...Macbeth by William Shakespeare, is a play saturated in the blood of many. The play is a horrific story of the downfall of noble Macbeth, in which a significant number of people die at the expense of Macbeth’s ambition. Blood itself becomes a motif and appears a total of forty-two times in the play. The constant mention of blood reminds the reader of the extent of the crimes that have been committed and the cruelty that is necessary to commit such heinous acts. Blood, often associated with violence, is used both in a literal and figurative sense, and is placed strategically within the play. .Blood evolves throughout the course of the play and begins to symbolize the guilt that will forever be stained upon Macbeth and his wife, Lady Macbeth....
Words: 946 - Pages: 4
...of Evil in Macbeth In Macbeth, the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth undergo drastic changes as the play unfolds. Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth regress from logical and human like people, into evil characters that would be found in a horror film. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth seem like two usual human beings, but after hearing about possibly becoming king and queen these characters turn to the dark side and resort to murdering the current king to take the thrown. Once the characters resort to murder, regret and guilt begin to consume their lives, resulting in death for both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Throughout the play Macbeth, the elements...
Words: 1621 - Pages: 7
...Splotches of blood pool at the feet of two Shakespearean characters, one thirsting for power, and the other transfixed at their own actions. They are eaten by the guilt of their actions for the rest of the play, until their ultimate and individual demises. The Macbeth play exposes the endeavours of a couple trying to chase the limelight as they become enveloped into desperate actions, such as the massacre of Duncan, fairly crowned the King of Scotland. Hands and blood are a common theme woven into their storyline, even before their sinful actions are completed. Blood in this play constitutes more than just remorse, but shame that showers both characters. Lady Macbeth calls out to the spirits to, “Make thick [her] blood, Stop up th’ access...
Words: 798 - Pages: 4
...implications of blood and its effects in his play Macbeth to show the cycle of violence that repeats throughout the play. Shakespeare first introduces the character of Macbeth as a brave hero. In the first act messengers tell Duncan about Macbeth’s bravery in war. The bloody images used in this act show Macbeth as the hero of war who should be rewarded for his bravery. Thoughts of heroism and bravery fade quickly as plans to murder Duncan for Macbeth’s benefit and power gain arise. Blood quickly changes to a motif of guilt and fear because of the murder that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have committed. Surprisingly Macbeth keeps killing to calm his fear but sheds more blood in the process. The killings result in meeting the unnatural and bloody Macduff, who wants revenge and ends the cycle of violence....
Words: 1387 - Pages: 6
...THEMES OF GUILT – MACBETH In the story of Macbeth, guilt is an important theme due to the fact that it unstiffens Macbeth’s ambition and coldness. His brutality is balanced by his guilt, a trait that enables the audience to identify with Macbeth throughout the play despite his oppressiveness. MACBETH AND LADY MACBETH: The two main characters who experience extreme feelings of guilt throughout the play are Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Macbeth’s guilt is caused by the ghosts of those who he murdered and of the consequences that follow their murders. For example, Macbeth is visited by the ghost of Banquo, who he murdered to protect his secret. The apparition embodies Macbeth’s guilt and therefore causes Macbeth to nearly reveal the truth about King Duncan’s murder. Macbeth’s guilt prevents him from enjoying his gain of royalty but it does not stop him from committing more than 1 murders. This perhaps indicates a lack of morality, which is Macbeth’s key character flaw. Lady Macbeth on the overhand is driven crazy from the adrenaline of watching her husband commit such murders and is the force behind his actions. Unlike Macbeth’s...
Words: 1025 - Pages: 5
...when we ignore our feelings of guilt, it can lead to the destruction of our conscience. In his play Macbeth, Shakespeare incorporates his idea of guilt into images for the audience. Blood and water are two symbols in Macbeth that function as keys to unlock the hidden message of the effects of guilt. Blood is used to remind Macbeth and Lady Macbeth of their violent actions, while water represents a way to cleanse their minds of the remorse they feel. Shakespeare’s use of blood and water are a chilling reminder of the power that guilt may have on people or how a person might overcome guilt, but become emotionally dead. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are two characters that are responsible for the bloody actions that occur in Macbeth. Blood is a reoccurring image that travels with the characters, not only on their hands, but in their minds. Wherever violence takes place in the play, blood is shown on the characters immediately after the crime. When Macbeth is involved in one of these crimes and kills Duncan, he soon regrets what he has done. But the blood on his hands shows the evidence of the act and that it can’t be undone. Lady Macbeth suggests to get rid of the evidence by putting the blood on the guards so “it must seem their guilt” (2.2.73). The symbol of blood can be seen as “the image of death” (Holloway 108). It represents the violence, since Macbeth says, “blood will have blood” (3.4.153). The characters want to escape their feelings of guilt and forget the murder they have...
Words: 1603 - Pages: 7
...Weird sisters are seen in many novels, but two famous ones about three supernaturally evil sisters are Dracula and Macbeth. Bram Stoker’s Dracula is about an old vampire coming to London and some vampire hunters trying to track him down. After he kills someone they love, and turns her into a vampire, the hunters realize what is going on, and to try to save their precious woman, Mina, they go on a journey. Their journey is to rid the world of Count Dracula and his vampire girls. Dracula’s vampire girls are three sisters in the book seen in Dracula’s castle. Shakespeare’s Macbeth is about a Thane who gets greedy, and kills to get, and keep the throne. The play then shows and focuses on his guilt from those deeds. During the play, Macbeth becomes fascinated with three witch sisters seen in the beginning by him and Banquo. In...
Words: 1867 - Pages: 8
...FRAME 5: THE DAGGER The blood-stained dagger may be an over-used symbol in Macbeth, but it is an universally acknowledged symbol for the play and would be the most effective in reminding the audience of the Macbeth’s first abuse of free will: the murder of King Duncan. A board game must be relatable and it would be no assumption to believe that all of Scotland remembers the murder of Duncan with a dagger. This step is further speeds Macbeth’s corruption by the prophecy and his own ambition. His illusions of the dagger can also be linked to fate since the hallucination indicates that he doesn’t want to commit the murder, but feels that he must. This self-fulfilling prophecy continues to make him believe that he is being guided by...
Words: 620 - Pages: 3
...planning to go see Macbeth - The captain (injured and part of the fight) explains to the king (Duncan) how the fight went down Macbeth and Banquo fought and beat Macdowald He then had to fight against the Norwegian since the Thane of Cawdor (Nobility) betrayed them Macbeth = Tough&Brave - King Duncan demands that the current Thane of Cawdor be killed and that Macbeth becomes the new one - Witches are bonding then meet up with Macbeth (In thunder) and tell him he’ll be thane of Cawdor, and then King. - They also tell Banquo he won’t be king but his kids will - Description of the witches (Page 12 or 2) - Ross and Angus step in once the witches leave and tell Macbeth he’s the new thane of Cawdor like the witches predicted - Macbeth and Banquo side talk about believing the witches theory. Banquo warns Macbeth that the witches are bad news and to fulfill their theory he’s going to be led through evil - Macbeth is considering killing Duncan (the evil Banquo is talking about.) - Macbeth thinks he might actually hot have to do anything to fulfill his destiny (He’s experiencing doubt. He so far knows better) - Duncan wants to know if The thane of Cawdor is dead yet - Malcom says his bodies not arrived but that he died with deep regret. Duncan doesn’t care (27) - Duncan thanks Macbeth and tells him that his son is prince of Cumberland - Macbeth thinks the son is going to be in the way of him becoming king, making him reconsider committing murder - Macbeth writes a letter...
Words: 3214 - Pages: 13
...The Fall of Lady Macbeth Lady Macbeth is seen as a calculating factor in Macbeth’s life. She is able to manipulate his action, which in turn affects the events in the drama. However, midway through the play, she loses control of Macbeth. Lady Macbeth played as the leader throughout the play. Lady Macbeth was the catalyst that lead Macbeth to do things he couldn’t of done on his own. Macbeth was highly ambitious, but Lady Macbeth was even more so. Without Lady Macbeth, the tragic downfall of Macbeth wouldn’t of happened. To begin, Lady Macbeth uses Macbeth as the stepping stool to the throne. Lady Macbeth wants the power, and she knows Macbeth would do anything for her because he loves her. Lady Macbeth makes it clear that she is the...
Words: 850 - Pages: 4
...Macbeth is presented as a suffering victim, who then plummets into a downward spiral where he becomes a symbol of evil. When we first encounter Macbeth, the witches have just foretold the three prophecies. Macbeth is enamored with the idea of becoming king one day. Looking for advice Macbeth confided in his wife, Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth’s immediate reaction is that she has always pinned for the throne and was going to find a way to obtain it. Ultimately Lady Macbeth conjured up the idea to kill King Duncan. She later presents her matoltocal plan to Macbeth. At first Macbeth is not willing to go through with her plan. He thinks it is unjust and that there are other ways to obtain the throne. However Lady Macbeth uses her power of persuasion and lores her husband into a trap. She does this by stating, “When you durst do it, then you were a man.”(Shakespeare 1.7.49) Lady Macbeth tries to take away Macbeth sexuality by saying in the quote that if he does not complete this deed he will be less of a man in her eyes. She continues to go into more depth and say that she will no longer love him either. Lady Macbeth picks apart Macbeth until there is nothing left. She took away Macbeth...
Words: 2011 - Pages: 9
...The Castle is meant to symbolize Macbeth’s reputation to others; the home represents the homeowner to those who view the house. It is his original castle, Inverness. Inverness, the word, means ‘a sleeveless cloak with a removable cape.’ For Macbeth, a cloak that masks his true intentions. Also, a castle is traditionally a symbol of grandeur and nobility. One placed on the top of a mountain or hill (the castle used is placed on a hill) characterizes strength. These impressive traits are meant to showcase the original reputation of Macbeth as a noble and successful General of the King’s Army. Castles are also symbols of power, which Macbeth has and his greed for is evident throughout the play (same for Lady Macbeth). However, the picture...
Words: 457 - Pages: 2
...Everyone is capable of committing evil acts and some people take full advantage of this. In the tragedies Macbeth, Dr. Faustus, and The Picture of Dorian Gray the three protagonists make decisions which lead them down the path of wickedness. The supporting characters also act as evil beings by encouraging the protagonists to make bad decisions. With evil acts on their minds, the protagonists have many symbols that represent their conscience in different ways. Though obvious to the readers, the protagonists had to commit many evil acts to realize the errors of their ways. The protagonists of these stories commit many acts of wickedness which all lead to their final damnation in hell. As the age old question goes; Are people born evil or do...
Words: 1179 - Pages: 5
...“[I] Shall Sleep No More”: How Self Respect Affects One’s Response to Justice in William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” William Shakespeare’s psychological drama “The Tragedy of Macbeth” follows a highly respected soldier caught between his morality and his passion for power. As a result of Macbeth’s overconfidence and fatuitous expectations, he goes down a tragic path ultimately isolating himself from others and leading to his downfall. It is obvious that Macbeth’s mind starts degenerating after murdering King Duncan for his selfish interests. When Macbeth overtakes the throne he uses the crown as an impenetrable shield which eradicates all justice that blocks his path. As Macbeth gets comfortable on his blood covered throne, he does not realize...
Words: 1536 - Pages: 7
...witches from Shakespeare’s Macbeth, symbolizes a common theme found in English literature: the effect of the supernatural. The supernatural is constantly exploited by authors to develop their plot. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the supernatural is something “belonging to a realm or system that transcends nature, as that of divine, magical, or ghostly being.” As well as William Shakespeare, Charlotte Bronte and Jean Rhys utilize the supernatural in their books Jane Eyre and Wide Sargasso Sea, respectively, to affect the amount of power each character has the ability to attain. No matter the gain or loss of power, the supernatural...
Words: 1141 - Pages: 5
