Blood as Symbol: From Hero to Murderer
At the start of the play, blood represents something admirable - Macbeth's courage in battle. When his sword "smok'd with bloody execution," it shows he's a brave warrior fighting for his king. Pretty different from what comes next!
The bloody dagger vision marks Macbeth's transformation from hero to villain. This hallucination appears just before Duncan's murder, dripping with blood that represents the "bloody business" he's about to commit. It's his guilty conscience made visible.
Lady Macbeth's sleepwalking scene shows how blood symbolism haunts the guilty. Her desperate cry "Out, damned spot! Out, I say!" reveals imaginary bloodstains on her hands - the psychological weight of their crimes literally staining her mind.
Key Point: Blood represents different things at different points - track how it changes from honour to guilt as you read!
The idea of "blood will have blood" shows Shakespeare's belief in inevitable justice. Macbeth realises that murder leads to more violence and consequences. Once he's "stepp'd in so far," there's no going back - he's in too deep.
