Blood In Macbeth Essay
The Blood of the Conscience
For Christians, a defining moment in the Bible is the final supper. The night before Jesus is crucified, he commands his apostles: “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matt. 26.27-28). For many Christians, this is an important and powerful passage. The importance of Jesus’ blood and what it stands for, is appreciated by many, as they drink the symbolic blood every sunday at Mass. Blood is a powerful symbol, and is found throughout many large and impactful works. Though used differently, Shakespeare uses the symbol of blood as well. Throughout Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, gruesome murders are committed by Macbeth, and Shakespeare uses the symbol of blood throughout the play to represent the guilt of both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth from Macbeth’s killing of his former …show more content…
Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth to, “unbend your noble strength to think / So brainsickly of things,” commanding him to ignore his cowardice and misgivings. Lady Macbeth assumes that the crimes Macbeth commits will be forgivable; however, Macbeth understands the graveness of his actions when he asks, “Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood / Clean from my hand?”, and responds by saying: “No, this my hand will rather / The multitudinous seas incarnadine, / Making the green one red” (2.2.45-46,78-81). Macbeth knows that he will be haunted by the murder of Duncan for the rest of his life, that it is not something that can just be brushed off, and immediately regrets his actions, stating, “Wake Duncan with thy knocking! I would thou couldst!” (2.4.75). Again, Shakespeare displays Macbeth’s guilt and pairs his guilt with the symbol of blood. As the list of those dead at the hands of Macbeth expands, so does Macbeth’s guilt, and the references to blood and
For Christians, a defining moment in the Bible is the final supper. The night before Jesus is crucified, he commands his apostles: “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matt. 26.27-28). For many Christians, this is an important and powerful passage. The importance of Jesus’ blood and what it stands for, is appreciated by many, as they drink the symbolic blood every sunday at Mass. Blood is a powerful symbol, and is found throughout many large and impactful works. Though used differently, Shakespeare uses the symbol of blood as well. Throughout Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, gruesome murders are committed by Macbeth, and Shakespeare uses the symbol of blood throughout the play to represent the guilt of both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth from Macbeth’s killing of his former …show more content…
Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth to, “unbend your noble strength to think / So brainsickly of things,” commanding him to ignore his cowardice and misgivings. Lady Macbeth assumes that the crimes Macbeth commits will be forgivable; however, Macbeth understands the graveness of his actions when he asks, “Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood / Clean from my hand?”, and responds by saying: “No, this my hand will rather / The multitudinous seas incarnadine, / Making the green one red” (2.2.45-46,78-81). Macbeth knows that he will be haunted by the murder of Duncan for the rest of his life, that it is not something that can just be brushed off, and immediately regrets his actions, stating, “Wake Duncan with thy knocking! I would thou couldst!” (2.4.75). Again, Shakespeare displays Macbeth’s guilt and pairs his guilt with the symbol of blood. As the list of those dead at the hands of Macbeth expands, so does Macbeth’s guilt, and the references to blood and