Why is the image of blood significant to Macbeth?Macbeth by William Shakespeare

We have known blood to all of us to represent life, death
and often injury. Blood is an essential part of life and without blood, we could not
live. This is known to everyone, and because of this, when Shakespeare uses the imagery
of blood to represent treason, guilt, murder and death. We have easily understood it and
fits in perfectly with the ideas we have of blood. Therefore, this weighs blood to the
most important imagery of Shakespeare's play 'Macbeth'.  Shakespeare mentions the word
blood, or different forms of it often in the play. Forty-two times to be exact
(ironically, the word fear also is used the same amount), with several other passages
dealing with imagery. Perhaps the best way to describe how the image of blood changes
throughout the play, by following the character changes in Macbeth. First, he is a brave
honored soldier, but as the play progresses, he becomes identified withe death and
bloodshed, along with showing his guilt in different forms.  The first sinister
reference to blood is one of honor, showed in Act I scene ii. This occurs when Duncan
sees the injured sergeant and says "What bloody man is that?". This is symbolic of the
brave fighter who has been injured in a valiant battle for his country. In the next
passage, in which the sergeant says "Which smok'd with bloody execution," he is
referring to Macbeth's braveness in which he covers his sword in the hot blood of the
enemy.   Act II, Scene ii. The symbol of blood now changes to show a form of treachery
and treason. Lady Macbeth starts this off when she asks the spirits to "Make thick my
blood." What she is saying by this, is that she wants to make herself insensitive and
remorseless for the deeds that she is about to commit. Lady Macbeth knows that the
evidence of blood is a treacherous symbol, and knows it will deflect the guilt from her
and Macbeth to the servants when she says "Smear the sleepy grooms withe blood.", and
"If he do bleed, I'll gild the faces of the grooms withal, for it must seem their
guilt."  Act V, Scene i - Lady Macbeth shows the most vivid example of guilt with the
use of the imagery of blood, in the scene that she walks in her sleep. She says "Out
damned spot! Out I say! One: two: why then 'tis time to do't: hell is murky. Fie, my
lord, fie, a soldier, and afeard? What need we fear who knows it when none can call out
power to account? Yet who have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?"
All these references in the quotation are to murder and both include direct references
to blood, again linking blood to treachery and murder. Yet, this speech represents the
fact that she cannot wipe the blood stains of Duncan off her hand. It is ironic that she
says this, because right after the murder, when Macbeth was feeling guilty, she said, "A
little water clears us of this deed." When the doctor of the castle finds out about this
sleepwalking, he tells Macbeth, "As she is troubled with thick-coming fantasies,"
meaning that Lady Macbeth is having dreams that deal with blood. Macbeth knows deep in
his mind she is having troubles with her guilt, but does not say anything about it. Act
V, Scene viii - just before the ending of the play, Macbeth has Macduff at his mercy,
and lets him go, because of his guilt. .