Blood And Water

Blood and Water

In William Shakespeare's masterpiece Macbeth, he uses many motifs. Two of these motifs are
blood and water. The play is full of images of blood and water, to show the characters' attitudes toward
their own guilt at each stage. Both motifs mature and change in their meaning along with the setting and
mood of the play. The functions of both are important if the subtleties of the play are to be understood.
Blood symbolizes honor, treachery, and guilt. Water symbolizes cleanliness of the soul, as though all it
takes is water to wash guilt away. While reading the play, it is noticed that blood comes up repeatedly. This
is important to the overall effect of the different usages in the play.
The word "blood," or different forms of it, is found forty-two times in the play, along with several
other passages dealing with the symbol. The symbolism of blood strangely follows the change in the
character Macbeth. Macbeth is first a soldier, very highly revered by the King Duncan. As the play
progresses, Macbeth's demeanor and personality declines, as does the meaning of blood. Blood is then
viewed as a symbol for treachery and bloodshed, along with the various forms of guilt. The first reference
of blood is one of honor, and occurs when Duncan sees the injured captain and says "What bloody man is
that?"(I, 2, ln.1). This mention of blood is symbolic of honor, for the brave fighter has been injured in a
glorious and ardent battle for his country. In the nex...

Blood And Water

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