Blood serves as a corresponding symbol of death. The bloodstained walls in the room are a visual reminder of treachery. Similarly, Washizu's title is built on a "throne of blood," earned not by his valor but by his treachery. Blood symbolizes the spilling of the life force, and it is significant that Washizu sleeps in the same room as his predecessor traitor. Equally as significant is the "out damned spot" scene, in which Asaji compulsively washes her hands in the basin to remove the marker of murder that stains her soul. This scene also humanizes her, which allows Kurosawa to explore the three-dimensionality of the Lady Macbeth character. If she was just evil, Asaji would not have had a conscience at all. Her stillborn child is also a concrete symbol of death. A stillborn baby represents a dead womb: the lifelessness at the heart of Asaji's character and the impotence she shares with her husband. Storms and weather offer other symbols. The mist symbolizes blindness and being lost. Cobweb Forest is frequently referred to as a "labyrinth," which also symbolizes confusion and getting lost. Spider imagery is central to Throne of Blood. We first see the witch spinning thread: a spider's act. She also sits behind a cocoon-like shroud in the center of the forest, suggesting that she is the spider who weaves the web. Her connection to the fates also evokes a connection with Greek mythology, because the Greek Fates were spinners. Fate and its immutability is a central theme of Throne of Blood. Washizu seems to have the choice between good and evil because he could have chosen to not listen to Asaji. However, the witch seemed to know that the temptation would be too great for the samurai. His fate was in fact to be weak and easily misled. Asaji is also a spider-like creature in Throne of Blood. She slithers around in robes that make her look like a maggot. Moreover, she is often shown sitting calmly: a spider waiting to catch its pray in her web of lies. Like a spider, Asaji does...
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