Preview

What Is Macbeth's Loyalty

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
304 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
What Is Macbeth's Loyalty
Shakespeare first uses blood to exemplify Macbeth’s brave and loyal qualities which reflect the concept of an ideal warrior. The play opens with a battle between the Scottish and Norweyan troops. Macbeth, a fierce warrior, “disdain(s) Fortune, with his brandished steel,/ Which smoked with bloody execution” (Shakespeare 1.2.17-8). Macbeth exemplifies his loyalty to the king by bravely facing off other warriors. He is so successful in battle that the medal of his sword exudes heat. The “bloody execution” symbolizes both Macbeth’s fierceness and his respect for the king. Author L.C. Knights explores Macbeth’s heroic downfall and comments that “at this point in the play, Macbeth is at his highest” (34). He emphasizes how men must show respect to

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    King Duncan has been slain leaving Scotland without a ruler. Malcolm, Duncan's heir, would have taken the throne if he had not fled along with his brother. Since both brothers have fled after the king was killed this leaves them as suspects. Scotland is restless and cannot wait for a new king especially now that there is a murderer on the loose. With Macbeth being the Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and a distant relative of King Duncan builds the qualification he needs to be king. Macbeth had also gained fame form the battlefield winning him more honor from the King. The King applauded Macbeth so much that he wanted to personally tell Macbeth about his promotion. The citizens knew of the King's admiration towards Macbeth, therefore, they…

    • 139 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    As Twain did in his novel, Shakespeare also utilizes symbolism which happens to correspond to the quote. In one scene, there is a killing of a hawk by an owl. This is rather unusual in nature due to the fact that a strong aggressive hawk is overpowered by the weaker. It is parallel to how Macbeth assassinated King Duncan. By looking into it further, these two events tell us that nature is disturbed and has lost its orderliness. A second literary technique that Shakespeare uses in the tragic play is the recurring motif of blood. The blood in the play represents mainly the guilt that lasts forever. Macbeth states how not even all of Neptune's ocean will wash away the blood from his hands after killing Duncan. On the surface, it's just the matter of how blood stains are everywhere. However, what Shakespeare is "whispering" to the readers is that the blood is the guilt that Macbeth has within him. As Smith stated, what the author whispers is the true meaning behind the…

    • 460 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Shakespeare uses the symbol of blood in MacBeth to represent treason, guilt, murder and death. These ideas are constant throughout the book. There are many examples of blood representing these three ideas in the book.…

    • 591 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Shakespeare uses blood to show honour and bravery as well as guilt. In act 1 scene 2 a ‘Bloody Sergeant’ enters. He represents a brave soldier who fought courageously in the war. The sergeant speaks of Macbeth saying ‘Which smok'd with bloody execution’ meaning that Macbeth is being praised and rewarded for killing the enemy and is seen as a brave and loyal soldier. This is one way in which Shakespeare uses the motif of blood to portray bravery, honour and strength. We also see the imagery of blood when Macbeth kills Madonwald in battle: “Till he unseamed him from the nave to th' chops”. This strikingly vile image of Macdonwald’s violent death…

    • 761 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    I deem Macbeth to be guiltier than Lady Macbeth. Factually, Macbeth is shown to be more sensitive than Lady Macbeth, because Lady Macbeth seems to be very inclined when proposing Macbeth to assassinate King Duncan; while Macbeth seems to be unsure and tensed about the idea. In addition, Macbeth’s reaction to assassinating King Duncan despite of his loyalty to him and his appreciation towards him for receiving so much honour from shows that he is sensitive to killing or causing any harm to people that he thinks are good people. In Act II Scene iii, when Macbeth returns home after assassinating King Duncan, he is shivering in an aggressive motion and stuttering while trying to talk to Lady Macbeth. Also, Macbeth’s expression is shocked and he…

    • 261 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Blood is what keeps man alive. It pumps through our veins and brings life to our bodies. It is also something that can ultimately bring man to his death. In Macbeth, Shakespeare uses blood, and the various symbols of blood, many times. Blood is everywhere in Macbeth beginning with the opening battle between the Scots and the Norwegian invaders. "What bloody man is that?", King Duncan asks about a wounded sergeant. The sergeant then tells the story of Macbeth's heroic victories over Macdonwald and the King of Norway. The sergeant's telling of the story is in itself heroic, because he is extremely tired and fatigued from all his loss of blood. Thus the picture of his blood, and his heroism in telling the victories of Macbeth, seem to enhance the picture of Macbeth as a hero.…

    • 1667 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Like in the real world, in Macbeth William Shakespeare reveals loyalty is not possible if there is a betrayal.…

    • 472 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    So far in this play we have learned that the word crazy pretty much sums up Lady Macbeth. Most of the examples of blood come from her. “Make thick my blood/ Stop up th’ access and passage to remorse.” (1.5.45-46). In this line Lady Macbeth further explains how she would not like to have the soft feelings, or any feelings for that matter. She describes those as being unsexed. That line foreshadows how cruel ones thoughts can get, or how cruel one can act. After this Macbeth goes through with plotting the murder of Duncan. Another example of blood appears when Macbeth starts describing how he plans to kill Duncan, “Will it not be received/ when we have marked with blood those sleepy two of his own chamber” (1.7.81-82). He wants to get Duncans officers drunk and then move forth with the murder. This line can easily show the importance of Macbeths ambition that he denied having in the beginning of the…

    • 479 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Motif Of Blood In Macbeth

    • 969 Words
    • 4 Pages

    I believe that the most prominent of the many motifs in Shakespeare’s play “Macbeth” was blood. Blood appears in nearly every scene, if not physically then at least as an idea. It is like a presence lurking in the background at every moment, waiting to make its grand appearance.…

    • 969 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Blood In Macbeth

    • 899 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In the play Macbeth, by Williams Shakespeare, blood is a key motif that is traced and envelops the overall theme. In the play, a Scottish general by the name of Macbeth indulges in a bloody rise to power and a tragic downfall. Set in medieval Scotland, Macbeth lets his thirst for power and his manipulative wife by the name of Lady Macbeth convince him to go on a rampage of murder stemming into chaos and eventual death for the once honorable general. Blood is prominently mentioned throughout this tragedy and represents Macbeth and Lady Macbeths separation from humanity and the inescapable guilt felt by them after their deplorable crimes.…

    • 899 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Role Of Honor In Macbeth

    • 532 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Throughout the play Macbeth, William Shakespeare uses diction to convey a change in not only his characters but their environments and other character’s points of view. The varying uses of honor allow Shakespeare to introduce motifs about Macbeth’s changing character throughout the play. In the start of the play, Macbeth is an innocent thane, yet by the end, he is a merciless king who becomes obsessed with his possible power. The honor represents his valiancy at first even though by the end, honor becomes worthless because Macbeth has abused it and has lost any trust from his people.…

    • 532 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the breathtaking play, Macbeth can symbolize many things. William Shakespeare was an English poet and he is mostly known for his 154 sonnets. Shakespeare wrote Macbeth in England around 1606. The symbolism in Macbeth carries out many different meanings of blood. “Be bloody,bold, and resolute” (4.1.79) the meaning is to be more than you are go beyond just the blood.In Macbeth the blood can represent death, tragedy, and accomplishments to its essential part of life.…

    • 914 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Betrayal is a big part in the play, Macbeth betrays his king and leader when he kills him, King Duncan trusted Macbeth with his life, obviously shouldn’t have! King Duncan was innocent but Lady Macbeth and Macbeth desperately wanted Macbeth to become king. I don’t think Macbeth wanted to kill Duncan but he sort of had to for his wife was sure he was going to make a perfect king, much better than Duncan. The betrayal is a big part in the scene of Duncans murder when Lady Macbeth drunkens the guards framing them so it will look like they murdered him and when they sneak into King Duncans bed chamber without him knowing and killing him.…

    • 563 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Macbeth and Integrity

    • 516 Words
    • 3 Pages

    There are seeds of self-destruction buried in all of us that will bare only misfortune if allowed to grow. Macbeth’s guilty path to his des Integrity is define as many things, value, honor, morality, and so on. These principles are the gears that run society. Integrity is one's identity and to maintain it one must not violate it. Those who are guided solely by their individual ambition will ultimately become a victim of fate leading to the imminent corruption of value, honor, and principles of society.…

    • 516 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Integrity In Macbeth

    • 1070 Words
    • 5 Pages

    In William Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, there is a slow and gradual decline of the main character's integrity throughout most of the play. In Act 1 of William Shakespeare's play, Macbeth, the main character Macbeth was a loyal subject to the king, would even die for him, but the three witches came and placed the thought of him possibly becoming king. Macbeth says “ Two truths are told as happy prologues to the swelling act of the imperial theme. (to ROSS and ANGUS) I thank you, gentlemen. (aside) This supernatural soliciting Cannot be ill, cannot be good. If ill, Why hath it given me earnest of success, commencing in a truth? I am thane of Cawdor. If good, why do I yield to that suggestion Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair and make my seated…

    • 1070 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays