When you think of blood, what do you think about? Most think of things such as death, injury, and loss. However, in the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the idea of blood is used as a motif to highlight the overarching theme of corrupting forces of power. In this case, blood or bloodshed would be the corrupting force of power. Towards the beginning of the play, Macbeth commits his first murder. Over the course of the play, Macbeth becomes more and more accustomed to the idea of murder and bloodshed. The first murder Macbeth commits acts as a sort of catalyst, a corrupting force of power the slowly overtakes Macbeth’s mind. Throughout the play Shakespeare provides several examples of the motif of blood that most often occur at times …show more content…
Macbeth was dealing with extreme feelings of unease and guilt even before he committed the murder. For example, in the play it states “And, on thy blade and dudgeon, gouts of blood,/Which was not so before. There’s no such thing./It is thy bloody business which informs/Thus to mine eyes.” Macbeth is so overcome with guilt at the simple thought of having to kill King Duncan that he hallucinates a bloody dagger. Interestingly, Macbeth seems to actually calm down after killing Duncan. For example, in the play it states, “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood/Clean from my hand?” (2.2.78-79). Macbeth is still riddled with guilt from the heinous act he has committed, yet he is noticeably calmer than he was before the murder of Duncan. At this point in the play, Macbeth still retains some innocence and he is not completely corrupt. However, as we see later on in the play, this key moment, when Macbeth murdered Duncan, leads to Macbeth's complete moral …show more content…
So, why is this the case? Well, the reason this motif shows up so often is because of its importance in relation to the overarching theme of this play, that being corrupting force of power. In this play, the corrupting force of power is blood, more specifically, the bloodshed caused by Macbeth. We can see how, over the course of the story, the bloodshed caused by Macbeth slowly but surely corrupts him beyond repair. With the initial murder of King Duncan, Macbeth was incredibly guilty even before the murder but seemed to calm down a bit after actually killing Duncan. With the second murder, that being Banquo, Macbeth killed him out of fear, yet when he saw Banquo’s ghost he was furious and wanted nothing to do with him. Banquo was, at one point, Macbeth’s closest friend, yet Macbeth gave up that relationship simply because he wanted to ensure he would stay in power. After this, Macbeth has many other people killed, including Macduff’s wife and child. When Macbeth is finally confronted about this killing by Macduff, Macbeth does not care in the slightest. Macduff goes to fight Macbeth, yet Macbeth is not afraid for he believes that he is, in a sense, invincible. So, we can see that as Macbeth killed more and more, it became easier for him to kill and it allowed him to become more and more corrupt. The one killing that started it all, the first killing of
Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth see more and more imaginary blood as the time goes on in the play, they feel guilty for what they have done and the blood is a
The only time that the reader can truly see that Macbeth feels guilty for killing Duncan is before it actually happens. In act 1 scene 7 Macbeth has a long monologue seemingly battling his conscience as to whether he should really go through with his plan. He mentions how Duncan has never done wrong by him and that he is a good leader. Lady Macbeth enters the scene and then he appears to allow himself to be convinced by her that it is a good plan to kill Duncan.
Blood shows and symbolizes power because of Macbeth's battle with Macduff. When Macbeth was king he thought he had all the power, and could never be defeated. When he fought Macduff he was proved wrong because Macduff defeats Macbeth in battle. With Macbeth thinking he was invincible he went into war with too much confidence so “Yet I will try the last Before my body I throw my war like a shield”(Shakespeare 5.8 36-37). Macbeth is saying he is not a coward and will Macduff with no hesitation because he is king.
Within William Shakespere’s Macbeth, Shakespeare uses the motif of blood to craft a cautionary tale about Macbeth’s corrupt power and the never ending guilt of Lady Macbeth. The image and overall perception of Macbeth within the play truly embodies the idea of the phrase absolute power
Throughout the play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare there are several mentions of blood. Blood serves a bigger purpose in the play than some may or may not, based on the first impression, recognize. The play focuses on a tragic hero who, encouraged by his wife, falls victim to being the cause of a series of unfortunate events. There is an abundance of bloodshed and in the end, it doesn’t end entirely as Macbeth planned. Our tragic hero faces guilt often, as he is the cause of many deaths in his pursuit of power.
The recurring image of blood throughout the play symbolizes guilt and the irreparable nature of one’s actions pertaining to murder, highlighting the downfall of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth is the perfect image of what a man in power should be. He is brave, kind, and noble and has won over the public, but one stormy night, he
Three to four percent of our population suffer from blood phobia or another related disorder. Blood phobia is the extreme and irrational fear of blood. In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the symbol of blood changes the characters relationships with blood from guilt and regret for their murders which eventually drives them insane; reliving the murders in fear as the symbol of blood haunts them. The play starts as blood representing honor and how Macbeth is a hero but soon changes to symbolize guilt and fear of others’ knowing what he has done. The blood changes from guilt to fear as Macbeth starts to regret what he has done as the murders come back to stab him in the back.
Throughout William Shakespeare 's Macbeth many of the characters show ambition for the things that they do. Normally being ambitious would be a good quality but in Macbeth it’s a quality you don 't want to have. The main characters Lady Macbeth, Macbeth, and Macduff have ambition to commit crimes. After the crimes were committed blood was visible as a reminder to Macbeth and Lady Macbeth as the things that they 've done. In William Shakespeare 's Macbeth, the theme of ambition is developed through the motif of blood as seen in the assassination of King Duncan, the murder of Banquo, and Macduff killing Macbeth.
A motif is a narrative element that holds symbolic value while repeating throughout literary works. Macbeth, the main character in the play, believes that he can unfairly further himself in the kingdom of Scotland without remaining his honest self. The blood on Macbeth’s hands encapsulates the guilt he is bearing after plotting against King Duncan and craving his crown. Shakespeare utilized the image of blood to depict the paramount idea of Macbeth, the murder of King Duncan. The crime is foreshadowed in the second scene of the first act.
Shakespeare uses the recurring symbol of blood to emphasize the effect of death and violence on the human psyche. The connotation that Macbeth associates with blood switches from a primary motivator to a guilty reminder. Prior to Duncan’s murder, Macbeth witnessed a floating dagger covered with blood (II.i.33). Macbeth had experienced violence and Blood is also used as a reminder of the guilt and trauma from the murder of King Duncan, the guards and Banquo. Macbeth refers to his hallucination of the ghost of Banquo: “It will have blood, they say.
Macbeth indicates his guilt when he say’s "Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood Clean from my hand?”(2,2,61-62). He’s meaning if he would ever be able to forget about the deed that he has committed of killing the kind of Scotland Duncan. He also is saying that even the entire ocean could wash his hands clean of the blood. Macbeth feels that what he has done was wrong and shameful.
After killing Duncan, Macbeth’s mental state changes completely. The difference between the moment before the murder and the moment after is that Macbeth’s lack of determination. He feels personally responsible for the murder and wishes it never happened. Thus, he is afraid to look at the dead body and face what he has done (2.2.54-56). His regret of the murder shows the transformation of Macbeth’s attitude: he lets his remorse overpower him to the point of madness.
This hallucination is a clear indication of Macbeth’s disturbed and tormented mental state after committing the murder. Furthermore, Macbeth expresses the feeling of remorse that the guilt and shame of his action will never be washed away. He says, “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood / Clean from my hand” (2.2.57-58) as he recognizes the severity of his crime, and regrets of his wrongful act, “o, yet I do represent me of my fury / That I did kill them” (2.3.113-114). William Shakespeare portrays the theme of guilt through Macbeth’s murder of Duncan as it marks the initiation of his eventual descent into
Blood is something most people see as gruesome and disturbing, and not something ordinary people enjoy to be in the presence of. In the play Macbeth, the playwright William Shakespeare uses the motif of blood to expose a character's thoughts and personality. Blood is an important motif constantly shown throughout the play. Macbeth, the main character, thinks he can advance to the throne without any consequences. Blood exemplifies the guilt he is now stuck with, and due to Macbeth's excessive ambition, and overwhelming guilt, he is now faced with the consequences.
Shakespeare’s play “Macbeth” explores a man’s fall from morality through committing the act of regicide, as well as ideas of guilt, greed and corruption. A motif of blood is used throughout the play to aid Shakespeare’s character development of Macbeth and it also facilitates further exploration of the figurative moral compass and culpability. Blood is used as a symbol and physical manifestation of guilt within characters throughout the play. Firstly, Shakespeare uses the motif of blood to emphasise the moral deterioration of Macbeth 's character.