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?" (2.2.78-79) Macbeth says this while talking to Lady Macbeth just after murdering Duncan. Macbeth finds that he has Duncan's blood all over his hands, and attempts to wash them, but has difficulty with removing all of the stain. These are the first signs of blood in this great tragedy of Macbeth.
Another well known quotation that was said by Macbeth is, "I will have blood, they say; blood will have blood." (3.4.151) This was said by Macbeth, as he was having one of his many mental breakdowns. These breakdowns were caused by just this issue of a bloody play. Macbeth created the bloodlines, and now he must suffer the consequences.
"Out damned spot, out, I say!", (5.1.37) said by Lady Macbeth as she is being watched by the physic doctor and the gentlewoman. They both watch as Lady Macbeth has a mental breakdown of conscious, just like Macbeth is having. She is thinking as though she has gotten blood on her, also, when it is only a figment of her imagination. As she tries to wash off the non-existent stain of blood, the doctor and gentlewoman watch in concern.
Later, while still having her mental breakdown, Lady Macbeth also says, "Here's the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. O, O, O!" (5.1.53-55) She says this the same way as she was also imagining that she had blood stains on her hands in the last quotation. There really are no stains, nor any smells of blood that are directly or literally on her hands.
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.
The image and scent of blood symbolizes the unending guilt of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. The blood on their hands represents the inability to annul the murder from their memories. While sleepwalking, Lady Macbeth was aggravated with own hands. She was seen muttering, “Out damned spot! Out, I say!” (V,I,39) This proves that her evil deed in still on her conscience.
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.
Blood is mentioned throughout the play and mainly in reference to murder or treason. The first reference to blood is in MacBeth's soliloquy in Act 2, Scene 1, Lines 33-61, when Macbeth sees the bloody dagger floating in the air before him. Also in this soliloquy on line 46 he sees "on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood", this means that there is blood on the handle and spots of blood on the handle. This is implying that the dagger was viciously and maliciously used on someone. Shakespeare most likely put this in as premonition of murder and death to come later in the story.
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.
Macbeth voices this hallucination when he states, "I see thee still, and on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood, which was not so before" (Macbeth 2.1.46-48). The false appearance of blood on Macbeth's dagger asserts his hesitancy to murder Duncan. In this case, blood symbolizes the possible guilt of Macbeth upon the murder of Duncan. Immediately following the murder of Duncan, Macbeth uses the symbol of blood to assert the magnitude of his crime. Macbeth conveys immediate concern when he states, "Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?...
Shakespeare first displays this idea in Act 2 where Macbeth states, “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather The multitudinous seas incarnadine, Making the green one red.” (II II 61-64) Macbeth figuratively states that his hands are so bloody, even the entire ocean could not cleanse them. Rather, they would make the ocean red. Macbeth’s speech takes place after Duncan’s murder. The quote is important as it shows Macbeth’s guilt over the murder, and how it haunts him. Macbeth gradually loses his sanity and questions if his decision was correct. Through this quote, you are able to see Macbeth’s vulnerability and more humane side. Shakespeare communicates that if negative emotions are not confronted, they will consume and relentlessly haunt them. The idea is again demonstrated in Act 5 where Macbeth says, “Of all men else I have avoided thee But get thee back. My soul is too much charged With blood of thine already.” (V VIII 4-6) Macbeth directs this speech to Macduff, vocalizing how he wished to not confront him again. This quote happens subsequently after Macduff locates Macbeth. They fight following the speech, in which Macduff triumphs. Macbeth fears fighting Macduff because it could result in his hands being stained with even more of the Macduffs’ blood. Macbeth can not find it in himself to become detached from his emotions,
...e contradictory characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. This critical scene continued to effectively have an impact on the audience accordingly. This scene continues to depict how Macbeth has become corrupt, “Mortal murder,” earlier he did not even want to be associated with murder, but now he speaks of it with no shame. The play ends with Macbeth’s confusion, “It will have blood they say: blood will have blood / We are yet but young in deed.” The ambiguous reference raises dramatic tension as it shows uncertainty through the use of tragic inevitability and the cycle of murder and the apprehension that there is more to come. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth must face the consequences of their actions; this saga has not ended with them simply acquiring the throne, “fruitless crown,” causing them to lose sight of their ultimate goal.
To show Macbeth’s despair he questions himself and asks, “"Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?” In a moment of irony Lady Macbeth’s comments write after his statement that he should go wash his hands with some water that it would be enough to clean a little blood.... ... middle of paper ... ...
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...
As Lady Macbeth’s confidence begins to falter, the result from her vaulting ambition, guilt, is demonstrated through the figurative use of blood. In the beginning of Act 5, the Gentlewomen and Doctor are seen discussing the strange behavior of Lady Macbeth. When suddenly, Lady Macbeth proceeds on to the stage, while sleeping, and complains about the endless blood on her hands, “Here’s the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of Ar...
Lady Macbeth is referring to the blood that will not come off her hands from the killing of King Duncan. She is imagining the blood that is not there, which is making her mental health worsen. Kevin Curran explains, “The sense of this line is not, as one editor of the play has proposed, the murder of a thought, but instead a thought that will itself murder, a thought that is equivalent to the physical act of murder and that cannot, therefore, be fully contained within the category of mens rea” (392). This means that the thought of the murder alone, can murder the individual who is repeating the scenario in their mind over and over again. Lady Macbeth murdered herself from being traumatized of the horrible crime her and Macbeth
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 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...
... him and says that a little water will do the job (II.ii.58?59). Later, though, she comes to share his horrified sense of being stained: ?Out, damned spot, out, I say . . . who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?? she asks as she wanders through the halls of their castle near the close of the play (V.i.30?34). Blood symbolizes the guilt that sits like a permanent stain on the consciences of both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, one that hounds them to their graves.