Symbolism is something that is used to represent something else in literature. A symbol can be a material object or something other than the literal surface meaning. Symbols are typically thrown around in a piece of text to bring up something that is important to the author and what he is emphasizing. William Shakespeare wrote a play called the tragedy of Macbeth. Throughout this entire play, there are multiple words and phrases that have more than one meaning. Strategically, he placed these symbols in his work to thread this theme of guiltiness. The idea of this theme goes hand-in-hand with his vivid use of imagery. One of the most reoccurring symbols, blood, was put into the large mix of symbols to demonstrate the overall theme of bearing
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Shakespeare used situational irony to display Macbeth and his mind-warping wife’s plan to murder Duncan that night. Together, their plan was to drug the guards, steal their daggers, murder the king, and allow the bloody evidence to plot against the guards. Macbeth carries out the scheme, but unfortunately kills the guards also. He thought they heard him assassinate Duncan in the night, so to eliminate any type of witnesses, Macbeth murders them also. Macbeth, left with bloody hands, returns to his wife to proceed to tell her that the job is done. Macbeth confesses his unsettled conscience to his wife when he says, “I’ll go no more: I am afraid to think of what I have done; Look on’t again I dare not” (2.2.51-53). Macbeth’s conscience works immediately and expansively in the moments after the murder, dominating his thoughts (Moschovakis 6). Shakespeare has revealed how Macbeth feels and how much he regrets his wrongdoings. Apart from what was expected, …show more content…
Shakespeare shows his overall theme of bearing guilt through his character’s reactions to the symbol blood. Macbeth’s first reaction to killing the king and his guards shows how much stress is in his life. The remaining blood that was left on his hands and reminds him of how he cannot be forgiven for this. Next, blood plays a trick on Macbeth and makes him lose all trust in everything. Lastly, Lady Macbeth is caught “cleansing” her hands from all of the murders that she has taken part in. Blood is one of the most vital things for life. Once it is shed, there are many consequences that people may face. Unfortunately guilt is a very real feeling that people will experience in their lives. Shakespeare shows his audience how his characters wrongly dealt with their anxiety. This way of coping eventually led to their
Shakespeare used situational irony to display Macbeth and his mind-warping wife’s plan to murder Duncan that night. Together, their plan was to drug the guards, steal their daggers, murder the king, and allow the bloody evidence to plot against the guards. Macbeth carries out the scheme, but unfortunately kills the guards also. He thought they heard him assassinate Duncan in the night, so to eliminate any type of witnesses, Macbeth murders them also. Macbeth, left with bloody hands, returns to his wife to proceed to tell her that the job is done. Macbeth confesses his unsettled conscience to his wife when he says, “I’ll go no more: I am afraid to think of what I have done; Look on’t again I dare not” (2.2.51-53). Macbeth’s conscience works immediately and expansively in the moments after the murder, dominating his thoughts (Moschovakis 6). Shakespeare has revealed how Macbeth feels and how much he regrets his wrongdoings. Apart from what was expected, …show more content…
Shakespeare shows his overall theme of bearing guilt through his character’s reactions to the symbol blood. Macbeth’s first reaction to killing the king and his guards shows how much stress is in his life. The remaining blood that was left on his hands and reminds him of how he cannot be forgiven for this. Next, blood plays a trick on Macbeth and makes him lose all trust in everything. Lastly, Lady Macbeth is caught “cleansing” her hands from all of the murders that she has taken part in. Blood is one of the most vital things for life. Once it is shed, there are many consequences that people may face. Unfortunately guilt is a very real feeling that people will experience in their lives. Shakespeare shows his audience how his characters wrongly dealt with their anxiety. This way of coping eventually led to their