Color and Water in Act 2 Scene 2

In Act 2 Scene 2, there are many references to color and water. Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth to wash the blood off his hands with water. After she leaves, Macbeth fears that even all the water in the ocean would not wash the blood off his hands, but instead turn the green water red. Because Macbeth would not go back and frame the guards, Lady Macbeth says she would be ashamed if her heart where as white as Macbeth’s. There is also reference to a “painted devil” and smearing the men with blood. This sort of language gives the image that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are painting; they are crafting their future for Macbeth to be king. In this scene, Lady Macbeth is convinced that water can wash away the blood, like paint. Macbeth seems to fear that water is not enough; that the paint will dye the water. Water is often used as a symbol of purity; Lady Macbeth is ready to frame the guards and then wash away all the impurity and be done, going back to normal life. Macbeth, however, does not seem to feel they can wash away the impurity so easily. In this scene, Macbeth also admits to hearing voices accusing them of murder. His conscience is guilty, impure, but he is also starting to have psychological consequences that Lady Macbeth is not. For him, water can’t wash away this murder, because it is changing him as a person, changing his psyche. He sees the blood on his hands and fears it will dye the water, make something pure impure. Lady Macbeth is the one who references the “painted devil” saying only a child would fear it, a child another symbol of innocence. She is digging into Macbeth for being too innocent, feeling too guilty, but she is also assuming they can do this and wash away the blood. To her, this whole thing is done. They can toughen up and a commit murder, and then wash it away easily and move on. For Macbeth, this is something more. He seems to going insane with guilt. The murder is becoming a part of who he is, like the blood turning the water red. 

Comments

  1. UnknownOctober 8, 2017 at 1:49 PM

    Great blog post!! Super interesting comparing the water and child to innocence whereas the blood or paint is seen as tainted and evil. To go off of that I think you can delve deeper into the water and blood analogy. Water is a clear, colorless liquid (haven't written that since chemistry class yikes, anyway) and blood is opaque and red. Water is simple yet blood is more complex. Water is clear so you can see what is through it and inside of it. Blood on the other hand is opaque and is murky in a way. It is difficult to see what is behind it or inside of it. Blood also has the power to stain. Lady Macbeth thinks that if you wash the blood away with water soon enough that it won't be able to 'stain' them of the crimes they have committed. Macbeth though is very concerned that the blood on his hands will stain him as a person. The 'clearness' he was able to have before the murders is gone. Even if they wash away the blood, the blood dilutes into the water and changes that to become murky and less transparent. There will always be a trace, a stain, that follows him and points back to him for the murders. He will never be clear or pure like the water again he will now be murky and impure and Macbeth is realization this only after he murders Duncan and is starting to feel its weight.

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