Macbeth Guilt Essay

Macbeth killed King Duncan in order to become king of Scotland. He did this for a promotion from his position of Thane of Glamis. After he killed King Duncan, he said to himself, “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand? No, this is my hand will rather the multitudinous seas

In Act 2, Scene 2, he declares, "Methought I heard a voice cry 'Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep'" (2.2.33-34). This haunting line demonstrates the profound impact of guilt on Macbeth's psyche. His troubled mind generates hallucinations and delusions as a manifestation of his tormented conscience. These psychological experiences are not indicative of schizophrenia but rather the consequences of his moral decay and the weight of his heinous

After killing Duncan, he exclaims that he wishes for “all” the water in the “ocean” to “wash” “blood clean from [his] hand” (2.2.60-62). Shortly after, Lady Macbeth replies by saying that a small amount of water can wash away the blood that he sees. However, Lady Macbeth’s opinion changes after Duncan kills Lord of Fife’s innocent family, she starts going psychologically insane. In her sleep, Lady Macbeth constantly washed her hands, trying to get “out” the “spot” of invisible blood on her hand after being reminded of her guilt. Now, she sees the blood just like her husband did earlier and becomes swallowed by guilt from encouraging her husband to partake in these crimes.

Shakespeare’s story Macbeth is a play that contains guilt, pleasure, and manipulation. The character Macbeth was always loyal to his king that he had served, King Duncan, until Macbeth’s wife Lady Macbeth manipulated him into killing his king that he has been so loyal to. Macbeth thought that it was absurd to think that way, but she made it possible to make him think that it is a good idea to get him what he wanted, to be king. Macbeth made a deal with three witches to that he could become king if he completed his three prophecies, they gave him. He completed the job of murdering the king and has become king, but he was reminded of something, that his friend Banquo were still here and that he also made a deal with the witches to make his son

Shakespeare uses plenty of examples of hallucinations and guilt within his stories. During Macbeth, Macbeth visualizes many instances of hallucinations. These hallucinations are caused due to his guilt from the murders and crimes he has committed. The first hallucination he encounters is visualizing the dagger which points to Duncan's chamber.

Shakespeare outlines Macbeth’s strange behaviors as a result of his extensive thought about the murder subject. It is evident that Macbeth exemplifies the guilt and consequences that accompany sinful choices throughout the hallucination as the placement of the handle is specifically towards his hand. Subsequently, the hallucination exclusively affects the mind, “a dagger of the mind, a false creation” and the mind controls everything else (2.1,37). In this soliloquy, Shakespeare magnifies the parasitic nature of guilt as even when identified, it can still have a tremendous impact on one’s mind. Here, Macbeth demonstrates this effect on the mind as he understands his hallucinations are not real, yet he can still not diminish them.

Feeling guilty can lead to many other mental conditions such as depression, anxiety, delusion, paranoia, and madness. In Macbeth’s case, he is driven into paranoia by guilt. He believes everyone is looking to steal his crown. Whereas in the case of Lady Macbeth, her guilt was all-consuming and drove her to madness. Lady Macbeth’s guilt-driven madness is obvious closer to the end of the play when she imagines she has an unremovable bloodstain on her hands.

Saadia Mahmood Ms. V. Miles ENG 4U1 20 January 2023 Guilt: A Feeling Even Time Cannot Always Heal Human emotion is a powerful force, capable of influencing one’s thoughts, actions, and behaviours. One of these powerful emotions is guilt, which can consume an individual’s conscience and take control of their actions. The effects of this emotion are illustrated in William Shakespeare’s famous play Macbeth in which the main character, Macbeth is consumed by guilt for his actions. In attempt to realize the prophecies of his kingship, Macbeth commits the murder of King Duncan.

After the Macbeth kills Duncan, he has committed his first real murder. Though he has killed before, this is the first time he has ever killed someone he was supposed to be loyal to, the first time morality was not on his side. After the murder of Duncan, Macbeth is overcome with guilt causing him to lose his sense of what is real, of the real limits and properties of the world around him. To him his king’s blood spills in endless amounts from his hands. ““Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?

Macbeth feels regret and guilt after murdering King Duncan. He is beginning to understand the consequences of his actions and the disruption of the natural order that he has caused. Macbeth’s guilt shows that he still has some understanding of the natural order, but his ambition and desire for power are clouding his judgment. “I am in blood / Stepp’d in so far, that, should I wade no more, / Returning were as tedious as go o’er” (3.4.136-138).

Act 2 scene 2 of Macbeth, the deed is done and not only is Macbeth feeling guilty but Lady Macbeth acts like there is nothing wrong. Macbeth shows his guilt when he comes back with the bloody dagger he used to kill Duncan with, and says. “Will great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand.” (Act 2, scene 2, p 29) Macbeth has stated that he wants to wash this blood from his hands because he doesn’t like that he just betrayed someone who he trusted.

Because of his killing of King Duncan, Macbeth start’s to feel guilty of his actions and in order to cover that guilt, he becomes

/ Clean from my hand? No; this my hand rather/ The multitudinous seas incarnadine, / Making the green one red.” (2.2 77-79) If Macbeth believed that everything was not in his power and it was what he was supposed to do, he would have a reason to feel guilty about what he has

Macbeths guilty conscience makes him unable to play the ‘true’ role of a villain of the play. Macbeth begins to see ‘false creations’ before murdering Duncan; the image of a floating dagger taunts Macbeth’s senses. Macbeth is devoured in his anxiety he starts to hallucinate the crime before going through with it. Macbeth is unable to dispose thoughts of his guilt and doubt, which prevents him from being stuck at the point where it is too late to turn back, yet the fear of his nature prevents him from turning completely into a ruthless coldblooded

In Act 2 Scene 2, Shakespeare explores what happens when the chain of being is disrupted and develops both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's characters' regression through the motif of bloody imagery. After Macbeth has killed Duncan, he comes back to his room and is already starting to go mad. In line 62, Macbeth says “they pluck out mine eyes. Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood.” This shows that Macbeth is already feeling very guilty and regrets committing regicide.