Who Is Responsible For Macbeth's Downfall

The symbol of blood plays a critical role in the development of characters in Macbeth. From Macbeth having visions of his hands being covered in blood and not being able to clean them, or Lady Macbeth talking in her sleep about how much blood there is. Blood is a very crucial symbol throughout the play. In Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, the use of blood is symbolic for guilt. Guilt is the price one pays for wrongdoings and guilt will corrupt the mind and heart. Blood is a symbol of Macbeth’s guilt and the memory that haunts Macbeth's conscious,“Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather the multitudinous seas incarnadine, making the green one red.” (Shakespeare 2.2.61-64). Macbeth is having a soliloquy and is lamenting the crime he has just committed. This is

Multitudinous seas, incarnadine, crimson tide flowing through the pages of Macbeth reveals themes of gore, murder, and the feelings brought on by these actions. Throughout the play, the characters are haunted by the sight of blood that results from the consequences of their actions, and they constantly try to clear their conscience. In Macbeth, there exists a recurring symbol of blood representing guilt, paranoia, and regret. First of all, Macbeth himself always sees blood on his hands, even if it’s not there, which shows guilt. Secondly, Macbeth sees Banquo with blood covered locks after he was murdered, which shows paranoia.

Blood in Macbeth represents Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s sense of guilt for their actions that transform them and drive them mad. Blood signifies a permanent stain on their hands they cannot rid themselves of. Macbeth begins noble and honorable in war, however as the play progresses the audience sees him resolve to kill all of his problems, unphased by the sight of blood. Lady Macbeth exhibits a reverse transformation where she begins as the catalyst for the murders, fueling Macbeth’s ambition. Her transformation occurs when the audience is able to see deep into her subconscious when she is sleepwalking and obsessively trying to cleanse herself of the metaphorical blood on her hands.

Explore Shakespeare’s representation of guilt in Macbeth. Shakespeare’s Macbeth was written in 1606 and was based on “Holinshed’s Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland” in 1577. Macbeth is an eponymous tragic hero and is the idea of Aristotle’s tragic hero meaning he is a protagonist who has hamartia or a fatal flaw:

In his play Macbeth (1606), William Shakespeare establishes a motif of blood symbolizing overwhelming grief. This motif is significant to the play because it juxtaposes the dynamic emotions of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth while also providing viewers/readers of the play with a deeper understanding of how Macbeth and Lady Macbeth react given their circumstances. Shakespeare initially provides this motif in act two, scene two of the play. Following the murder of King Duncan, Shakespeare portrays Macbeth as resentful and full of shame despite gaining the kingship. Shakespeare portrays Lady Macbeth as tough and judgmental of Macbeth’s less-than-enthusiastic reaction.

Blood is recognized by many scholars to be one of the central symbols throughout Macbeth. Through the story it can

Shakespeare develops the frequent recurrence of blood into a symbol of eternal guilt and blame in his play Macbeth. At the start of the play, the image of blood is introduced with no symbolic meaning. When King Duncan asks “What bloody man is that?” (I.II.I), it is not relevant to the notion of guilt at all. At this point in the play there is no connection between blood and guilt.

Have you ever had that one moment where things just seem so great and then everything collapses onto you? You wonder, what caused that greatness to end? That very same concept is portrayed upon Macbeth in Shakespeare’s Macbeth. However, one thing’s for certain. From Macbeth’s peak of becoming king to his very own defeat, Macbeth is solely responsible for his own downfall.

Vanity, greed, ambition, and influence, all combined to create Macbeth’s ultimate downfall. But was it just he alone? Or can the finger be pointed at Lady Macbeth who nagged him into killing Duncan. Surely though the witches have some responsibility? They were the ones who planted the seed of him becoming a king.

Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor! / All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!” (I, ii, 48-50). This is what starts to build Macbeth’s destructive ambition. Macbeth’s ambition leads him to his downfall due to the his lack of willpower, his murders, and his arrogance.

In today’s society, a growing trend of the Me too movement has shared light on people of high influential power such as Harvey Weinstein. Individuals such as Weinstein are finally receiving consequences and ridicule for their actions. While successful because of their vision and passion, they unfortunately used their opportunities and accomplishments for dark unethical ambitions. The same fortune can be linked to William Shakespeare’s MacBeth; MacBeth’s ambition to become king, ultimately leads to his downfall. MacBeth built a lifetime of trust throughout the kingdom, through his passion to protect the crown; he was seen as noble and a thane, a close advisor to King Duncan.

Often times, it is hard for people to own up to their mistakes because putting the blame on somebody else is much easier. In “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare, it is easy to blame Macbeth’s downfall on Lady Macbeth, but is it really Lady Macbeth’s fault? In my essay, I will discuss the power of influences on your actions, how much of an influence Lady Macbeth really had on Macbeth and my opinion on the matter.

The purpose of blood is to represent guilt. Shakespeare uses blood as a way to convey guilt and murder. The following quotes are examples of blood imagery representing the guilt Macbeth and Lady Macbeth feels after killing blameless people. Shakespeare demonstrates the strong imagery of blood in Act 2 scene 2, “What hands are here! Ha! They pluck out mine eyes. Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather The multitudinous seas incarnadine, Making the green one red” (I.II.56-60). In this scene, the imagery of blood shows Macbeth’s lack of ability of removing the blood from his hands. The change of the ocean color from green to red shows the guilt inside of Macbeth after murdering King Duncan. He thinks that no amount of water can rinse his hands. In the following quote, Macbeth is force to hide his feelings and thoughts of guilt to stop suspicions between other characters, “And with thy bloody and invisible

Blood reveals Macbeth’s feelings about murder. For example, blood symbolism exposes the apprehensiveness of Macbeth before he kills Duncan . Macbeth hallucinates a dagger floating before him, guiding him towards

In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, many factors can be claimed as responsible for the tragic downfall of the main character. This play is characterized by its themes of ambition, conscience, and retribution, which prove themselves central to the resolution of the play. While Lady Macbeth and Macbeth himself play a large part in Macbeth’s downfall, the characters ultimately responsible for the downfall of Macbeth are the Weird Sisters. Without their contribution, Macbeth’s hunger for power would not have manifested itself in the same manner and his confidence would not have supported his irrational actions, which would have saved the life of many.