In Act 2 Scene 2, Shakespeare explores what happens when the chain of being is disrupted and develops both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's characters' regression through the motif of bloody imagery. After Macbeth has killed Duncan, he comes back to his room and is already starting to go mad. In line 62, Macbeth says “they pluck out mine eyes. Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood.” This shows that Macbeth is already feeling very guilty and regrets committing regicide. Shakespeare employs the use of a metaphor to exaggerate how bad the crime that Macbeth committed was. Shakespeare is saying that Macbeth has the king's blood on his hands and not even great Neptune’s ocean will be able to wash it off. In this quote, Shakespeare also uses mythological allusion to employ the use of Neptune who is the Roman God of the sea. Macbeth says that not even Neptune’s seas could wash away his crime. Shakespeare also uses the recurring motif of bloody imagery in this scene to exaggerate Macbeth’s madness and guilt. …show more content…
The character regression also foreshadows how Lady Macbeth and Macbeth develop throughout the play. As Macbeth goes mad first and he regresses a lot more quickly than Lady Macbeth who keeps it together until the end of the play. Bloody imagery is also brought up again in this quote as Lady Macbeth now has blood on her hands as well. These techniques also show the audience how Lady Macbeth and Macbeth's worlds are already falling apart because the chain of being which was disrupted after Macebth murdered