Shakespeare wants to convey the idea that when you take one step toward evil deeds, the path ultimately drags to the hell. While talking about the dark nature, he alludes to the darkness of his own heart. The dagger represents his evil instinct, while the blood on the dagger shows his guilt and remorse: he feels guilty even before committing the crime. The main character of the play is a weak man who is deprived of peace of mind through hallucinations, prophecies, and terrifying dreams that led him to chaos and murder. Throughout the passage, Shakespeare reflects upon the wickedness and dark side of human nature. Major Themes in “Is this a dagger which I see before me”: Evil, insanity, and supernatural elements are the major themes underlined in this passage.What, however, stays in the minds of the reader is the way he reflects the evil nature of mankind. Thus, comes out of his dream-like state and goes off to accomplish his mission. Unfortunately, his thoughts are disturbed by the ringing of bells that invites him to the horrible ground he has prepared for the heinous crime. He then comments on the wickedness of the world and the darkness he sees around.
As soon as he sees the blood, he realizes that he is going to use this instrument to kill Duncan. After some time, he notices that the dagger has some blood on it. At first, he thinks if it’s a real one or his guilty conscience had envisioned it. Macbeth sees a dagger floating in the air with its handle toward him.
Acclaimed critic Bloom ( How to Read and Why) once again plumbs the depths of a Shakespeare play to reveal new insights, this time offering a richly detailed character sketch of Macbeth.