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The Motifs Of Blood And Guilt In Macbeth By William Shakespeare

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In Shakespeare’s Elizabethan tragedy, Macbeth, Shakespeare utilizes the motifs of blood and sleep to demonstrate the effects of murder ultimately illustrating the power of guilt. The play begins with the three witches telling Macbeth a prophecy that he will one day become king. With this information, Lady Macbeth plots the murder of Duncan for her husband—who is anxious—to become king. However, they realize there are more people in the way, and they start killing more and more people. Malcolm and Macduff see what’s going on and flee to England to think of a plan to get rid of Macbeth. Eventually, a revolt by the two men ends up killing Macbeth and in turn, ending his rule over Scotland. In the play, one can see that both characters are victims of the effects of murder and the power of guilt, which are represented by the motifs of sleep and blood. …show more content…

Late in the play, the guilt starts taking its toll on Lady Macbeth: “Out, damned spot! out, I say!...Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him” (5.1.39-44). It shows Lady Macbeth’s guilt and how she is constantly tries to wash her hands of the guilt—represented by blood. The power of guilt is shown as it has extreme mental effects on Lady Macbeth, eventually driving her to suicide. The guilt also gets to Macbeth, as he goes too far: “I am in blood Stepp'd in so far that, should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go o'er:” (3.4.136-138). Macbeth says not that he has already killed two people, there is no way back from this. This blood represents the murders of Duncan and Banquo and also the guilt Macbeth experiences from murdering two of his closest

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