one who could kill him. By examining Shakespeare’s use of blood one can determine that it helps reinforces the theme of temptation leads to destruction.