Symbolism In Macbeth's 'Bloody Murder'

Macbeth: Bloody Murder People set goals in order to change their lives for the better. Often times, ambition catalyzes the process; however, it does not always encourage action in a positive way. Specifically in Macbeth, Shakespeare proves that others use ambitions for worse, instead of better. Macbeth, a deeply ambitious tragic hero, learns from three witches that not only is he thane of Glamis, but he will also be thane of Cawdor and king hereafter. Troubled by the prophecies of the three witches, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth decide to take control of their fate by murdering Duncan, the king. At times of intense guilt and fear, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth suffer from horrifying visions and bloody stains, which Shakespeare uses to symbolize their apprehension and explains how, like blood, guilt is hard to get rid of. Macbeth's everlasting guilt began when he considered killing the king. He wonders if killing Duncan is beneficial for his goal to be king. As a result of his paranoia, Macbeth pictures …show more content…
He now acts on his ambitions without contemplating the consequences. Macbeth expresses to the murderers how he thinks of Banquo as an enemy. "So is [Banquo] mine, and in such bloody distance / That every minute of his being thrusts / Against my near'st life" (3. 1. 132-34). Since all of Macbeth's ambitions cause him to respond with violence, he becomes accustomed to murder. "From this moment / The very firstlings of my heart shall be / The very firstlings of my hand" (4. 1. 166-68). Explain this quotation. Lady Macbeth, who in the beginning treats murder as a minuscule task, is now affected by guilt and fear. Somnambulating, she attempts to wash away the imaginary blood from her hands: "Out, damned spot, out I say" (5. 1. 37). Lady Macbeth is frustrated because she fails to get rid of the blood. The two characters now have switched