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Symbolism used in William Shakespeare's Macbeth
Symbolism used in William Shakespeare's Macbeth
Macbeth falling into insanity
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Have you ever wondered what a it's like to murder someone in cold blood? Well in the tragedy Macbeth, the author William Shakespeare demonstrates how Macbeth relates with blood and shows the readers his crazy side. Blood gives Macbeth the power to harm and go delusional due to the fact that he had murdered King Duncan. Blood gives Macbeth the potential to go insane because as read in the play, Macbeth becomes delusional and becomes forgetful when forgetting to do small things to help him and his wife get away free of the crime that they have committed. Shakespeare indicates how blood relates to the motive which helps the author to examine the motivation of murders.
Shakespeare shows the reader's how blood is related to the motive of murder when they decide to kill Duncan for his own selfishness. Macbeth decided to kill Duncan in a savage way. After he kills Duncan Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth to mark the guards face with their kings own blood. “Go, carry them and smear the sleepy grooms with blood”(2.2.63-64). Form this quote the reader’s are able to see that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are both selfies to gave the life of someone who they are supposed to treasure the life of instead of taking away their
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ability to be alive. Macbeth shows us how damaged he is after killing Duncan and realizing how blood and selfishness caused the motive for murder when Macbeth tries to wash away his sins in the “ocean”.
After Macbeth had done the deed, he felt instant grief after he killed the king, so Macbeth tried to get rid of all of his pain. “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand”(2.2.78-79)? After Macbeth announces that line, he tried to undo all the bad he has done by “washing it away”. Macbeth thinks that how the he has washed his hands he thinks that he did not just commit a sinful deed. Now that Macbeth is done wiping away Duncan's blood, insanity starts to slowly ease into Macbeth while instant grief begins right at the end of Duncan's
murder. The author demonstrates how Macbeth starts to become forgetful after seeing blood, and how blood is related to the motive of murder. Once Macbeth kills the king Macbeth become forgetful and forgets the most important part of this mission, planting the daggers on the guards. Due to the killing of an innocent man, Macbeth needs to place the daggers on the guards so Macbeth and Lady Macbeth can become free of the murder, even if they don't feel like they are free the people around them will think they are innocent. Lady Macbeth states that she will put the daggers on the guards since Macbeth forgot to place the knifes on the guards in the first place. “If he do bleed, I'll gild the faces of the grooms withal, for it must seem their guilt”(2.2.71-73). From this quote the readers and audience can see that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth will be attempting to put the blame on the guards, who have done nothing to do with this mysterious murder. In this play Shakespeare shows us how blood relates to the motive of murders which helps the author to examine the motivation for murders. Blood helps the author achieve this goal of how blood examines the motive of murders by showing the audience how Macbeth feels insanity, grief, and forgetfulness after leading to the murder of Duncan. From Macbeth's point of view now you can see how Macbeth reacts to murdering his king Duncan in cold blood.
Macbeth has literally felt the blood of those he murdered, but symbolically it means he is suffering so much guilt and committed too much evil that he will never be able to go back to the man he was before the
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.
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.
“If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me Without my stir?” Macbeth ponders after three witches foresee that he will become king in the tragic play Macbeth written by William Shakespeare (349). Macbeth is wondering how he could become king of Scotland without him intervening as he is not in line for the throne. He believes that he will have to take action to gain this position. Macbeth was right to doubt fate, because his choices led to his ascension to the throne and, later in the play, to his downfall.
“.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.
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. The symbolic appearance of blood throughout the intermediate parts of the play maintains the depth of the Macbeth’s unforgiveable guilt. The use of blood as a symbol in the conclusion of the play asserts the perpetuity of the Macbeth’s guilt. Shakespeare’s inclusion of blood as a major symbol in Macbeth creates a compelling tragedy in which the audience is able to comprehend the magnitude of the Macbeth’s irreconcilable guilt.
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,
“This tyrant whose sole name blisters our tongues, was once thought honest…” (77). This quote represents the change of Macbeth throughout the play. The use of blood imagery is used to represent the character development of Macbeth from a noble thane to a murdering tyrant. We first see blood imagery characterizing Macbeth when he is called noble for defeating Norway. Then, the idea of un-washable blood shows that Macbeth’s character will change. When Macbeth begins to experience the blood of others on his own hands, it leads him to ultimately become the “villain” or antagonist of the play. Finally, before the death of Macbeth, blood imagery has been used to characterize Macbeth so much that he is now over confident and seems to be fueled by the idea of it. By examining the use of blood imagery, one can determine that blood represents Macbeth’s character development from an honorable thane to a disrespected tyrant.
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.
Macbeth rejects conformation to traditional gender roles in its portrayal of Lady Macbeth’s relationship with her husband, her morals and their effect on her actions, and her hunger for power. Her regard for Macbeth is one of low respect and beratement, an uncommon and most likely socially unacceptable attitude for a wife to have towards her spouse at the time. She often ignores morality and acts for the benefit of her husband, and subsequently herself. She is also very power-hungry and lets nothing stand in the way of her success. Lady Macbeth was a character which challenged expectations of women and feminism when it was written in the seventeenth century.
He thinks this blood is permanent and cannot be cleaned. Blood can be cleaned easily by water and not be visible anymore, but it is that dark patch which blotches Macbeth’s conscience that cannot be erased. Macbeth using all of Neptune’s ocean is a hyperbole because he does not need that much water to wash blood off his hands. 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. Therefore, Macbeth experienced guilt when he killed Duncan and “saw” blood on his
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...
Splendid Productions adaptation of ‘Macbeth’ was performed on the 13th of December 2016, at the RADA studios, London, and was performed by Scott Smith, Genevieve Say and Mark Bernie. The original version of Macbeth was written in 1606 during the Jacobean era, and the adaptation created in the 21st century. I would agree with the statement as the interpretation by Splendid was created to be enjoyed, engaged and relevant to the audience of the 21st century.
In Act 2 scene 2, Macbeth feels guilty from the act of murder plotted by Lady Macbeth. His feelings made worse by Lady Macbeth feeling no remorse for the act of murder and instead instructing him to wash his hands as a symbol of washing away the guilt. Shakespeare wanted the audience to be able to see Macbeth’s sense of guilt and regret. Macbeth mentions Shakespeare uses an allusion here to roman mythology, which makes Macbeth dispirited. This scene establishes Macbeth’s guilt and feeling of remorse. Shakespeare uses hyperboles to build emotion. He portrays the amount of guilt Macbeth is feeling by saying not all the water in the world could wash t...