Macbeth

1 Pages 368 Words

“Trace the Use of Blood Imagery Throughout the Play and Discuss it’s Significance”

Throughout the story of Macbeth blood plays a sickening yet significant role. Blood
is used as a symbol of guilt, but is also used to signify death. In the beginning of the play
Macbeth is showed to be a faithful knight who could do no wrong, but as his days continued
he proved to be a man obsessed with the future. Unfortunately, his future involved many
disgraceful things including murder upon murder. Macbeth’s first murder is the first time
we see the significant use of blood. After murdering Duncan, Macbeth says this, “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, 59-62)
Macbeth is feeling his guilt and believes that this “blood” will never be washed from his
hands. The blood he is referring to is not only the actual blood but the guilt he is facing.
The blood in this situation is used to signify Macbeth’s guilt. Another instance of the use
of blood is when Macbeth states, “ Blood hath been shed ere now, i’ the’ olden time, Ere
humane statute purged the gentle weal; Ay, and since too, murders have been performed
Too terrible for the ear. The times has been That, when the brains were out, the man
would die........” (III, iv, 76-80). This is an example of how Macbeth feels about how death
is treated. He believes that blood is shed because government made it seem not as bad as
it really is. The last time we see an imagery of blood in Macbeth is when the apparitions
visit him after Macduff’s death. The second apparition was a bloodied symbol of
Macduff. Shakespeare tells us that the second apparition is a bloody child, a symbol of
Macduff at birth. “ Be bloody, bold, and resolute! Laugh to scorn The pow’r of man, for
none of woman born Shall harm Macbeth” (I...