Shakespeare uses several symbols in Macbeth to indicate
either the guilt or innocence of a character. The major symbols of guilt are blood and
sleep. When a character has blood on their hands this is an indication of their guilt.
The blood can either be literal (actually there) or figurative (imagined or implied).
Also, when a character is unable to sleep, the audience can assume they are guilty of
something. Shakespeare uses sleep as a reward for the innocent. Think about it, it’s
hard to sleep when you are bothered by something. You keep thinking about
it!
If you will think back to Act V, when Lady Macbeth is
sleep walking and imagining the blood on her hands, this is twice a symbol of her guilt.
She is not actually sleeping ( a reward for the innocent), and she is struggling to wash
blood (a symbol of guilt) off her hands. If you examine the text and look for images
dealing with blood and sleep, you will soon be able to collect your quotes addressing
her guilt.
Good Luck!
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