Essay: Functionalism of blood (literal/metaphorical) in The Bible and Macbeth

Blood; a term used both literally and metaphorically in a myriad of ways to portray a multitude of hidden meanings, hidden emotions, and undetermined futures. Authors often use blood as a mechanism of placing subtle emphasis on key ideas that we as readers may mindlessly overlook. I intend to analyze the functionalism of blood in its literal and metaphorical form within The Bible and within Macbeth.
Within Macbeth, Shakespeare utilizes this notion of blood several times. One of the first times we encounter Blood is within Act 1. Soon after the three evil witches have just prophesied Macbeth becoming ‘Thane of Cawdor’, the seed that awakens Macbeth’s ambition is planted. After being addressed as ‘Thane of Cawdor’ Macbeth, stunned, attempts to press the witches for more information. Continuing their riddle-like banter the witches tell Banquo “Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none: So all hail Macbeth, and Banquo.” (1.3.63-65).” The scene ends with Macbeth’s curiosity of this prophesy slowly growing. In Act 1 scene five, we find Lady Macbeth alone with a letter. The letter provides Lady Macbeth with a condensed version of what the witches have just prophesied to Macbeth. Lady Macbeth filled with a strong drive to fulfill this prophesy, feels that Macbeth is too soft and too cowardly, she explicitly describes him as being “too full o’th’ milk of human kindness” (1.5.16-17.) It is only after this slander of Macbeth’s character that Lady Macbeth realizes she must take these matters into her own hands in order to ensure Macbeth’s and her ‘destiny’s’ are fulfilled. She calls upon the spirits stating
“Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here…[m]ake thick my blood, Stop up th’access and passage to remorse, that no compunctions visiting’s of nature [s]hake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between Th’ effect and it”(1.5.47-54)
This is one of the many times we as readers encounter Shakespeare using a literal description of blood. As one of Lady Macbeth’s most notable lines it is important to closely examine Shakespeare’s use of the term. “Make thick my blood” can easily be compared to a more common phrase such as ‘harden my heart.’ This phrase is utilized here as an instrument to eliminate normal human (or female) feelings. These feelings that are related to empathy and guilt, indicated by Lady Macbeth’s statement of “stop up th’ access and passage to remorse…” Within these lines Lady Macbeth also touches on the idea of masculinity and femininity. She associates having these empathetic feelings with being feminine, indicated by her opening line ‘unsex me.’ Blood here not only functions to literally state that she would like her feelings to be repressed, but also in a more metaphorical sense Lady Macbeth is prophesizing the guilt that she will at one point feel should she gather the courage Macbeth lacks to commit the evil deeds necessary to ultimately fulfill their ‘destiny’.
We observe blood functioning as a way to foresight undetermined futures soon after when Macbeth agonizes over whether it is truly worth it to kill King Duncan and fulfill his ‘destiny’ as Thane of Cawdor. He states to himself “[b]ut in these cases we still have judgment here, that we but teach Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return to plague th’ inventor” (1.7.7-10.) While contemplating his next move within this wicked plan, Macbeth’s mention of blood here references the age-old idea that if one commits an atrocity, bad events, in turn, will come back to haunt him/her. Alternatively, what we now know modernly as ‘what goes around, comes around.’ Macbeth within the same short passage goes on to specifically list his authority in comparison to King Duncan’s. He states how he is “…[f]irst his kinsman, and his subject.” The term ‘bloody’ in this context is used to allude us as readers to what will become of Macbeth’s future, while simultaneously functioning as a foresight upon the evil acts that Macbeth will ultimately bring unto others such as Banquo in his vain attempts to fulfill the ‘destiny’ the three evil witches prophesied.
It is not until Act 3 scene 4 that both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are essentially forced come to terms with what they have done. After Macbeth appoints two murderers to kill both Banquo and Fleance, him and Lady Macbeth (now seen as King and Queen) hold a feast for their court. It is at this feast that Macbeth sees the ghost of Banquo seated next to him. As Macbeth actively engages in conversation with the invisible, Lady Macbeth hastily attempts to assure their guests that he does it all the time. “Sit, worthy friends, my lord is often thus, and hath been from his youth. Pray you keep seat, the fit Is momentary, upon a thought he will again be well” (3.4.53-56.) Lady Macbeth’s shameless attempts to cover her husband’s peculiar actions do not go far as the guests ultimately leave the feast. As soon as they leave and Lady Macbeth attempts to reach Macbeth to figure out what is going on and he immediately states: “It will have blood they say: blood will have blood. Stones have been known to move, and trees to speak…” (3.4.125-126.) This is our second encounter of a phrase that is synonymous with that mentioned earlier. Macbeth is coming to terms with his own guilt and recognizing that just as he murdered innocent civilians and nobleman to gain power, others on this same quest for power may in turn murder him in hopes of gaining what he has. Blood not only functions metaphorically here but also literally by alluding readers to the vicious cycle of bloodshed, murders, and violence that has and again will occur as a result of Macbeth’s actions.
Lady Macbeth is forced to come to terms with her repressed feelings in a similar manner. One night in their palace, Lady Macbeth’s gentlewoman invites a doctor to observe her habit of sleepwalking. Lady Macbeth, in a trance, enters the room with a candle in her hand stating: “Out damned spot—out I say. One—two—why then ‘tis time to do’t—Hell is murky…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.” (5.1.33-38) Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking is accompanied with delusions of the blood that went with the murder of King Duncan. Lady Macbeth’s vain attempts of asking the spirits to thicken her blood were unsuccessful and she is forced to deal with the guilt and remorse that accompanies a murder. This scene depicts a significant shift in attitude and character portrayal. At the beginning of the play Macbeth was hesitant and Lady Macbeth was a driving factor in his ultimate murder of Duncan, and now she is left to deal with the recurring guilt that haunts her. Blood here again functions both literally and metaphorically in order to explain hidden emotions and provide us as readers with a greater insight of these characters.
As we shift to analyzing how blood functions within the Bible, I found it extremely surprising to see blood function in a similar manner to those examined within Shakespeare’s Macbeth, suggesting that authors are intentionally using ‘blood’ in its literal and metaphorical form to depict these ideas. Within the gospels of Luke and John specifically, blood has a distinct function that is not as common throughout the rest of the Bible but is shared among texts within our syllabus.
In Luke chapter 22, the timeline is just days before Jesus’ Passover feast. As the chief priests and scribes are incessantly searching for a way to put Jesus to death, and with Satan entering Judas in order to betray Jesus, Jesus does not have much time left. He quickly plans this feast with his apostles around him, explicitly telling them that his time left on earth is dwindling while reassuring them that he will always remain. Then he [Jesus] took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” Luke 22:19-20 Here Jesus describes blood in its literal form, while it is actually depicted metaphorically as wine. His statement confirms the covenant between God and his people. His blood being “poured out” serves as symbolism of God’s sacrifice to forgive the sins of the multitudes. This passage in a way also foresights to readers the crucifixion that is to come later in Luke and more so within the Gospel of John. The breakage of the bread and the outpouring of the blood (wine), which he explicitly states is His own, alludes us as readers to the suffering that Jesus will soon experience for us (the multitudes.)
We see blood’s functionalism as a metaphor a few chapters later in Luke 22:43. In this scene a large crowd has come and engulfed Jesus with chief priests and officers ready to seize him for the many ‘crimes’ he has committed and the lies he has told on the Father’s name. In anguish for what lied ahead, Jesus knelt down in prayer, “Father if you are willing to take this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.” Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength. In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground. Luke 22:42-44 If we pay close attention to the word choice used here, we can recognize blood functioning here as a way to show us as readers Jesus’ concealed emotions. Up until now within the Gospel of Luke, Jesus has been the all-powerful figure that the multitudes have sought after for guidance. To finally be let in about his genuine feelings and the description of his sweat dropping like great drops of blood, very clearly and explicitly lays out how significant this moment is for Jesus to us readers. His grief, his fear, and his affliction for the tormenting that is to come is revealed here through the very calculated metaphorical use of blood.
After the horrendous mocking, tormenting, beating, and persecution Jesus endured, he is eventually crucified and left to die along with the Penitent Thief on the cross. When the day of preparation has arrived, the Jews ventured to have the bodies broken and removed off their crosses. The breaking of the legs symbolized the final death of each individual, although when the Jews went ahead to break the legs of Jesus, they recognized that he had already died. “But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.
Instead one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out” John 19:32-33. Bloods functionalism here is quite noteworthy in its ability to tie together all of the aforementioned metaphorical and literal mentions of blood. The literal spilling of Jesus’ blood here holds a tremendous amount of weight. This is the sacrifice that is referenced throughout all of the Gospels and within the entire Bible. Jesus has sacrificed himself for the sins of the multitudes as he said he would, and his blood has literally poured out along with water indicating firstly, his ultimate death; and secondly, His eternal promise to his followers.
Tracing and examining how the use of ‘blood’ in its literal and metaphorical forms can greatly advance a plot, allude readers to concealed emotions, irresolute futures, and mystifying meanings has been a noteworthy journey. To see how texts from entirely different eras, texts composed by entirely distinctive authors, and texts composed for contrasting purposes, utilize blood literally and metaphorically in strikingly similar ways is quite remarkable.