Theme Of Blood In Macbeth

1239 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Macbeth fate and choice essay

Macbeth Essay
Abhishek Banerjee
Ms. Lehre
2B
4.11.14

The Catholic priest Martin Luther once said, “blood alone moves the wheels of history.” This statement holds true not only for history but also for Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Blood represents itself as a giver of life, but also as a bringer of doom in the play. Throughout the stormy course of the play, characters speak of blood during times of high and overwrought emotion. Blood signals the arrival of twists and turns, realization and confessions in Macbeth. Through the analysis of certain situations in Macbeth one sees the different forms of emotion that the mention of blood brings about.
Guilt, a feeling stronger than the mightiest of motivations destroys a person from the inside out. No matter how powerful ones conviction, once guilt creeps into a mind the end draws near. The powers of guilt ravage even Lady Macbeth, the character with the strongest powers of conviction in the entire play. Her guilt trips often show a blatant sign that signals their arrivals, blood. In one instance she speaks of blood during a sleepwalking episode “Here’s the smell of the blood still. All / the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little / hand. O! O! O!” (5.1.53-5). In this situation Lady Macbeth rues how her hand seems stained with blood and how it fails to come off. The stain she speaks of symbolizes her guilt instead of portraying a literal meaning. Lady Macbeth feels guilty due to the murder of King Duncan and this episode shows that. The perfumes of Arabia possess strength, yet they cannot free her from her guilt shown by the “blood” on her hand. Another instance of blood signaling the arrival of strong guilt occurs right after the murder of King Duncan. On...

... middle of paper ...

...icking his cheeks they seem flushed with blood. The color of blood symbolizes the giving of courage at an important crossroads in Macbeth.
In Shakespeare’s Macbeth the mention of blood acts as a principal form of foreshadowing. Some sort of bloody metaphor or hyperbole introduces both underlying themes and sudden events throughout the play. Chiefly, blood signals extreme emotions such as guilt, courage or just plain unhinged behaviors. In the way that blood maintains an integral position in the human body, it also holds a paramount position in Macbeth. Without blood, readers hang freely at critical points but with it, the whole play gels together. As Friedrich Nietzsche said, “Of all that is written, I love only what a person has written with his own blood.” Without blood, the passion and intensity of a play like Macbeth seems an unlikely creation.

Show More
Related

  • Motif of Blood in Shakespeare's Macbeth

    498 Words  | 1 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Macbeth Essay

    850 Words  | 2 Pages

    “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.

    Read More

  • Corruption of Unchecked Ambition in Shakespeare's Macbeth

    1294 Words  | 3 Pages

    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. The Weather

    Read More

  • The Symbolism of Blood in Macbeth

    893 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Blood Motif in Macbeth

    620 Words  | 2 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • Theme Of Corruption In Macbeth

    829 Words  | 2 Pages

    The tone of Macbeth is dark and ominous and it is used to arouse feeling within the audience, which prognosticates the destruction to be brought upon by the protagonist’s immoral ambitions. The dialogue by Macbeth, “Blood will have blood,”(3, Ⅳ) stirs sinister feelings among the audience, which foreshadows the continuous bloodshed yet to happen due to him and Lady Macbeth in their attempt to further secure their dominance. When Hecate vows to ruin Macbeth, stating how “security/ Is mortals’ chiefest enemy,” the audience is indicated of the fatal end that awaits Macbeth’s excessive confidence and ambition. As Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth, “Sleep no more,” it indicates not only sleepless nights but its foreboding tone has a deeper meaning conveying the consequences that are expected for the sin he has committed. Thus, the tone of Macbeth was an effective literary device employed by Shakespeare to communicate this particular

    Read More

  • Blood As An Image In Macbeth

    564 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Shakespeare's Macbeth Essay: Blood Images and Imagery

    392 Words  | 1 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Use of Blood in Macbeth

    595 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Symbolism In Macbeth

    1089 Words  | 3 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • The Imagery Of Blood In Shakespeare's Macbeth

    858 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Power of Blood in Macbeth

    1490 Words  | 3 Pages

    At the beginning of the play, the bloody captain and Lady Macbeth have very different opinions of what is brave (especially the qualities of bravery that Macbeth either shows or does not show) and both use different images of milk and blood to prove their point. The captain is bleeding because he fought bravely in battle, especially against Malcolm’s (the son of King Duncan of Scotland) “captivity” (I ii 6). His wounds signify his loyalty to Scotland. In his severely wounded state, however, the bloody captain decides to speak about Macbeth’s bravery against the Norwegian invaders and especially the rebel leader Macdonwald to the King. Macbeth has been killing so many people that his sword “smoke[s]” (I ii 21), or steams, with blood. These “execution[s]” (I ii 21) foreshadow his many other murders with his “brandished steel” (I ii 20) later on in the play. These executions are not for the good of Scotland, but for his acquiring (and guarding) the title of King of Scotland. Later in Act I, Lady Macbeth reads a letter from Macbeth telling her about the witches’ prophecy for Macbeth and Banquo, how he was hailed Thane of Cawdor by the witches and would eventually be King. Instantly, Lady Macbeth began plotting as to how Macbeth would go about murdering King Duncan to gain the title. However, she “fear[s]” (I v 15) that Macbeth’s human “nature” (I v 15) is too “milk[y]” ...

    Read More

  • The Inner-Conflict Effect In Shakespeare's Macbeth

    1068 Words  | 3 Pages

    When we, human beings, are about to commit wicked acts, we feel a variety of emotions. One of those emotions is guilt. You may also feel guilt due to moments you chose not to act. The presence of guilt is a driving factor that prevents us from acting irrationally. Citizens of the 16th century possessed these emotions as well, no matter their social standing. The citizens included Shakespeare as well, a poet and playwright of the 16th century, and writer of the play Macbeth. Shakespeare transfers the idea of negative emotions to Macbeth by using blood to symbolize guilt, among other emotions in the protagonists they do not show otherwise. In Macbeth, William Shakespeare uses blood to show the inner-conflict of the

    Read More

  • The Symbol Of Blood In Macbeth

    1124 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Symbol Of Blood In Macbeth Blood is something that we need to live with. 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 has 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.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Violence In Macbeth

    1420 Words  | 3 Pages

    Macbeth by William Shakespeare, is a play that exhibits fighting and bloodshed. Regardless of social views, there are instances where violence is considered an honorable deed. However, some characters in the play blur the lines between right and wrong and their actions make blood shedding a point of discussion. Through the course of the play violence is the most prominent theme.

    Read More

More about Theme Of Blood In Macbeth

Open Document