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What Does Blood Symbolize In Macbeth

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Blood is the symbol of blood in the play that represents both the actual blood of Duncan and the guilt and remorse that Macbeth feels for his murder.”It will have blood, they say; blood will have blood”-Macbeth(3,4,151). Macbeth is entrapped by the inescapable conflict, which, according to an old proverb, "The blood poured in combat seeks greater slaughter in revenge, establishing a circle of carnage." Macbeth will understand that he must pay a price for his killings. “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood Clean from my hand?”-Macbeth(2.2.6o-62). During this time in the play, Macbeth fears that no number of wiping will be able to remove the guilt he feels since he is literally tainted with Duncan's blood. Macbeth's vision of Banquo's ghost serves as a symbol of his stained conscience, as the blood he shed in his …show more content…

Throughout the play, hallucinations play a significant role, such as when Macbeth sees the ghost of Banquo, causing him to behave erratically in front of guests and his wife. In the line, "Avaunt! And quit my sight! Let the earth hide thee!" (Shakespeare 3.4.80-84). Macbeth attempts to banish the ghost from his presence. This vision of Banquo's ghost could be interpreted as a foreshadowing of Macbeth's impending death.“Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible To feeling as to sight? Or art thou but A dagger of the mind, a false creation Proceeding from the heat-oppressèd brain?” (2.1.44-51). Macbeth tries to grasp the dagger, but realizes that it is only an illusion and has no tangible form.

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Banquo's Ghost In Lady Macbeth and Macbeth's speeches, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth use rhetorical appeal, logos, and multiple other literary devices to convince the dinner guests that they do not need to worry about Macbeth's behavior. They are using these rhetorical devices to persuade their "worthy friends" that Macbeth is fine because he has a hallucination condition. Throughout Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's speeches, they are using logos to help persuade the dinner guests. On line 90, in Act 3 Scene 4, Macbeth states that this is not a new thing, "I have a strange infirmity, which is nothing to those that know me." Logically, Macbeth is saying this because he is ensuring that it is not a big problem and that they should not

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Furthermore, in Act 2 Scene 2, Macbeth states, “Methought I heard a voice cry ‘Sleep no more!/Macbeth does murder sleep!’ - the innocent sleep.” (Shakespeare 2.2.33-34). Macbeth’s paranoia is once again shown when during the banquet he sees the ghost of his friend Banquo after he is informed that Banquo has been killed and his son, Fleance, has escaped. Banquo’s ghost represents Macbeth’s paranoia because his conscience is active and while on the surface he may seem unremorseful for the killings, deep inside he feels deeply guilty (Shakespeare

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Macbeth is saying returning from the dead is more strange than the original murder, and that he is seeing banquo's ghost. Lady Macbeth tells him to brush it off, and act normal. In Act 5 Scene 1, Macbeth sees apparitions. The three apparitions he saw was an armed head, a bloody child, as well as a child crowned,with a tree in his hand. This is just another example on a hallucination that

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“Avaunt, and quit my sight! Let the earth hide thee. / Thy bones are marrowless; thy blood is cold; / Thou hast no speculation in those eyes / Which thou dost glare with” (3.4.93-96). Macbeth hallucinates and claims that he sees Banquo’s ghost.

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During a banquet, Macbeth is haunted by the ghost of Banquo, visible only to him. He exclaims, “Thou canst not say i did it: never shake thy gory locks at me”(3.4.51-52). Macbeth's guilt-ridden conscience conjured the ghost, a haunting reminder of his treacherous deeds. This hallucination exposes his inner turmoil and guilt, making him appear unhinged and paranoid in front of his guest. His guilt-fueled hallucinations and subsequent erratic behavior contribute to his downfall, as they undermine his authority and the stability of his

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Blood is something most people see as gruesome and disturbing, and not something ordinary people enjoy to be in the presence of. In the play Macbeth, the playwright William Shakespeare uses the motif of blood to expose a character's thoughts and personality. Blood is an important motif constantly shown throughout the play. Macbeth, the main character, thinks he can advance to the throne without any consequences. Blood exemplifies the guilt he is now stuck with, and due to Macbeth's excessive ambition, and overwhelming guilt, he is now faced with the consequences.

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The imagery Shakespeare uses to display Banquo 's ghost appearing to Macbeth illuminates Macbeth’s out of touch with reality. When Macbeth frantically says “Prithee, see there! Behold! Look! Lo!

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At the banquet Macbeth hosts for his guests, he cries, “Avaunt, and quit my sight! Let the earth hide thee! Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold; Thou has no speculation in those eyes Which thou dost glare with” (3.4.97-100). Macbeth feels guilty for being the cause of Banquo’s death, even though Macbeth hired murderers to get rid of him. Macbeth’s cruel thoughts cause him to hallucinate Banquo’s ghost, showing signs of mental derangement to his guests.

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After Macbeth hires murderers to kill Banquo, he is “greeted by” the ghost of Banquo while at a Banquet. He sees the ghost and starts speaking to it, while the others are watching. He says

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Furthermore, the murder of Banquo led Macbeth to destruction. Later in the play, Macbeth was troubled by the Banquo’s ghost. Macbeth acts out of desperation to get rid of Banquo’s ghost (III, iv, 82-7). Here, it shows Macbeth’s destruction of mind, which is fuelled by his fear and guilt. Eventually, Macbeth’s

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Shakespeare uses the blood symbol to express Macbeth’s horror and guilt over his crime. Blood reveals Macbeth’s feelings about murder. Overall, the constant presence of blood in Macbeth repeatedly reminds us about how serious the consequences of the characters actions

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Banquo’s ghost constantly shows up to taunt Macbeth in his paranoiac schizophrenic state. Shakespeare is pointing out the beginning of the consequences of Macbeth’s standing out of line of the Great Chain of Being. However, Macbeth gains confidence throughout time as his murder rate exponentially rises, due to the witches misleading prophecy that, “Laugh to scorn/ The pow’r of man, for none of woman born / Shall harm Macbeth” (Shakespeare IV.i.79-81).

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At the beginning of the play, blood can often be seen to symbolise strength, heroism and stereotypical masculinity. The Captain describes Macbeth’s efforts on the battlefield with imagery such as “ smoked with bloody execution” to display blood as a war trophy and badge of bravery. Shakespeare’s use of descriptive language such as “smoked” conveys a tone of achievement and grandeur: which in turn implies that the act of murdering men on the battle field is heroic and praiseworthy, as it is displayed in such an impressive manner. However, Shakespeare shows the audience a very different side to Macbeth after the murder of Duncan. Shakespeare displays Macbeth’s overwhelming guilt and remorse in the words “my hand will rather/ the multitudinous seas incarnadine making the green one red” in which Macbeth states that all the oceans of the world could not wash away the blood from his hands and therefore implies that there is nothing on

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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.

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It symbolizes fear, guilt, insanity and also evil. Macbeth would do almost anything to become King. Since the three witches predicted that what was going to be a part of his future. Macbeth and lady Macbeth both became crazy because of the deadly deeds that they committed. In the beginning of the play blood is shown as honor and bravery and towards the end of the play its shown as guilt and remorse.

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