” We hear that our bloody cousins are bestowed.” ( III. I. 33)
– This the first motif that appears in Act III, here MacBeth is talking to Banquo about Duncan’s kids; Donalbain and Malcolm. MacBeth had just murdered Duncan, and they fled to England and to Ireland, because they knew that they were next in line of the killing. Macbeth to take the blame out of himself, is accusing Malcolm and Donalbain of parricide.
– When he talks about the ” bloody cousins”, he is accusing them already of parricide; he is talking as if his “cousins” were covered in blood of his dad.
” There’s blood upon thy face…” (III.IV. 13-14)
– This scene was after MacBeth had ordered the killing of Banquo and Fleance. The 3 three murderers had finish the job and one of them went to report the events for MacBeth, the murderer said that they were able to kill Banquo but his son had fled. When the murderer was approaching MacBeth to tell the news, he had blood on his face that belonged to Banquo’s, MacBeth was happy for the moment, but after the news that Fleance had fled, he became worried again for his life, and his lifetime in the throne.
“It will have blood, they say: blood will have blood…” (III.IV.152)
– This scene is very important to the book until now. In this quote he is saying that for now on will be bloody, because one kill will only result in another kill, if you spill one drop of blood, two more will raise in the spot. He is talking about revenge in this line. That because he killed Banquo now people will come back for revenge,and he started to get freaked out, because of the visit of Banquo to him as a ghost.
Sarah, good comments on blood in act III. I especially like your final comments that Macbeth and other characters will engage in revenge toward the end of the play. (Watch: in scene one, Macbeth is speaking to Banquo about Malcolm and Donalbain, not to them directly.)
“What bloody man is that?” (Act I, II, I (pg.9))
This is the first motif on blood that appears in the play. They were of to a battle, and Malcolm had hold captive some of the warriors from the losing team. In this line Duncan is asking Malcolm who was that men that was standing right next to him, and had so much blood on him, with this question Malcolm said that was a sergeant that fought really brave against his captivity.
“Which smoked with bloody execution.”(Act I, II, XX(pg.9))
This is passage is the Captain talking to Duncan about how Macbeth destroyed the army of Macdonwald, the villain of all villains. He passed throw armies of well prepared soldiers, and as well as not as well prepared soldiers, and with one strike he cut Macdonwald from the navel to his jaw. The quote is referring to the execution of Macdonwald that was very bloody, and cutting his body into two.
” My gashes cry for help.” (Act I, II, XLVI(pg.11))
In this passage is the captain talking to Duncan about Macbeth and Banquo’s glorious victory. In the end of the passage the captain is dying probably because of a fatal wound in battle, and when he says that my gashes cry for help he is saying my blood cries for help, meaning that he needs medical help if not we may die, with that Duncan replies to him and says that he words will be honoured like his wounds, and that he will take in consideration the victory in battle, for future decisions.
“If he do bleed, I’ll gild the faces of the grooms withal, For it must seem their guilt.” (Act II, II, LXXI)
Macbeth had just killed Duncan, and he had a deal with his wife that after he accomplished the murder, he would leave the dagger in the chambers with the dead body, he forgot that because he was very nervous and he brought the dagger with him, Lady macbeth, then got the dagger and said that she would take them back and say that she would put all the blood that was in the dagger in the dead servants, because it will look like is their fault.
“Their hands and faces were all badged with blood.” (Act II, III, CXX)
After Macduff had found Duncan dead in his chambers, he calls Malcolm and Donalbain to tell them about the terrible news. This line is Lennox responding Malcolm’s question regarding who killed his father. Lennox is explaining that the servants were the ones responsible, because they had their hands and faces, all bathed with blood that belonged to Duncan.
“His silver skin laced with his golden blood.” (Act II, III, CXXXI)
Macduth’s line justifying why he killed the servants, because he was so covered with fury, because they killed his beloved king, that he couldn’t hold his fury, and he killed them. He is saying that their lies the body of a precious man, that has the skin of silver, and the blood of gold, saying that he was royalty of all royalties, the most powerful man of all. Saying that his wounds are a gap in nature, he would be missed.
Sarah, good comments on blood in act II; I particularly like your final comments and attention to this diction “golden blood.” (Watch plot summary and be sure to explain why each quotation is important and how/why Shakespeare uses such language.)
Sarah, you point out evidence of blood in the first act, but do you think that this motif is used in a more positive or negative connotation in these quotations? Is this blood in battle honorable? How might the motif of blood change as the play progresses? And why?
“ Be bloody, bold and resolute. Laugh to scorn…” (IV, I, LXXXX)
This is a line from the second apparition to Macbeth. In this scene Macbeth is on the witches coven asking about the prophecy. After they said that he needed to be looking out for Macduff. One of the apparitions is telling Macbeth that he has to be bloody, in the sense that he has to be able to kill everyone that he needs to, to be able to win, and he needs to be courage, and attentive, because he can only be killed by a person that hasn’t been born of women, so he has to be very attentive because he never knows who it could be, even thought the witches said for him to be aware of Macduff. This line is important, because is showing, how that Macbeth had to be so that he would not die.
“ Bleed, bleed, poor country!” (IV, III, XXXVIIII)
This line is said by Macduff while talking to Malcolm. They are talking about Scotland, and the tyranny of Macbeth. What this quote means, is that Macduff thinks that for Scotland to be free from Macbeth, the tyrant, is that they need to bleed, in other words, that the only way for Scotland to be finally free, is with a war, that for the country to be free it has to cry blood, from the tyrant, and the only way that this could happen was if they planned an attack against Scotland, at first Malcolm was afraid that Macduff was a spy for Macbeth. This quote is important because is saying that if they want to have the country they will have to sacrifice many things.
“I grant him bloody, luxurious, avaricious, false,deceitful…”(IV,III, LXX)
This is a line that Malcolm is telling Macduff. This line is Malcolm talking about Macbeth, in the front of Scotlands government, and he is saying that he knows that Macbeth is the so bad, and even the devil can’t say his name, but that he is better at ruling then he is. He is saying that he is to selfish, and want only for him, the people would be very son full of him and wanting someone else to be on the throne. This line is important because is the mark of humbleness, because even though he was going to be king, he said that he doesn’t though that he was an appropriate person for that job, unlike all the others.
Sarah, fine analysis of these quotations, but do you see any general patterns in the act related to your motif? Watch that you proof read before posting, as there are several small language errors.
“Here’s the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand.” (V.I.LIII)
I this quote is Lady Macbeth going mad, and she is talking to her servant. She is feeling guilty of the killings of Macbeth, and she feels as if he has the blood of all the victims in her hands, and anything is able to clean that blood from her hand, and no perfume is able to take that smell from her. This is important to show what can craving can do to a person, they craved so much the power of all thrones that she became mad, and he died.
“ Make all our trumpets speak; give them all breath, Those clamorous harbingers of blood and death.” (V.VII. X)
This quote is MacDuff asking for the trumpets to play, because they are going to attack, and the trumpets are the announced of death, and by playing the trumpets before they attack, is portraying that they are already warning that they will kill every one, that they are going to spill a lot of blood. This quote is important for blood, because Macduff is declaring that he going to spill all of the blood that he needs to reach macbeth, blood in this sentence is not in a bad denotation, it is related to freedom, the blood of macbeth will result in the freedom of Scotland and its people.
Final Thoughts
Blood has a very special denotation in this act, it is representing relief for MacDuff, Malcolm and all of Scotland’s population
Also is used in a denotation that blood will pay blood. Macbeth killed many, so now the revenge is coming Lady Macbeth will go mad, because she has all of this “blood” in her hands, she is feeling so guilty that she went mad.
Macbeth Characters and Motifs 
Line 1- “What bloody man is that?” – In this sense of what is this man doing in here… the are talking in a pejorative way.
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Line 20- “Which smoked with bloody execution…” – adjective to an executions that had a lot of blood, is soaking in blood.
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Line 46- “My gashes cry for help.” (gashes in the sense of blood). saying that the (captain) is buried in blood, he needs help .
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Act III
Blood (Motif)
” We hear that our bloody cousins are bestowed.” ( III. I. 33)
– This the first motif that appears in Act III, here MacBeth is talking to Banquo about Duncan’s kids; Donalbain and Malcolm. MacBeth had just murdered Duncan, and they fled to England and to Ireland, because they knew that they were next in line of the killing. Macbeth to take the blame out of himself, is accusing Malcolm and Donalbain of parricide.
– When he talks about the ” bloody cousins”, he is accusing them already of parricide; he is talking as if his “cousins” were covered in blood of his dad.
” There’s blood upon thy face…” (III.IV. 13-14)
– This scene was after MacBeth had ordered the killing of Banquo and Fleance. The 3 three murderers had finish the job and one of them went to report the events for MacBeth, the murderer said that they were able to kill Banquo but his son had fled. When the murderer was approaching MacBeth to tell the news, he had blood on his face that belonged to Banquo’s, MacBeth was happy for the moment, but after the news that Fleance had fled, he became worried again for his life, and his lifetime in the throne.
“It will have blood, they say: blood will have blood…” (III.IV.152)
– This scene is very important to the book until now. In this quote he is saying that for now on will be bloody, because one kill will only result in another kill, if you spill one drop of blood, two more will raise in the spot. He is talking about revenge in this line. That because he killed Banquo now people will come back for revenge,and he started to get freaked out, because of the visit of Banquo to him as a ghost.
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Sarah, good comments on blood in act III. I especially like your final comments that Macbeth and other characters will engage in revenge toward the end of the play. (Watch: in scene one, Macbeth is speaking to Banquo about Malcolm and Donalbain, not to them directly.)
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“What bloody man is that?” (Act I, II, I (pg.9))
This is the first motif on blood that appears in the play. They were of to a battle, and Malcolm had hold captive some of the warriors from the losing team. In this line Duncan is asking Malcolm who was that men that was standing right next to him, and had so much blood on him, with this question Malcolm said that was a sergeant that fought really brave against his captivity.
“Which smoked with bloody execution.”(Act I, II, XX(pg.9))
This is passage is the Captain talking to Duncan about how Macbeth destroyed the army of Macdonwald, the villain of all villains. He passed throw armies of well prepared soldiers, and as well as not as well prepared soldiers, and with one strike he cut Macdonwald from the navel to his jaw. The quote is referring to the execution of Macdonwald that was very bloody, and cutting his body into two.
” My gashes cry for help.” (Act I, II, XLVI(pg.11))
In this passage is the captain talking to Duncan about Macbeth and Banquo’s glorious victory. In the end of the passage the captain is dying probably because of a fatal wound in battle, and when he says that my gashes cry for help he is saying my blood cries for help, meaning that he needs medical help if not we may die, with that Duncan replies to him and says that he words will be honoured like his wounds, and that he will take in consideration the victory in battle, for future decisions.
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Act II
Motif: Blood
“If he do bleed, I’ll gild the faces of the grooms withal, For it must seem their guilt.” (Act II, II, LXXI)
Macbeth had just killed Duncan, and he had a deal with his wife that after he accomplished the murder, he would leave the dagger in the chambers with the dead body, he forgot that because he was very nervous and he brought the dagger with him, Lady macbeth, then got the dagger and said that she would take them back and say that she would put all the blood that was in the dagger in the dead servants, because it will look like is their fault.
“Their hands and faces were all badged with blood.” (Act II, III, CXX)
After Macduff had found Duncan dead in his chambers, he calls Malcolm and Donalbain to tell them about the terrible news. This line is Lennox responding Malcolm’s question regarding who killed his father. Lennox is explaining that the servants were the ones responsible, because they had their hands and faces, all bathed with blood that belonged to Duncan.
“His silver skin laced with his golden blood.” (Act II, III, CXXXI)
Macduth’s line justifying why he killed the servants, because he was so covered with fury, because they killed his beloved king, that he couldn’t hold his fury, and he killed them. He is saying that their lies the body of a precious man, that has the skin of silver, and the blood of gold, saying that he was royalty of all royalties, the most powerful man of all. Saying that his wounds are a gap in nature, he would be missed.
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Sarah, good comments on blood in act II; I particularly like your final comments and attention to this diction “golden blood.” (Watch plot summary and be sure to explain why each quotation is important and how/why Shakespeare uses such language.)
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Sarah, you point out evidence of blood in the first act, but do you think that this motif is used in a more positive or negative connotation in these quotations? Is this blood in battle honorable? How might the motif of blood change as the play progresses? And why?
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Act IV
Blood
“ Be bloody, bold and resolute. Laugh to scorn…” (IV, I, LXXXX)
This is a line from the second apparition to Macbeth. In this scene Macbeth is on the witches coven asking about the prophecy. After they said that he needed to be looking out for Macduff. One of the apparitions is telling Macbeth that he has to be bloody, in the sense that he has to be able to kill everyone that he needs to, to be able to win, and he needs to be courage, and attentive, because he can only be killed by a person that hasn’t been born of women, so he has to be very attentive because he never knows who it could be, even thought the witches said for him to be aware of Macduff. This line is important, because is showing, how that Macbeth had to be so that he would not die.
“ Bleed, bleed, poor country!” (IV, III, XXXVIIII)
This line is said by Macduff while talking to Malcolm. They are talking about Scotland, and the tyranny of Macbeth. What this quote means, is that Macduff thinks that for Scotland to be free from Macbeth, the tyrant, is that they need to bleed, in other words, that the only way for Scotland to be finally free, is with a war, that for the country to be free it has to cry blood, from the tyrant, and the only way that this could happen was if they planned an attack against Scotland, at first Malcolm was afraid that Macduff was a spy for Macbeth. This quote is important because is saying that if they want to have the country they will have to sacrifice many things.
“I grant him bloody, luxurious, avaricious, false,deceitful…”(IV,III, LXX)
This is a line that Malcolm is telling Macduff. This line is Malcolm talking about Macbeth, in the front of Scotlands government, and he is saying that he knows that Macbeth is the so bad, and even the devil can’t say his name, but that he is better at ruling then he is. He is saying that he is to selfish, and want only for him, the people would be very son full of him and wanting someone else to be on the throne. This line is important because is the mark of humbleness, because even though he was going to be king, he said that he doesn’t though that he was an appropriate person for that job, unlike all the others.
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Sarah, fine analysis of these quotations, but do you see any general patterns in the act related to your motif? Watch that you proof read before posting, as there are several small language errors.
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Act V
Blood
“Here’s the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand.” (V.I.LIII)
I this quote is Lady Macbeth going mad, and she is talking to her servant. She is feeling guilty of the killings of Macbeth, and she feels as if he has the blood of all the victims in her hands, and anything is able to clean that blood from her hand, and no perfume is able to take that smell from her. This is important to show what can craving can do to a person, they craved so much the power of all thrones that she became mad, and he died.
“ Make all our trumpets speak; give them all breath, Those clamorous harbingers of blood and death.” (V.VII. X)
This quote is MacDuff asking for the trumpets to play, because they are going to attack, and the trumpets are the announced of death, and by playing the trumpets before they attack, is portraying that they are already warning that they will kill every one, that they are going to spill a lot of blood. This quote is important for blood, because Macduff is declaring that he going to spill all of the blood that he needs to reach macbeth, blood in this sentence is not in a bad denotation, it is related to freedom, the blood of macbeth will result in the freedom of Scotland and its people.
Final Thoughts
Blood has a very special denotation in this act, it is representing relief for MacDuff, Malcolm and all of Scotland’s population
Also is used in a denotation that blood will pay blood. Macbeth killed many, so now the revenge is coming Lady Macbeth will go mad, because she has all of this “blood” in her hands, she is feeling so guilty that she went mad.
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