Symbolism
Symbolism of Blood in Macbeth
Power corrupts man, yet man corrupts power. In the play Macbeth, power corrupted Macbeth and with that, Macbeth corrupted power, and all that he touched. During the play, Macbeth gains power of lands, he becomes greedy for more power, and this greed leads to his demise. Besides corrupting power, Macbeth corrupts many other things, such as the Great Chain of Being, and the symbol of blood. Blood begins as a sign of honor, yet quickly changes to treachery. That same blood again changes meaning to guilt, a guilt felt by Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Then at the end, just as the Great Chain of being is restored, so is the meaning of honor to blood. Shakespeare's ...
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the Great Chain of Being is also restored, and chaos ends. The image of blood was a critical one in this tragedy; the use of blood, and its symbolic meaning, tied all of Macbeth's feelings together, and produced a tangible motif in the play for his audience to relate too. The image of blood in Macbeth was crucial to incorporate the sense of honor, treachery and guilt with Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, and Malcolm's characters, which Shakespeare did master.
The king about Macbeth's sword is "…smoked with bloody execution." (I. ii. 18) Again, the reference of blood is made, linking blood to honor, the honor Macbeth gains from his victories in battle. Just as Macbeth gains honor through blood, Lady Macbeth turns the meaning of blood to treachery all in the first act of Macbeth. Lady Macbeth calls upon the spirits, "…to make thick my blood…" (I. iv. 31) The symbol of blood now becomes a treacherous symbol, Lady Macbeth knows this, and refers to using the blood as a decoy by smearing "…the ...
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Symbolism. (2011, February 24). Retrieved April 17, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Symbolism/95274
"Symbolism." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 24 Feb. 2011. Web. 17 Apr. 2024. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Symbolism/95274>
"Symbolism." Essayworld.com. February 24, 2011. Accessed April 17, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Symbolism/95274.
"Symbolism." Essayworld.com. February 24, 2011. Accessed April 17, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Symbolism/95274.
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