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Macbeth: The Symbol of Blood
I am going to prove that in the play Macbeth, a symbol of blood is
portrayed often(and with different meanings), and that it is a symbol that
is developed until it is the dominating theme of the play towards the end
of it.
To begin with, I found the word "blood", or different forms of it
forty-two times (ironically, the word fear is used forty-two times), with
several other passages dealing with the symbol. Perhaps the best way to
show how the symbol of blood changes throughout the play, is to follow the
character changes in Macbeth. First he is a brave honoured soldier, but as
the play progresses, he becomes a treacherous person who has become
identified with death and bloodshed and shows his guilt in different forms.
The first reference of blood is one of honour, and occurs when Duncan
sees the injured sergeant and says "What bloody man is that?". This is
symbolic of the brave fighter who been injured in a valiant battle for his
country. In the next passage, in which the sergeant says "Which smok'd
with bloody execution", he is referring to Macbeth's braveness in which his
sword is covered in the hot blood of the enemy.
After these few references to honour, the symbol of blood now changes
to show a theme of treachery and treason. Lady Macbeth starts this off
when she asks the spirits to "make thick my blood,". What she is saying by
this, is that she wants to make herself insensitive and remorseless for the
deeds which she is about to commit. Lady Macbeth knows that the evidence
of blood is a treacherous symbol, and knows it will deflect the guilt from
her and Macbeth to the servants when she says "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." When Banquo states "and question this most
bloody piece of work," and Ross says "is't known who did this more than
bloody deed?", they are both inquiring as to who performed the treacherous
acts upon Duncan. When Macbeth is speaking about Malcolm and Donalbain, he
refers to them as "bloody cousins"
A final way, and perhaps the most vivid use of the symbol blood, is
of the theme of guilt. First Macbeth hints at his guilt when he says "Will
all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?", meaning
that he wondered if he would ever be able to forget the dastardly deed that
he had committed. Then the ghost of Banquo, all gory, and bloody comes to
haunt Macbeth at the banquet. The sight of apparitions represents his
guilt for the murder of Banquo which he planned. Macbeth shows a bit of
his guilt when he says "It is the bloody business which informs thus," he
could not get the courage to say murder after he had killed Duncan, so he
says this instead.
Lady Macbeth shows the most vivid example of guilt using the symbol of
blood in the scene in which she walks in her sleep. She says "Out damned
spot! Out I say! One: two: why then 'tis time to do't: hell is murky. Fie,
my lord, fie, a soldier, and afeard? What need we fear who knows it when
none can call out power to account? Yet who would have thought the old man
to have had so much blood in him?". This speech represents the fact that
she cannot wipe the blood stains of Duncan off of her hands. It is ironic,
that she says this, because right after the murder, when Macbeth was
feeling guilty, she said "A little water clears us of this deed." When the
doctor of the castle finds out about this sleepwalking, he tells Macbeth
"As she is troubled with thick-coming fantasies,". What this means, is
that Lady Macbeth is having fantasies or dreams that deal with blood.
Macbeth knows in his mind that she is having troubles with her guilt, but
does not say anything about it.
Just before the ending of the play, Macbeth has Macduff at his mercy,
and lets him go, because of his guilt. He shows that he is guilty, when he
says "But get thee back, my soul is too much charg'd with blood of thine
already.". Of which, Macduff replies, "I have no words, my voice is in my
sword, thou bloodier villain than terms can give thee out."
After the death of Macbeth at the hands of Macduff, the symbolic theme
of blood swings back to what it was at the beginning of the play. It is
the symbol of honour to Malcolm this time. The death of Macbeth is
honoured feat that Macduff is congratulated for.
So as we have seen meaning of the symbol of blood change from honour
to treachery, and then to guilt, after this, it returns to the symbolic
meaning of honour once again after the villain that changed the meaning
from honour to tyranny is killed. Due to these many changes, it has been
proved that the symbol of blood has many different meanings which can be
attributed to it throughout the course of this play.
ADDITIONAL FEATURED ESSAYS
Macbeth: Blood
I am going to prove that in the play Macbeth, a symbol of blood is portrayed often(and with different meanings), and tha
The Use Of Symbols In Macbeth
In the play Macbeth, Shakespeare uses many symbols to add to his story. His use of blood, water, light, dark, rampant an
The Fall Of Macbeth
Shakespeare uses many forms of imagery. The forms of imagery that are used in his play 'Macbeth’ include the forms of cl
Imagery In Macbeth
In the play "Macbeth" Shakespeare uses many types of imagery. Imagery is a figurative language that writers use. Five di
Macbeth: Imagery
In the play "Macbeth" Shakespeare uses many types of imagery. Imagery is a figurative language that writers use. Five di
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