A Bloody Change:
The Use of Blood in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth
Motifs are used as a way to represent a theme or idea in literature. Ranging from color, senses, animals, and objects, motifs can represent multiple ideas and can also change along with a character or a situation in a novel or play. The repetition of blood in Macbeth is no exception: it changes from one extremity to another, highlighting important themes within the play. In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, not only is blood used to describe a variety of actions and emotions, but also to represent Macbeth’s change in character, beginning with a brave hero and shifting to a murderous traitor.
In the beginning of Macbeth, Shakespeare associates blood with the concepts of heroism
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and victory. In our first scene with humans, King Duncan is greeted by a “bloody man” who comes to his camp with news of the war (I.ii.1). King Duncan makes the statement that the man will be able to report the news only after noticing his bloody appearance, as if being covered in blood increased his worth in the eyes of the king. The Captain goes on to explain how “brave” Macbeth was able to save Scotland from defeat with his “brandished steel, / Which smoked with bloody execution” (I.ii.16-18). Shakespeare utilizes Macbeth’s sword covered in enemy blood as a way to represent his bold and victorious character, once again tying blood to the idea of heroism by connecting a moment of triumph with a bloody weapon of murder. Finally, as the Captain finishes reporting to King Duncan, he hints at leaving in order to tend to his wounds; he is “faint” and his “gashes cry for help” (I.ii.42.) King Duncan immediately compares the Captain’s words to his wounds: “they smack of honor both” (I.ii.44). Not only does this exchange reveal that wounds come second to informing the king of victory, but also that shedding blood in a battle for your country is considered honorable. It can only be expected that this same treatment would be applied to Macbeth, for he has the heroic and brave character from fighting hard for King Duncan and Scotland. In this scene, Shakespeare continues to connect blood to loyalty and courageousness, and in turn connecting blood to Macbeth’s initial character as well. As the play begins to take on a more serious tone, Shakespeare matches Macbeth’s change in character by using blood to highlight the guilt felt after killing Duncan.
While talking to himself about possibly murdering King Duncan, Macbeth notes that if “bloody instructions” are taught, they will only return to harm those who taught them” (I.vii.9). Here, blood is used in a negative tone, as it foreshadows the harm that would to come to Macbeth if he were to kill King Duncan. Blood continues to have a negative connotation as the play continues. When Macbeth sees the dagger before him, he turns away and then turns back towards the dagger to test its legitimacy. When the dagger is still there, he notes that there are “gouts of blood” on the handle and on the blade “which was not so before” (II.i.47-48). This sudden appearance of blood mirrors the change in Macbeth’s character and the connotation of blood throughout the play. Both begin with a sense of positivity and heroism, but as the play progresses they turn into more negative and murderous beings. Because the blood on the dagger has a dark and deadly quality to it, Macbeth turns to violence in order to move up the hierarchical ranking, despite having knowledge of the repercussions of committing regicide. The shift in the connotation of blood becomes the most clear after Macbeth kills King Duncan. Once he committed the act, Macbeth questions if he will ever be able to truly wash King Duncan’s blood “clean from my hand” (II.ii.64). The blood is used as a foil for the guilt Macbeth feels after murdering King Duncan; even though he may be able to wash the physical blood away, his hands are forever dirty with the murder of King
Duncan. Throughout the course of the play, Shakespeare uses blood to represent Macbeth’s change in character and integrity. Beginning as a loyal and courageous hero, Macbeth uses violence to turn into a guilty and murderous traitor. Similarly, once giving the quality of heroism and courage, the blood finishes the play with the negative characterization of guilt. By using both Macbeth and blood in similar ways, Shakespeare is successfully able to highlight the tone of the play, beginning heroically and ending tragically.
In reality the blood should have wash off of his hands relatively easily, but this blood also represents the guilt he feels, which will never go away.(TS) Macbeth knew that murdering Duncan was immoral, but with some persuasion from Lady Macbeth, he decided to go through with it. After having his best friend, Banquo, murdered, Macbeth attends a celebration of him becoming King. At this celebration, Macbeth sees the ghost of Banquo sitting at the table. Although the ghost looks like Banquo, it represents his guilt.(TS) He yells at the ghost to, “Take any shape but that,” (Shakespeare 3.4.102) of his best friend, because the guilt he feels makes his “firm nerves,” tremble (Shakespeare 3.4.102).
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).
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.
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.
After the first murder scene, when Macbeth stabs King Duncan in his sleep, he encounters a great deal of guilt towards the murder. This is shown by a quote from Macbeth, "With all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather the multitudinous seas in carnadine, making the green one red", at this point in the play, blood is resembled mostly by guilt. What Macbeth is really saying is that not even the entire ocean could wash his hands clean of blood from this dirty deed he had committed. He feels that what he had done was so wrong and shameful there is not a way in the world to hide it, the ocean is an excellent way to portray this. After the discovery of Duncan’s murder in the third scene, Macbeth exaggerates the king’s wounds," His silver skin lac’d with his golden blood, and gash’d stabs look’d like a breach in nature..." Macbeth most likely said this to drive away any thought of him being the murderer. The word "golden" resembles the King’s blood, referring to his social status not only as a King, but as a well liked member of society. The word “blood,” produces a dreadful description of the king’s murder which aids the audience in picturing this horrific murder scene.
A major motif in “Macbeth” is blood. Blood is talked about everywhere in Macbeth. Blood is found when Macbeth kills his own relative, King Duncan, in order to gain power and to become the king himself. After Macbeth carries out Duncan’s murder, he is crowned King of Scotland. As Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s murderous journey begins, the death toll rises; and with each death, the amount of blood on Macbeth metaphorically and literally increases. Guilt starts to control Macbeth. When King Duncan is killed, Macbeth is convinced that “all great Neptune’s oceans” would not wash the blood clean from his hands. Guilt is eating away at Macbeth, and his desire and ambition for power is what leads to him to carry out many more murders.
Later, blood seems to show treachery. At the end of the play, Shakespeare uses blood to show Macbeth’s guilt for all his evil and greedy acts. The first reference of blood occurs when Duncan sees the injured sergeant and says, "What bloody man is that?" (1.2.1) The King is referring to the brave messenger who has just returned from a war. Soon after, the bloody captain praised Macbeth’s deeds in battle, saying that he held his sword "Which smoked with bloody execution" (1.2.20), meaning that Macbeth’s bravery was shown by his sword covered in the hot blood of the enemy.
The apparition of blood on Lady Macbeth's hands, which can not be removed, is symbolic of her subconscious revealing her 'wrong doing' in previous sections of the text. Even though Lady Macbeth is no longer influencing her husband towards evil occurrences, the blood is symbolic of her attempts to aid Macbeth's path towards power and dominance. Blood is linked to treachery and murder, hence the emphasis on Lady Macbeth's crimes. The struggle for authority and supremacy has now shifted from Lady Macbeth to her husband, yet her evil deeds are still prominent in he subconscious mind.
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.
“...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 symbolism of blood prior to, and immediately following Duncan’s murder amplifies the magnitude of Macbeth’s treachery. Following the prophecy of the witches, Macbeth contemplates the possible effects of murdering Duncan in order to gain the crown. Macbeth believes the killing of Duncan will provide "bloody instruction" to Scotland and will in turn "plague th' inventor" (1.7.9-10). This quotation characterizes the murder of Duncan as a bloody deed, therefore amplifying the severity of the crime. Prior to the murder of Duncan, Macbeth hallucinated bloody splotches on his dagger.
There are a variety of fluids in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth such as milk, water and blood. Milk quenches one’s thirst, whereas blood pours out of a person. Water is used to wash stains away, whereas blood can taint a person. The blood image is very potent throughout Macbeth and reinforces the major themes of bravery, guilt, and violence evoked by the three witches.
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.
But he is not talking about the blood he can visually but instead of the blood that has tainted his soul and conscience. As the play progresses, Macbeth’s guilt actually decreases. He begins to commit more and more murders despite feeling incredibly guilt after his first. This shows how Macbeth progresses as a character. Killing for him has become a habit by the last act of the play and blood spilled selfishly, for personal gain, does not matter to him anymore.
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...