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Macbeth - Blood As An Image In Macbeth - Paper

Macbeth - Blood As An Image In Macbeth

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.
Blood is mentioned throughout the play and mainly in reference to murder or treason. The first reference to blood is in MacBeth's soliloquy in Act 2, Scene 1, Lines 33-61, when Macbeth sees the bloody dagger floating in the air before him. Also in this soliloquy on line 46 he sees "on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood", this means that there is blood on the handle and spots of blood on the handle. This is implying that the dagger was viciously and maliciously used on ...

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treason. Also in this scene is the first reference of blood pertaining to guilt. MacBeth says this in Act 2, Scene 3, Line 60, "Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?" This is an example of blood representing guilt, because MacBeth wishes he could just wash his guilt away.
Again, blood is referred to again when in Act 2, Scene 3, Lines 123-134 Malcolm and Donaldbain are discussing what to do and Malcolm says in Line 128, "There's daggers in men's smiles, the nearer in blood, the nearer bloody." Meaning that their closest relatives are likely to kill them. Again, blood is being used to describe treason, murder and death.
Act 5, Scene 1 is the famous sleepwalking scene. While Lady MacBeth is sleepwalking she makes many references to the evil deeds that Macbeth and herself have committed, most of which include references to blood. In Act 5, Scene 1, Line 31, She goes through the motions of washing her hands saying "Out damned spot! Out, I say" in ...

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Macbeth - Blood As An Image In Macbeth. (2008, February 3). Retrieved January 22, 2025, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Macbeth-Blood-As-An-Image-Macbeth/78450

"Macbeth - Blood As An Image In Macbeth." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 3 Feb. 2008. Web. 22 Jan. 2025. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Macbeth-Blood-As-An-Image-Macbeth/78450>

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PAPER DETAILS

Added: 2/3/2008 08:18:04 AM
Category: English
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 542
Pages: 2

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