Clothing
Throughout Macbeth, characters make frequent reference to clothes and clothing, as related to one's station or occupation. Often, these remarks usually concern clothing that is ill-fitting or simply "wrong" for someone to be wearing. The clothing imagery that appears in the play therefore underscores the eerie sense in the play that something is amiss, or that someone is wrongfully "impersonating" somebody else – such as, of course, Macbeth becoming king only after secretly murdering Duncan.
Blood
Like most Shakespearean tragedies, blood plays a central role as an image in Macbeth. Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth experience anxiety as they attempt to wash blood from their hands, blood which is likely already gone but which they perceive as lingering because of their crippling guilt. In the play, blood signifies violence, of course, but also the shame associated with perpetrating such violence – which both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth struggle to conceal.
Sleep
Sleep, or lack thereof, also plays an important role in developing the dramatic imagery of the play. Macbeth kills Duncan in his sleep, an action that catalyzes Macbeth's own restless sleep for the remainder of the play. While sleep signifies peace and tranquility, the number of sleepless nights that occur in the play suggest the paranoid and guilt-ridden conscience with which Macbeth grapples.
Children
Multiple characters make reference to children throughout Macbeth, but none so famously as Lady Macbeth, who recounts having nursed an infant while also stating that she would have murdered her child for power. This disturbing imagery helps paint a portrait of Lady Macbeth as a more complex character while also defying the conventions of how women, specifically noblewoman, should behave. Furthermore, the repeated imagery of babies, children, and sons throughout the play emphasizes Macbeth's preoccupation with succession, as only first-born sons could inherit the throne and he and Lady Macbeth have no children.
