Blood Imagery in Macbeth - 857 Words

Shakespeare is legendary for his uses of symbolism. No other example is as evident as the bloody hands of Macbeth and his obsession with them. Macbeth has killed King Duncan and doesn’t stop there, he kills the guards making Duncan’s sons flee. This gives Macbeth the throne. However he becomes overwhelmed with the guilt. Shakespeare uses blood to show how it reminds Macbeth of the violent acts he has committed and how he has become obsessed with the blood on his hands. Initially the blood represents courage and bravery. For brave Macbeth-well he deserves that name- â€Å"disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel, which smoked with bloody execution, like valor’s minion carved out his passage(Shakespeare 408). Banquo praises his defeat†¦show more content†¦The play helps to personify the phrase â€Å"Blood is thicker than water,† because Macbeth and Lady Macbeth could never successfully wash away their sins and forget about the past, and this was why they ended up dead (Carramond). Macbeth is ultimately executed and his turning away from good to evil happened once he looked at his hands. His obsession was his ultimate downfall (Jordan). He could never clean the hands so he never tried to. He did what he believed was best for him. His character had become new and was further away from the brave Macbeth (Jordan). Shakespeare once again brings up the blood in Macbeth’s death scene. Of all men else I have avoided the e but get thee back; my soul is too much charged with blood of thine(Shakespeare 490). Macbeth refuses to kill Macduff because he would not kill a man who was born by a woman. This gives him the false sense of security that he so willfully stands behind (Carramond). The bloody death is the end of Macbeth. Blood is the main symbol used in Macbeth. It is seen in the first scene and in the last. Blood has always reminded what Macbeth had done to Duncan. This sin was something that he could never escape, according to him. 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