In the tragedy Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, vivid images that heavily employ blood are used to convey messages and show the characters' state of mind. The image of blood serves to show the literal and figurative blood on the hands of Macbeth and his wife, and shows their deteriorating mental state as the severity of what they have done takes hold of them. Before the murder of King Duncan, Lady Macbeth says “make my blood thick; / Close the access and passage to remorse” (1.v.43-44). Lady Macbeth is calling upon the spirits to thicken her blood and poison him, so that she can find the strength to easily kill Duncan. He also says “My hands are your color; but I am ashamed / to wear such a white heart” (2.ii.61-62). In this quote, Lady Macbeth is talking to her husband saying that they both have blood on their hands from Duncan's murder, but she would be ashamed to have a cowardly heart like his. Then he advises him to go and wash his hands, which will remove the blood covering them. This is very ironic when compared to Lady Macbeth's state when she later goes mad. The image of blood is very important and decisive in the plot of Macbeth. Uses of blood like this are very frequent and set the stage for what is to come and move things forward. Shakespeare shows the deterioration of the main characters' mental state by repeatedly referring to images of blood. As Macbeth struggles and worries about the task at hand, killing Duncan, Shakespeare uses images of blood to show how he feels about it. During Macbeth's vision of the dagger suspended in mid-air, he proclaims "And upon thy blade and upon thy sword blood floweth, / That was not so before" (2.i.46-47). Suddenly the clean dagger floats before... in the center of the card... of Banquo and his son because of the witches' prediction, Macbeth states, “with thy bloody and invisible hand / Undo and tear to pieces that great bond / That makes me pale!” (3.ii.48-50). Macbeth is scared and therefore pale, and thinks that if he kills Banquo, he will be fine. Over the course of the play, Macbeth and his wife take a turn for the worse, but in their own way. Macbeth starts out doubtful and unsure of what he is doing, and becomes increasingly bloodthirsty and reckless as the story progresses. Lady Macbeth, on the other hand, is strong-willed and bloodthirsty at first, but then becomes progressively more guilt-ridden and mad, and they both end up dying. The recurring images of blood also work to advance the plot. Vivid and sometimes gruesome details play a vital role in Macbeth and the play's overall impact.