How Does Shakespeare Use Blood Motif In Macbeth

Through the play, Macbeth, William Shakespeare uses various literary elements to emphasise ideas that have a major impact on Macbeth and his wife, Lady Macbeth. Shakespeare uses the recurring motif of blood to emphasise Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s guilt after murdering Duncan. Sleep symbolises innocence and purity hence after Macbeth murdered Duncan this innocence was destroyed. Prophecies made by three weird sisters towards beginning of the play were introduced by Shakespeare to foreshadow the developing ambition of Macbeth and his wife’s greed.
Macbeth’s ambition for power began and grew as a result of the witches foreshadowing his future. As Macbeth and Banquo, are depicted travelling after battle they encounter three weird sisters who list

prophecies foreshadowing their fate. While foreshadowing Macbeth’s future the witches intentionally manipulate Macbeth and he, with assistance from his wife, become ambitious with the hope of gaining power. This begins to occur when the witch’s state “All hail Macbeth, that shalt be the king hereafter! (1,3,52).” Accordingly, Macbeth is portrayed, developing a driving ambition and desire to fulfil this prophecy to have power, becoming king. Consequently, Macbeth discussed the prophecies with his wife, Lady Macbeth, who also developed strong ambitions to take control. With this developing ambition, Lady Macbeth began soliciting with Macbeth to kill Duncan to gain power of Scotland. However, Macbeth was not as driven and convinced to gain power as his wife. Hence, his wife belittles him stating, “when you durst do it, then you were a man; (1,7,53)” making him feel less of a man for not committing such a crime. Thus, Macbeth was more ambitious to not only prove to his wife he is a man but to also fulfil the witches’ prophecy. As a result of the witch’s foreshadowing his future Macbeth became driven and ambitious to force the prophecies into a reality. Shakespeare uses another literary element in a motif of blood to emphasise the emotion of guilt.
Guilt which his felt by Macbeth and Lady Macbeth is driven by the recurring motif of blood.

Blood was first, and most significally event in the scene where Macbeth kills Duncan, which was chaotic with blood everywhere. After Macbeth leaves Duncan’s body, the idea of guilt is expressed by Macbeth looking at Duncan’s blood, realising what atrocius actions he has undertaken. Leading him to state, “I am afraid to think of what I have done (2,2, 61)” describing Macbeth’s remorse and guilt. After, he recognizes what his actions have caused realises what the outcome will be if he were to be found guilty of murder. Meanwhile, further through the play Lady Macbeth’s guilt for her input in Duncan’s murder is conveyed through the motif of blood. Once ambition took over Lady Macbeth, she chooses to convince her husband to kill King Duncan. However as time passes Lady Macbeth regrets this decision and her invovement in Duncan’s murder. With, the vision of blood constantly staining her hands she is reminded of Duncan’s murder emphasing her guilt. Therefore, in order to remove the feeling of guilt she constantly cleans her hands to remove the blood stains whilst, heard stating “Out, damned spot! Out, I say!” (5,1,30). As a result, of realising that the invisible blood stains can not be removed understands that her consccience can not be cleaned, leading her to insanity and then

suicide.

Shakespeare uses Macbeth’s inability to sleep following his murderous actions to symbolise his loss of purity, innocence and peace of mind. In the beginning of the play, Duncan lays still and asleep in the castle when the then, innocent Macbeth took his life. From that moment, it is evident that Macbeth has destroyed his innocence as he begins to hear voices telling him that “….Macbeth does murder sleep… (2,2,42).” Peace of mind was also taken from him due to “the affliction of these terrible dreams” (3, 2, 20) causing hallucinations, leading him to insanity. In a similar way, Lady Macbeth is also influenced by Duncan’s death as she too is unable to sleep innocently. She begins sleepwalking, talking to herself and retelling past events– including hers and her husband’s plan to kill Duncan evident when she states “…who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood…” (5,1,33-33). As witnessed by Lady Macbeth’s Gentlewoman, Lady Macbeth is unable to sleep innocently following her husband’s heinous crime. This reinforces the fact that Shakespeare successfully uses symbolism to emphasise the idea of loss of purity, innocence and peace of mind as a result of violence.
Overall, William Shakespeare expresses the main ideas of the play Macbeth, through various literary elements. He uses each individual literary element to emphasise and drive three individual main ideas. Through