Symbol of Blood in Macbeth
ENG 3U
Bloody Actions
“But in these cases we still have judgement here that we but teach bloody instructions which being taught return to plague the inventor,” (I ii 7-10). When Macbeth says these words, it is when we begin to get the full picture of the play and how powerful the image of blood really is. Throughout the play the symbol of blood changes meaning. It starts with blood representing honour and pride for your country and develops into treason and treachery. At the end of the play we see it had blossomed into guilt. Blood is an essential part of life and the same is true in Macbeth.
At the beginning of the play Macbeth by Shakespeare, there is a battle going on and as King Duncan arrives he says, “What bloody man is that?” (I ii 1), referring to a soldier that was fighting in the battle. We can already see this early in the play that blood represents honour. The man that Duncan meets was injured in battle and bleeding badly. This soldier was fighting for his country, an honourable thing, when he was injured. He shed his blood for his country and family.
Another example of blood representing honour and pride would be in the line, “disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel, which smoked with bloody execution”. (I ii 19-20) This is referring to Macbeth’s success in battle. The blood that is on the sword would represent pride and honour for Macbeth himself and also for his country in which he was fighting for. Killing someone in battle was seen as a success; therefore the blood on Macbeth’s sword represents pride for his country.
“Come you spirits... unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full... make thick my blood” (I v 30-33) Lady Macbeth is talking to herself saying she wants to be a man. She wants to be strong and powerful like a man. This early in the play we can see the symbol blood transforming into something more sinister. Lady Macbeth is talking about changing her blood into the blood of a man. The act of changing
Bloody Actions
“But in these cases we still have judgement here that we but teach bloody instructions which being taught return to plague the inventor,” (I ii 7-10). When Macbeth says these words, it is when we begin to get the full picture of the play and how powerful the image of blood really is. Throughout the play the symbol of blood changes meaning. It starts with blood representing honour and pride for your country and develops into treason and treachery. At the end of the play we see it had blossomed into guilt. Blood is an essential part of life and the same is true in Macbeth.
At the beginning of the play Macbeth by Shakespeare, there is a battle going on and as King Duncan arrives he says, “What bloody man is that?” (I ii 1), referring to a soldier that was fighting in the battle. We can already see this early in the play that blood represents honour. The man that Duncan meets was injured in battle and bleeding badly. This soldier was fighting for his country, an honourable thing, when he was injured. He shed his blood for his country and family.
Another example of blood representing honour and pride would be in the line, “disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel, which smoked with bloody execution”. (I ii 19-20) This is referring to Macbeth’s success in battle. The blood that is on the sword would represent pride and honour for Macbeth himself and also for his country in which he was fighting for. Killing someone in battle was seen as a success; therefore the blood on Macbeth’s sword represents pride for his country.
“Come you spirits... unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full... make thick my blood” (I v 30-33) Lady Macbeth is talking to herself saying she wants to be a man. She wants to be strong and powerful like a man. This early in the play we can see the symbol blood transforming into something more sinister. Lady Macbeth is talking about changing her blood into the blood of a man. The act of changing