Lady Macbeth finally is overpowered by her guilt and it causes her to go mad. The theme of guilt, caused by blood, affects both characters differently. Lady Macbeth and Macbeth develop on how they express the guilt of their murders. Lady Macbeth contrast from Macbeth because she does not see feel guilt for the bloody deed she commits. Lady Macbeth is troubled with her guilt and does not come to terms with the act she is involved in. She displays no remorse that she indirectly kills Duncan, and is not aware of the consequences. She implies that Macbeth is a coward for being overly obsessed with the blood all over his hands. She does not comprehend how significant the blood on Macbeth’s hands is. Lady Macbeth directs Macbeth to go clean the blood off his hands. Lady Macbeth orders him to, “go get some water / and wash this filthy witness” (Shakespeare 2.2.46-47). After the murder, Macbeth begins to panic and feel remorse for what he has done. Lady Macbeth contrast from Macbeth because she does not view blood as guilt and believes that guilt is cowardly. She is ashamed of her husband’s cowardice and his disbelief for what he has done. A “white heart” is very bloodless and cowardly compared to her bloody red heart. Lady Macbeth points out that her hands are also covered in blood. She explains to Macbeth, “My hands are of your color, but I shame / To wear a heart so white” (Shakespeare 2.2.78-79). Macbeth was unable to do this because he was in utter shock, so Lady Macbeth had to do it herself. Lady Macbeth spreads the dead King’s blood so they are not framed for the death. Lady Macbeth believes her husband is a coward because of the immense guilt he feels. In contrast to her husband, Lady Macbeth handles death in a very nonchalant and calm matter. Macbeth is dealt with great guilt that he cannot escape from. Macbeth could not wash the blood off his hands because that blood represents evil and impurity from the inescapable act he commits. Seeing the bloody knife shows Macbeth the goriness and violence of murder and the guilt that will be with him forever. Macbeth’s guilt was seen before and after the death of Duncan. Duncan’s blood in particular represents the guilt that will follow Macbeth. He cannot change the fact that he killed a man. Mentally, the blood will be there forever and always having an imprint on him. Physically, Macbeth is able to wash all the blood off his hands. Macbeth is saying that not even a massive amount of water can wash the blood off his hands. Macbeth says, “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand” (Shakespeare Act 2.2. He has blood all over his hands and Lady Macbeth tells him to wash the blood off. This is just the beginning of the guilt that Macbeth is going to feel. The bloody knife is the symbolism of the gory and impure act of killing King Duncan. This is the first feeling of guilt that Macbeth experiences. Macbeth is hallucinating that he sees a knife covered in blood. Macbeth states, “I see thee still and on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood” (Shakespeare 2.1.45-47). He starts to feel a strong sense of guilt even before he goes through with the murder. Macbeth is hesitant whether or not he wants to murder King Duncan. Macbeth feels haunted when he murders Duncan and begins to feel guilty. Blood symbolizes guilt and impurity for the murders committed by Lady Macbeth and Macbeth, which affects them differently throughout the course of the play. Shakespeare incorporates the motif of blood throughout the plot to demonstrate this guilt. In contrast, Lady Macbeth is the opposite, she starts with no guilt, but it then begins to build up. Right away Macbeth feels so guilty about what he has just done. Macbeth wants to become King and the only way was to commit treason by killing Duncan. In the play ‘Macbeth’, written by William Shakespeare, the protagonist Macbeth and his wife Lady Macbeth plot to kill King Duncan. I cannot be forgiven for there is no one to forgive me for all I’ve done.” Most people would never consider killing another person for their own benefit, but those who have felt immense guilt for what they have done. Anne Rice exclaims, “The evil of one murder is infinite and my guilt is like my beauty – eternal.
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