Strive For Ambition Can Lead To Guilt and An Unwelcome Fate Blood is very important to every human beings survival. It circulates throughout the body and carries oxygen and nutrients to tissues in exchange for life. If this fluid was somehow lost, existence would be lost as well. Blood represents both life and death but also injury. It plays an important part in life itself and without it, life would be lost. In the play of Macbeth, Shakespeare uses blood imagery to add a sense of fear, guilt, shame, insanity, and anger to the atmosphere.
As the word ‘blood in Macbeth transitions from being prideful to remorseful throughout the play, it expresses that the strive for ambition can lead to guilt and often times in Macbeth, the desire for power can lead to an unwelcome fate and bloodshed. One of the main themes in Macbeth is ambition which can lead to guilt and an unwelcome fate. This theme shows up quite a bit, especially with Macbeth in the beginning of the play. However, throughout the play, Macbeth’s character begins to change along with the meaning of the word ‘blood. As the word occurs more often, it portrays the terror and central action of the play, which is Duncan’s murder.
Blood was first used as a symbol of bravery. The sergeant was covered in blood and wounds after returning from a battle. Being bloody showed how he fought with great bravery, and how he won. To be bloody was a good thing, but as the play progressed the word ‘blood went from something so prideful, to remorseful and treacherous after the death of King Duncan. From the beginning, Lady Macbeth was merciless when it came to the death of King Duncan. She says, “Of direst cruelty! Make thick my blood!
Stop up th’access and passage to remorse,” (1. 5. 42-43). Lady Macbeth uses the word ‘blood’ in a cruel way, asking to make herself more brave to go on with the dirty plan to kill duncan in her home. Macbeth begins to feel an immense amount of guilt after murdering Duncan to maintain his position of King of Scotland. He starts to hallucinate, seeing a dagger floating in the air in front of him that is covered with Duncan’s blood. He says, “There is no such thing: it is the bloody business which informs thus to mine eye. ” (2. 1. 47-49). Macbeth is beginning to feel guilty of the crime that he committed.
Not long after, Macbeth begins to feel his dishonor and morality of himself degrade and says, “With all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand? No,” (2. 2. 60-61). Now, the word ‘blood is used as such a guilty fashion. After the death of Duncan, and now Banquo, there is a lot of chaos going on between the characters in the play. Ross explains that the heavens are angry, and that someday, whoever committed the dirty crime of the murders of duncan and Banquo will pay for what he has done. “Thou seest the heavens, as troubled with man’s act, threatens his bloody stage” (2. . 5-6).
The turning point of Macbeth’s character begins when the murder of Banquo has been done. “There’s blood upon thy face”(3. 4. 13) Macbeth goes on to explain to the murderer that is it better to have Banquo’s blood on the outside of the murderer than on the inside of Banquo, when he is still living. Macbeth starts to become numb to the feeling of guilt from murder for his prize of power. After the death of both Duncan and Banquo, Macbeth is obsessed with blood on his hands, and wants to kill everyone in his path trying to stop him of becoming King of Scotland.
Lady Macbeth and Macbeth both react differently from seeing so much killing and bloodshed of innocent people. In the fifth act, Lady Macbeth becomes overpowered by the guilt that she is incurable. “Out, damned spot! out, i say! One: two: why, then ’tis time do’t. Hell is murky! “(5. 1. 30-32). Lady Macbeth tries to get rid of the evidence: the blood on her hands, but she quickly realizes that the stain will not come off and could possibly hold her guilty of the murder of Duncan. “Here’s the smell of blood still: all of the perfumes of arabia will not sweeten this little hand”(5. 1. 43-44). The blood has left a permanent mark on Lady
Macbeth, forever staining her with guilt. Macbeth, on the other hand, has showed how he coped with the deaths of many as the play went on. He was first merciful and prideful and he quickly turns uncompassionate and only wants one thing, to be king of Scotland. The word ‘blood’ evolved throughout the play of Macbeth by going from meaning something so honorable and virtuous to a symbol of guilt and remorse. In this play, it is demonstrated by Shakespeare’s elaborate way of irony. Macbeth was once a very trusted and valuable general that turned numb to the tragedies going on around him when he realized that he would soon become King of Scotland.
