The Symbol Of Blood In Macbeth Blood is something that we need to live. So it is clearly understood when Shakespeare uses the symbol of blood to represent murder, betrayal, and death, to show all of the evil that was going on. It is a symbol that was used the most in the play Macbeth, and had different meanings. One of the first references to blood represents a feeling of honour, and bravery. It is in Act I scene 2 line 1. Duncan says, “What bloody man is that?” when he sees the injured sergeant. Then, from lines 9-33 (The Merciless Macdonwald, etc…) the sergeant tells the story of Macbeth’s heroic victories over Macdonwald and the King of Norway. The telling of this story is, in itself, heroic. It is symbolic of the brave fighter who has been injured in a brutal battle for his country. Due to all the blood he lost, he was weak. Consequently, his blood and heroism seem to make Macbeth look like a hero. In Act 1 scene 5 lines 40-47, the blood changes into a form of betrayal when Lady Macbeth says, “Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me, from the crown to the toe, top-full of direst cruelty: make thick my blood, stop up the access and passage to remorse, that no compunctious visitings of nature shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between the effect of it.” She means that she wants to make herself insensitive and remorseless for the crime that she is about to commit. The evidence of blood is an evil symbol. Therefore, when Lady Macbeth says in Act 2 scene2 lines 48-57, “Smear the sleepy grooms with blood, and “If he do bleed, I’ll gild the faces of the grooms withal, for it must seem their guilt”, she knows that smearing the blood will shift the guilt from her and Macbeth to the servants. The most vivid example of guilt using the symbol of blood by Lady Macbeth is in Act 5 scene 1 lines 35-40, where she walks in her sleep and tries to rub off the spot of blood on her hand. (“Out damned spot! I say! One: two: why then ‘tis time to do’t: hell is murky. Fie, my lord, fie, a soldier, and afeard? What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to account? Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?”). Her hallucinations of blood on her hands and her constant efforts to wash it off show the agony of having guilty feelings is making her go mentally disturbed. Later on, it strains her s... ... middle of paper ... ...d more people if he wants to keep control of his throne. The sins he committed have condemned him to an eternity in hell, with no return. He will forever be associated with the forces of evil. When Macbeth is fighting Macduff in Act 5 scene 5 lines 4-5, he says, “But get thee back, my soul is too much charg’d with blood of thine already.” But in lines 6-8, Macduff does not let that stop him from killing him and says, “My voice is in my sword, thou bloodier villain than terms can give thee out.” After Macduff killed Macbeth, the blood turns back into a positive aspect of courage, and bravery and order is once again restored. The significance of blood in Macbeth changes frequently from honour to betrayal, to guilt and then back to honour again when Macduff kills Macbeth. Also, the blood was used to represent good and evil. When good people were mentioned like Malcolm or Duncan, it was used it was used for good, to show bravery and heroic deeds. When bad people were mentioned like Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, it was used for evil things like murder, and betrayal. It gave a good understanding of the character’s personalities, and contributed to the richness and excitement of the play.
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.
The blood staining the dagger, therefore, is a way for his conscience to manifest the guilt and horror he feels at killing the king. The fact that there are "gouts of blood" rather than a few drops tells the reader of the depth of his guilt, and foreshadows both the gory visions he will have and the way they will stick with him (2.1.47). The symbol of blood enhances the theme by providing a stronger, visual image for it, which, coupled with the dagger and what it represents, delivers a more impactful message to the audience than a mere statement of the theme could. Another major example of blood symbolism occurs after Duncan's murder, when Macbeth cries out that "all great Neptune's ocean" would not be able to "wash this blood"—the blood staining his hand—"clean" (2.2.61-62). Rather, he says, it will turn "the multitudinous seas incarnadine," (incarnadine means blood-red or pinkish-red) and make the "green" seas "red" (2.2.63-64) (cliffnotes.com).
Blood is a recurring theme in this play; the theme of blood shows the setting of the play at that time and the different moods and emotions acquired by the characters. This idea of blood in the characters mind reverse from the beginning of the play to the end. Blood traverses the play Macbeth.King Duncan is the first to bring up blood in the play. Scotland at this time is fighting Norway; Macbeth and his best friend, Banquo, lead the Scottish forces to victory. The blood brought up by Duncan shows the honor and the heroic deeds done by Macbeth. "What bloody man is that?" Duncan asked to which Malcolm tells him it is the sergeant who had saved him and fought honorably.
middle of paper ... ... Blood is everywhere in Macbeth, beginning with the opening battle between the Scots and the Norwegian invaders, which is described in harrowing terms by the wounded captain in Act I, scene ii. Once Macbeth and Lady Macbeth embark upon their murderous journey, blood comes to symbolize their guilt, and they begin to feel that their crimes have stained them in a way that cannot be washed clean.
One quotation that shows the use of symbolism is by Lady Macbeth, “Out, damned spot! Out, I say…Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?” (Act 5, Scene 1, lines 30-34) (Sparknotes 2011). This quote shows the imagined blood on Lady Macbeth’s hands as the symbol of the guilt and remorse, as well as fright, that she feels over all the deaths that have been implemented by her in the play. Lady cannot get rid of the blood which is a symbol for how she cannot get the deaths out of her consciousness.
... middle of paper ... ... 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.
In many contexts, blood symbolizes one’s heroism and power. At the battlegrounds, Duncan notices the approaching sergeant and asks, “What bloody man is that?”(I.ii.1). The use of blood signifies the captain’s bravery through his wounded state. He reports back their victory and symbolizes the violence that took place. This also alludes to Macbeth’s heroic qualities in which he too had fought on the same grounds. Lady Macbeth cries out for courage and strength by saying, “And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full / Of direst cruelty. Make thick my blood” (I.v.49-50). The use of blood in this context also relates to one’s power using the idea of it being a life source and a vital part to the soul. By thickening her b...
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.
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.
...(IV iii 117) is “miserable” (IV iii 118) since there is an “untitled tyrant” (IV iii 118), or Macbeth, in its midst who is undeserving of a title. Macbeth, according to Macduff, is “bloody sceptred” (IV ii 118) for his sceptre and sign of his authority as a monarch, unlike those of other rulers, is covered in blood, since he had to murder to ascend the throne. It is only when Ross brings news that Macduff’s family has been murdered (most likely by Macbeth), however, that Malcolm encourages Macduff to slay Macbeth, and Macduff agrees. Macbeth wades in the blood of his victims while Malcolm and Macduff use blood imagery to describe the violence and destruction of Scotland (first evoked by the three witches) under Macbeth’s rule.
Blood was very evident throughout Macbeth by William Shakespeare. Violence caused blood to drip from the fingers of characters and stain them for the rest of their life. Blood meant various things in the play but it was certainly seen, literally and through hallucinations. Blood in Macbeth is more important when it is imagined by characters but is not actually there because it causes main characters such as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to feel more guilty, becomes a reminder of death, and represents violence and murder. The biggest role of blood in the play was becoming a stigma of guilt for characters including Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.
Shakespeare employs symbolism and imagery to explore the themes of Good vs. Evil and Suffering in his play Macbeth. Shakespeare uses blood to portray murder and wrongdoing, “I am in blood, stepp’d in so far that should I wade no more, returning were as tedious as go o’er.” (III. iv. 136). He uses daggers to portray the same idea, and the two are often used with each