The idea of blood in other works and novels typically evokes the idea of slaughter and massacre. However, in this play the blood symbolizes the guilt that will forever stain the palms of Macbeth and his wife. The simple act of murder that was once looked at as indifferent led to a devastating past. Macbeth expresses his guilt when he remarks, “And with thy bloody and invisible hand/ Cancel and tear to pieces that great bond/ Which keeps me pale” (3.3.48-50). Macbeth is scared by the blood of Duncan.
Although it is true that Lady Macbeth is a big part of the play and adds a lot of interest, her character is revealed through her unkind attitude with Macbeth, careless feelings towards the lives of others, and her guilty conscience. Lady Macbeth is very pushy when it comes to the murder of Duncan and Macbeth’s hesitations towards it. She gives this comment to Macbeth, “Oh, never shall sun that morrow see! Your face, my Thane, is as a book where men may ready strange matters. To beguile the time, look like the time, bear welcome in your eye, your hand, your tongue.
Lady Macbeth’s intentions are revealed when says, “Look like th’innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t [1.6.76-78].” This is an example of appearance versus reality because Lady Macbeth wants Macbeth to appear to be innocent but in reality, she wants him to take on the role of a venomous man ready to kill Duncan. This also makes one aware that Lady Macbeth is willing to remove everyone in her way to achieve her ambition. Hidden intentions are also revealed through Macbeth saying, “Stars, hide your fires; let not light see my black and deep desires [1.4.57-58].” Macbeth is seen by all as a man of valor who will do anything for King Duncan and has no particular interest of his own except serving the king. By saying that he has deep desires, it becomes apparent that this man who “Disdain’s fortune [1.2.19]” goes against his words which is serving the king is his own reward and decides to pursue a new ambition which is to become king. Appearance versus reality is used to play with Macbeth’s emotions through his hallucination of Banquo.
Lady Macbeths plots against killing king Duncan which is God’s appointed monarch, so by murdering him she is going against God which makes her more fiend like. Lady Macbeth shows outstanding displays of will-power, quick thinking and resourcefulness until after the banquet scene were Macbeth sees Banquo’s ghost. She saves Macbeth on occasions where he has been in a helpless state, losing all ability to act
It starts off with Lady Macbeth asking the spirits “Of direst cruelty! make thick my blood” (I:5). She wants to be insensitive and have no regret for the treacherous deed she is going to commit which is the murder of Duncan. She knows that blood is evidence for a treacherous deed so she wants to turn the evidence to the servants when she says “...smear/ The sleepy grooms with blood” (II:2) and “If he do bleed/I'll gild the faces of the grooms withal/For it must seem their guilt” (II:2). Lady Macbeth was correct because Banquo later states “And question this most bloody piece of work,” and Ross questions “Is't known who did this more than bloody deed?” (II:4).
Thou wouldst be great art not without ambition, but without the illness should attend it.” This shows that Lady Macbeth simply brings out the murderous butcher within Macbeth which was always subconsciously there with his ambition for glory. Macbeth decides to kill Duncan on his own, with his major flaw, ambition, as the main influence to his decision. After murdering Duncan Macbeth is extremely frightened and regrets to killing Duncan “Wake Duncan with thy knocking! I would thou couldst!” However Lady Macbeth is calm and collected immediately after the murder. She
Lady Macbeth believes her sense of right and wrong would be cleansed at the time her hands are actually cleaned. The sleeplessness motif is important because it shows how the characters in the play deal with their stresses. In Macbeth, sleeplessness is an important motif that permeates the dramatic structure. This proves that, all the sleep in the world could never clear Macbeth of his crime. Macbeth is already destroyed.
In many scenes, violence is readily available, in which it is normally committed or illustrated by the protagonist, Macbeth. Shakespeare takes the violence and relates it to manliness. Lady Macbeth, who, behind public eyes, is a very savage, threatening force, wants to remove her womanhood in order to commit tyrant crime herself: “The effect and it! Come to my woman's breasts / And take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers” (Shakespeare, I.5.53). Lady Macbeth is calling upon the gods to “unsex” her so she can proceed and help Macbeth commit the murder of Duncan.
The guilt he is feeling makes Macbeth come to a conclusion that he has so much blood on his hands he can make the green seas red. Macbeth is starting to realize how evil this crime he committed is. Macbeth goes from being this brave, heroic warrior that the citizens of Scotland can look to for inspiration to a murder with an overwhelming feeling of guilt upon his soul. The image of blood in this passage signifies guilt because nothing he does can change the evil crime he has committed. Macbeth will have to live with this on his conscience for the rest of his
Shakespeare does a magnificent job by using Macbeth to show the terrible consequences that can result from an unchecked ambition and a guilty conscience. Those elements, combined with a lack of strong character, distinguish Macbeth from Shakespeare's other tragic heroes, such as King Lear and Richard III, both of whom are strong enough to overcome their guilty conscience. Before Macbeth murders Duncan, he is plagued with anxiety and almost does not go along with the plan. It takes his wife, Lady Macbeth's persuasion in order to complete the plot. When is about to kill Duncan, Macbeth sees a dagger covered in blood floating in the air, representing the bloody course he is about to take.