Symbols in Macbeth

Symbols play a crucial role in Shakespeare's "Macbeth," adding depth and layers of meaning to the play. Let's dive into some of the most significant symbols and explore how they contribute to the themes and character development.

Blood

Blood is perhaps the most pervasive symbol in Macbeth, representing guilt, murder, and the consequences of ambition.

Literal Blood

After Duncan's murder, Macbeth is horrified by the blood on his hands:

"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."

This vivid imagery suggests that Macbeth's guilt is so profound that it could turn entire oceans red.

Metaphorical Blood

Lady Macbeth's famous "Out, damned spot!" soliloquy in Act 5, Scene 1 shows how blood becomes a symbol of her guilt:

"Out, damned spot! Out, I say!—One, two. Why, then, 'tis time to do't.—Hell is murky!—Fie, my lord, fie! A soldier, and afeard? What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to account?—Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him."

Even though there's no actual blood on her hands, Lady Macbeth's guilt manifests as an imaginary bloodstain she can't wash away.

Sleep

Sleep symbolizes peace of mind, innocence, and a clear conscience in Macbeth.

Disruption of Sleep

After murdering Duncan, Macbeth hears a voice cry out:

"Methought I heard a voice cry 'Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep,' the innocent sleep, Sleep that knits up the ravell'd sleeve of care"

This personification of sleep as something Macbeth has "murdered" emphasizes how his actions have robbed him of peace and tranquility.

Light and Darkness

The interplay between light and darkness symbolizes the struggle between good and evil throughout the play.