Blood Will Have Blood? Essay, Research Paper

In Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth, Macbeth says, “Blood will have blood?,” is implying one of the main themes. Along with this quotation, there are many more quotations throughout the story that support the theme of blood. Macbeth has always been known to be a bloody story, but it is proven so much by the numerous quotations dealing with blood and murder.

The first well know quotation to come across, dealing with blood, would most likely be agreed upon to be “Will all great Neptune’s oceans wash this blood clean from my hand?” (2.2.78-79) Macbeth says this while talking to Lady Macbeth just after murdering Duncan. Macbeth finds that he has Duncan’s blood all over his hands, and attempts to wash them, but has difficulty with removing all of the stain. These are the first signs of blood in this great tragedy of Macbeth.

Another well known quotation that was said by Macbeth is, “I will have blood, they say; blood will have blood.” (3.4.151) This was said by Macbeth, as he was having one of his many mental breakdowns. These breakdowns were caused by just this issue of a bloody play. Macbeth created the bloodlines, and now he must suffer the consequences.

“Out damned spot, out, I say!”, (5.1.37) said by Lady Macbeth as she is being watched by the physic doctor and the gentlewoman. They both watch as Lady Macbeth has a mental breakdown of conscious, just like Macbeth is having. She is thinking as though she has gotten blood on her, also, when it is only a figment of her imagination. As she tries to wash off the non-existent stain of blood, the doctor and gentlewoman watch in concern.

Later, while still having her mental breakdown, Lady Macbeth also says, “Here’s the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. O, O, O!” (5.1.53-55) She says this the same way as she was also imagining that she had blood stains on her hands in the last quotation. There really are no stains, nor any smells of blood that are directly or literally on her hands. She is mearly having a mental breakdown caused by the guilt that is finally setting in about being part of assassinating Duncan.

These are only some of the many quotations in Macbeth that point towards the theme of a bloody play. Much of this play has murder and blood in the small meanings behind many of the quotations. These are only a few examples of the bloody innards of the great tragedy, Macbeth.