ipl-logo

Macbeth Blood Quotes

776 Words4 Pages

As the play nears the end blood plays a less prevalent role in Macbeth’s character to represent that Macbeth’s morality is completely shot. He has nowhere to turn, he has a loss of all feeling, and his life has become completely meaningless. His wife has begun to sleepwalk saying, “What, will these hands neer be clean? Heres the smell of the blood still: all the perfumes of / Arabia will not sweeten this little hand." (5.1.40, 46-47) The smell of blood, and the blood itself on Lady Macbeth’s hands exhibit her guilt over Duncan’s murder. Thus the guilt she feels for causing her husband to do horrible things and creating the guilty conscience her husband now posses. The hallucination of the blood on her hands and her extreme effort to wash it off shows …show more content…

My soul is too much charged/With blood of thine already.”(5.8.--) When Macbeth says his “soul is too much charged” he means that his soul is full (of blood), and overburdened. Blood in this case, to which Macbeth refers, is the blood that was shed in the slaughtering of Macduff’s wife and children. Basically saying that those specific murders weigh deeply on his already guilty conscience, and because of that he doesn't want to shed Macduff’s blood as well. Macduff is not satisfied with Macbeth’s words, which leads to the ultimate tragic death of Macbeth, even though this time he actually tries to do the right thing. Shakespeare has used blood here to enhance the audience’s understanding of Macbeth’s character. The audience has now completely witnessed the the transformation of Macbeth. He has completely fallen from greatness at this point, and is possibly at his most hopeless and pitiful moment. The desperation Macbeth feels, and his genuine feeling of remorse for his acts allows the audience to sympathize with him. For he has been a noble warrior, truly loved his wife and would do anything for her, and even respected the king, but his vaulting ambition, that he is in fact aware of, creates his overall

Show More
Related
864 Words | 4 Pages

He states, “The castle of Macduff I will surprise Seize upon Fife; give to the edge o' the sword His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls” (4.1.150-152). At this point Macbeth is out of control and is killing anybody he suspects, showing that he is clearly paranoid and delusional. Once Macduff finds out his family is killed he decides to finally kill

Read More
848 Words | 4 Pages

This passage clearly exemplifies how blood can be deceiving being seen in a heroic light only later to be a dark burden on the Macbeth’s. Lastly, Shakespeare shows the reader how blood deceives lady Macbeth by being able to be cleaned off easily at first but then weighing her down with the guilt and responsibility of her actions. Lady Macbeth later realizes bloodshed’s misleading nature and eventually goes insane trying to cleanse her soul saying, “Out damned spot, out, I say! One.

Read More
1304 Words | 6 Pages

Here’s the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand.” (V.i.l 25, 33-34). The blood symbolizes the guilt that Lady Macbeth has after being involved in the murder of Duncan. The Macbeths believe that cleaning their hands with water would make the sin of the murder not be in connection with them.

Read More
989 Words | 4 Pages

Lady Macbeth's recollections – the blood on her hand, the clock striking, her husband's reluctance – are brought forth to her disordered mind and each image deepens her anguish. From being driven to her being queen to being haunted by her deeds and insure thoughts. To fortify this thought, I’ll add one of the many quotes that she says when she starts recollecting images. In Act 5 she says, “What, will these hands ne'er be clean? ... Here's the smell of the blood still: All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand."

Read More
1712 Words | 7 Pages

(Bradley 345). When his rule is at stake, Macbeth willingly tries to seek reassurance from deceptive, treacherous beings without thinking of the consequences. Additionally, Bradley wrote “and, almost as though to intimate how entirely the responsibility for his deeds still lies with Macbeth, Shakespeare makes his first act after this interview one for which his tempters gave him not a hint - the slaughter of Macduff’s wife and children” (345). Because he saw Macduff as a threat, without any hesitation Macbeth decided to kill the ones he loves because of his acquired ruthlessness. His goal of copious power led to the decay of his character and

Read More
945 Words | 4 Pages

Through commanding her husband imperative verbs such as “sleep,” “wash [your hands]” and “speak not,” she associates herself with the comforting gestures a mother offers a child. By ordering Macbeth to complete these actions, Lady Macbeth is in actual fact protecting him from the guilt and insanity that blood is often associated with, seen through many parts in the play. Lady Macbeth has no doubt that her husband has good intentions, rightfully so, she questions Macbeth being too “full of th’ milk” of human kindness” to murder. It could then be argued that Lady Macbeth is weary about the sight of innocent blood on Macbeth’s hands having the potential to remind Macbeth of his own humanity, and thus Macbeth could potentially rethink his (already uncertain) decision to murder the king, therefore by asking Macbeth to “get” some water to “wash this filthy witness from [his hand]” Lady Macbeth is simply encouraging Macbeth to avoid the possibility of hindering his own position as “King.” Additionally, the banquet scene in Act 3 scene 4 further expresses this view of Lady Macbeth as a maternal and supportive figure, rather than an inhumane “fiend.”

Read More
675 Words | 3 Pages

The guilt that comes from the presence of blood, helps readers develop who Macbeth and Lady Macbeth really are. Blood plays a large role in the development of Macbeth's character.

Read More
975 Words | 4 Pages

Frantic, he orders a group of murderers to kill Macduff’s family. Consequently, when the time comes for Macbeth to encounter Macduff on the battlefield, he exhibits a moment of hesitation before proceeding to the duel. Feeling remorse for having Macduff’s entire family violently killed, Macbeth admits that he has a guilty conscience that he does not want to kill Macduff as well. “Of all men else I have avoided thee: / But get thee back; my soul is too much charged / With blood of thine already,” (Shakespeare 5. VIII.

Read More
791 Words | 4 Pages

Out,” (5.1.35) and asks “What, will these hands ne 'er be clean?” (5.1.43) There is no blood on her hands but she is adamant that King Duncan’s blood is still literally on her hands. Lady Macbeth also smells blood on her hands and feels as if the smell will never leave her, stating: “Here 's the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand.” (5.1.50-52)

Read More
1054 Words | 5 Pages

Here’s the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. Oh, Oh, Oh!” (Act 5, Scene 1) Though she continuously rubs her hands to get rid of the blood, Lady Macbeth can not washed away the guilt that stains her hands.

Read More
1398 Words | 6 Pages

Shakespeare uses the recurring symbol of blood to emphasize the effect of death and violence on the human psyche. The connotation that Macbeth associates with blood switches from a primary motivator to a guilty reminder. Prior to Duncan’s murder, Macbeth witnessed a floating dagger covered with blood (II.i.33). Macbeth had experienced violence and Blood is also used as a reminder of the guilt and trauma from the murder of King Duncan, the guards and Banquo. Macbeth refers to his hallucination of the ghost of Banquo: “It will have blood, they say.

Read More
473 Words | 2 Pages

Lady Macbeth’s experiences with blood and violence have been from the perspective of a woman. The audience first see Lady Macbeth like this in act two when she faints at the new about the death of Duncan. Since Macbeth is a soldier and has faces blood and had been around it lots of time it doesn't really affect

Read More
502 Words | 3 Pages

Lady Macbeth in the beginning of the play is manipulative, most of the times she manipulates her husband into doing either what she wants or what she thinks he should do. For example, when Macbeth does not want to kill Duncan anymore, Lady Macbeth convinces him by saying “from this time such I account thy love. Art thou afeared to be the same in thine own act and valor as thou art in desire? (I.vii line 38-41). Besides, the audience see Lady Macbeths is influencing her husband’s feelings by she is using her love as a weapon because she is saying do it

Read More
1367 Words | 6 Pages

Macbeth went through so much pressure to do the crime he later regretted and suffered and battles with himself and his paranoia. Lady Macbeth only saw the effects of blood visually she did not see how the blood stain was eating Macbeth from the inside. Once again Lady Macbeth is pushing Macbeth to forget about what happened and move on, the murder does not affect Lady Macbeth but the way Macbeth is acting shows that he was never ready to commit this

Read More
433 Words | 2 Pages

At first Lady Macbeth did not feel any guilt until things begin to get carried away. Sleepwalking, Lady Macbeth is heard saying, “Here's the smell of blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. ”(5:1:53-55) and“ Out damned spot, out, I say”(5.1.37). Lady Macbeth is saying these things because she is visualizing that there is blood still on her hands representing her extreme guilt because she knows what she did not was wrong.

Read More

More about Macbeth Blood Quotes

Related Topics

Open Document