The Symbol of Blood in Macbeth

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Blood is a very important part of one’s life and mostly represents life, injury, and then death. Shakespeare uses this image of blood throughout the playwright of Macbeth. It starts when Macbeth is a brave soldier and fights for his country with one of his good friends Banquo and ends when Macbeth is beheaded by Macduff. Throughout all of this, guilt and treason play a major factor with Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Multiple bloody deaths occur including Duncan, the King of Scotland and Macbeth’s old friend Banquo. Shakespeare uses the symbol of blood to represent honor, treason, and guilt from the moment Macbeth has honor to the moment he is murdered. First, there is an honorable reference of blood in Macbeth. It occurs when Duncan sees the injured, bleeding sergeant after a battle and says “What bloody man is that?” (I:2). This symbolizes the audacious soldier who fought and got injured in the battle for his country. Next, the sergeant says “Which smoked with bloody execution” (I:2). He is referring to Macbeth here where his sword is bloody and he is brave by killing the enemy. After Shakespeare briefly uses the symbol of blood with honor, it quickly changes to a theme of treason. 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). They are both wondering as to

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