The importance of blood in Macbeth In Shakespeare's tragic play Macbeth, the symbol of blood is an important tool. The fundamental physical notion of blood is a clear sign of illness or accident that all humans must share. Within Macbeth the image of blood is used over and over again and is developed by Shakespeare until it becomes not only a dominant theme but completely integrated into the plot. Perhaps the best way to show how the symbol of blood changes throughout the play is to follow the character changes in Macbeth. At first he is a brave and honored soldier, but as the show progresses, recognized and trusted by his king, he becomes an insidious person who identified with death and bloodshed, and ends up killing Duncan who placed so so much trust in him. This is ironic because the previous Thane of Cawdor was executed for treason, which is the first thought that comes to mind when he is named Thane. He knows that the king's trust was misplaced; the fact that he killed his king plays on his conscience and shows his guilt in different forms. The situation worsens for him after he kills Banquo, who was one of his most loyal and trusted friends. A similar idea can also be applied to Lady Macbeth, as her character changes dramatically throughout the play. It can be seen that his roles and those of Macbeth are interchanged in a certain sense. When the idea of ​​killing Duncan comes to Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's mind, Macbeth is uncertain, he seems withdrawn about the whole idea. Lady Macbeth comes across as evil and bloodthirsty, as she is the one who ensures that the murder takes place. Towards the end of the play, however, although both characters show immense guilt for what they have done... middle of paper... betrayal, the guilt once again turns to honor. This movement in symbolism is maneuvered by the villain whose actions enable the change. Honor reform is sanctioned after the villain is killed. Works cited and consulted: Bradley, AC Shakespearean Tragedy. Toronto: Penguin Books Canada Ltd., 1991.Campbell, Lily B. Shakespeare's Tragic Heroes, Slaves of Passion. Gloucester: Peter Smith Publishers Inc., 1973. Edwards, Terence. Twentieth century interpretations of Macbeth. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc., 1977. Hunter, G. K. "Macbeth in the Twentieth Century." Aspects of Macbeth. Ed. Kenneth MuirShakespeare, William. Tragedy of Macbeth. Ed. Barbara Mowat and Paul Warstine. New York: Washington Press, 1992. Scott, Mark W. (ed.). Shakespeare for students. Gale Research Inc. Detroit, Michigan. 1992