Macbeth In the play Macbeth, a symbol of blood is portrayed often (and with different meanings), and it is a symbol that is developed until it is the commanding theme of the play towards its end. The word "blood," or different forms of it, is mentioned forty-two times, with several other passages dealing with the symbol. To follow the character changes in Macbeth is the best way to show how the symbol of blood changes throughout the play. First he is a brave honored soldier, but as the play advances, he becomes a treasonous person who has become identified with death and bloodshed and shows his guilt in different forms. The first reference to blood is one of glory, and occurs when Duncan sees th