Laura Lee
ENGL117C
Dr. Amy Kenny Blood for Blood
In the tragedy of Macbeth, Shakespeare fills the play with grotesque scenes that are stained in blood. Throughout this Shakespearean tragedy, the functional role of blood is utilized as a trope in order to indicate both Macbeth’s and Lady Macbeth’s emotional progression through the emphasis on their acts of violence which results in the growing guilt that they share. Shakespeare utilizes the trope of blood to foreshadow the destruction of both characters as he successfully illustrates their development as they interact with their conscience. Through the recurrence of blood, Shakespeare notably deconstructs the progression of their consciousness and undermines the reversal of roles as the …show more content…
Before he actually murders King Duncan, Macbeth hallucinates and sees a floating dagger which directs him towards Duncan’s sleeping chambers. It is clear that he is hallucinating as he exclaims, “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 form the heat-oppressed brain?” (2.1.35-39). Macbeth is so conflicted as he imagines the bloody dagger which is a symbol of the murder that he is about to commit. Macbeth reveals his mental state as he apparently sees the dagger in front of him but cannot reach or touch it which may suggest his troubled conscience as he contemplating whether or not he should murder the king for his selfish ambition. Macbeth describes the blood that appears to drench “on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood, / Which was not so before” (2.1.46-47). Although the floating dagger foreshadows the violence that Macbeth commits, Shakespeare exposes the apprehensive state that Macbeth is in as he contemplates murder. This gives insight on his conscience as he slowly descends into madness; although Macbeth hasn’t committed the murder yet he already feels
ENGL117C
Dr. Amy Kenny Blood for Blood
In the tragedy of Macbeth, Shakespeare fills the play with grotesque scenes that are stained in blood. Throughout this Shakespearean tragedy, the functional role of blood is utilized as a trope in order to indicate both Macbeth’s and Lady Macbeth’s emotional progression through the emphasis on their acts of violence which results in the growing guilt that they share. Shakespeare utilizes the trope of blood to foreshadow the destruction of both characters as he successfully illustrates their development as they interact with their conscience. Through the recurrence of blood, Shakespeare notably deconstructs the progression of their consciousness and undermines the reversal of roles as the …show more content…
Before he actually murders King Duncan, Macbeth hallucinates and sees a floating dagger which directs him towards Duncan’s sleeping chambers. It is clear that he is hallucinating as he exclaims, “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 form the heat-oppressed brain?” (2.1.35-39). Macbeth is so conflicted as he imagines the bloody dagger which is a symbol of the murder that he is about to commit. Macbeth reveals his mental state as he apparently sees the dagger in front of him but cannot reach or touch it which may suggest his troubled conscience as he contemplating whether or not he should murder the king for his selfish ambition. Macbeth describes the blood that appears to drench “on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood, / Which was not so before” (2.1.46-47). Although the floating dagger foreshadows the violence that Macbeth commits, Shakespeare exposes the apprehensive state that Macbeth is in as he contemplates murder. This gives insight on his conscience as he slowly descends into madness; although Macbeth hasn’t committed the murder yet he already feels