Shakespeare’s use of hands in 2.2 represents Macbeth’s inability to gain the reigns of power by himself. Macbeth’s fear of getting caught reveals his lack of necessary confidence. As Macbeth returns from killing Duncan, he hears Donalbain cry “God bless us” and someone else also in his chamber cry “ ‘Amen’,/ as they had seen [him] with these hangman’s hands,/ List’ning their fear. [He] could not say ‘Amen’,/ Which they did say ‘God bless us’ ” (2.2.37-40). In this case, “as” literary means “as if”. It is as if the two sleepers can see through the room to Macbeth and see his impurity and guilt from his crimes. Macbeth’s “hangman hands” are that of a bloody executioner. As Macbeth walks down the hall with blood on his hands, it shows his clumsiness. He does not see the dangers of what will happen if someone sees him with “hangman hands”, for he is too innocent to understand the consequences of his misdemeanors. As Macbeth takes these two sleepers’ screams and prayers into consideration he fully envelops himself in “list’ning [to] fear[s]” of his own of guilt. Macbeth fears most what he might become. He mocks his own reaction as if he witnesses a bloody murderer like himself walking down the halls. Macbeth’s moral conscience prevents him from possessing a clear mind. Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth to “wash this filthy witness from [his] hand” (2.2.61). When something is “washed” the “filth” is removed. However, unlike blood being able to wash off Macbeth’s hands, his conscience continues to haunt him. It is his conscience that disallows him from smearing the daggers with blood and planting them on the groomers. His conscience does not allow him to “wash” the “filth” off mentally. The fact that Lady Macbeth has to tell Macbeth to “wash” the blood off and therefore go back and fully finish the murder proves that Macbeth is incapable of “washing” his own “filth” and Lady Macbeth must finish his job for him. Macbeth is unable to fully let go of his actions and is therefore stuck holding onto the daggers, and more symbolically what he has done, which leads to his ultimate guilt. Macbeth’s guilt reveals his failure to successfully become king. Macbeth looks at his hands and feels like “they pluck out [his] eyes.” He wonders, “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood/ clean from [my] hand? No, this hand would rather/ the multitudinous seas incarnadine/ making the green one red” (2.2.77-81) Macbeth’s actions surprise himself as his eyes “pluck out” in disbelief. As Macbeth questions whether the whole vast “ocean” could “wash” his evil, he comes to the conclusion that nothing, not even all the water in the world could make him pure again by cleansing the blood from his hands. His guilt tells him that if he were to successfully cleanse them then the clean crystal color of the ocean would turn “incarnadine’ and evil and good would be tangled within each other. As a result, Macbeth would be putting himself into greater danger than he already is in, compared to what he might do in the future, when unable to make morally sound actions. Macbeth’s cowardice represents his weak character. Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth that her “hands are of [Macbeths] color but [she] shame[s]/ to wear a heart so white” (2.2.82-83). Lady Macbeth comes to the conclusion that Macbeth is too innocent and pure to not regret what he has done. She tells Macbeth that possessing a “heart so white” makes him a coward. She believes that just a splash of water should be enough to rid their guilt, but since Macbeth believes all the water in the sea cannot wash his hands, his views are directly opposite to those of Lady Macbeth and therefore proves him to be weakling. In this fashion, Macbeth cannot gain power without Lady Macbeth’s assistance.