Macbeth's Guilty Conscience Essay

Macbeth's guilt and paranoia following the murder of King Duncan lead him to see apparitions and hallucinations, which he interprets as omens of his impending downfall. Rather than confronting his guilt and confessing to his crimes, Macbeth attempts to bury his past and dismisses his conscience as a sign of weakness. He becomes increasingly ruthless and paranoid, ordering the murder of innocent people, furthermore, he orders the murder of Banquo and his son, Fleance, and later orders the massacre of Macduff's family in an attempt to eliminate anyone who may pose a threat to his reign. Macbeth believes that by burying the past and eliminating his enemies, he can secure his position as king and ensure his legacy. Macbeth's attempts to control his conscience and bury his past only serve to exacerbate his guilt and paranoia, ultimately leading to his

This is shown in the play, when Macbeth faces his consequences, like guilt. Shakespeare uses anaphora to show the audience that what Macbeth is saying relates to something important. Macbeth always had this fear of Banquo, because Banquo has his suspicions of Macbeth and hopes the prophecy about his son will come true. Macbeth is afraid of Banquo because of the witches’ promise that Banquo’s sons will be king so he then said, “To be thus is nothing. But to be safely thus.

"If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well /It were done quickly: if the assassination/Could trammel up the consequence, and catch/ With his surcease success" (1.7.1-4). Macbeth does not want to kill the king but his ambition to become king makes him question if the rewards are worth the risks. As a result, this adds to the theme of guilt because we can see that Macbeth is not fully committed to killing the king and wonders what the consequences will

He is tormented by the enormity of his crime, and his guilt intensifies as he commits more murders to maintain his newly acquired power. Macbeth's guilt is evident in his soliloquies, where he reflects on the consequences of his actions, such as when he says, "To know my deed, 'twere best not know myself" (Act 2, Scene 2). Macbeth is aware that his guilt is consuming him, and he tries to distance himself from the reality of his actions.

Macbeth continues to get flashbacks from the murder claiming, “Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather the multitudinous seas incarnadine, making the green one red' Macbeth” (Act II, Sc. II). Macbeth Highlights in this part that all the oceans in the world wouldn't be capable of washing the blood from his hands saying he is guilty. Throughout the play, Macbeth continues to see recurring images which not only prove he regrets his actions but in some cases foreshadow the future.

In William Shakespere’s tragedy Macbeth, Lady Macbeth’s ambition and support of her husband's actions of murder makes her fall guilty. In act 1, scene 7, Lady Macbeth’s husband, Macbeth is in a debate battle with his thoughts not knowing if he should kill King Duncan or leave him be. He has been dreaming about the killing of Duncan so he can become king and live his happiest life the way he always wanted. The act of murder seems crazy but Lady Macbeth thinks otherwise and instead makes a plan for Macbeth so he can execute it correctly, leaving no evidence behind.

He hath honour’d me of late” (1.7.31-32) EV4: “Sleep no more; Macbeth does murder sleep” (2.2.34-36) EV5: “O, yet I do repent me of my fury That I did kill them” ( 2.3.105-106) Topic Sentence 2: However, in Act 3, Macbeth relentlessly pursues unassailable power through ruthless butchery, a contrast exposing the absence of his moral compass. EV1: “There is none but he Whose being I do fear” (3.1.53-54) “in such bloody distance that every minute of his being thrusts That every minute of his being thrusts Against my near’st of life” (3.1.114-116) EV2: “O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife! Though know’st that Banquo, and his Fleance, lives” (3.2.36-38) EV3: “The shard-borne beetle with his drowsy hums

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).

The witches, Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, and other characters seem to act one way, whether it be good or evil, but their intentions are usually impure and meant to harm others in order to benefit themselves. Macbeth’s guilt is caused by the foul play the witches involve themselves in. If not for their prophecy, Macbeth would have never known of his fate and would have gained the kingship without involving murder, leading to his guilty conscious. The use of Supernatural elements is added to the plot of the play in order to show readers what led to Macbeth’s downfall, and what contributed to his guilt. His guilt arose from the

The scene Act 3 scene 2, conveys the theme that killing someone isn't the most proficient way in dealing with problems nor does it make life simpler, instead it creates more complications. Ironically, In this scene Lady Macbeth and Macbeth discuss the death of Banquo; both of them begin to show signs of fear & guilt. Both of them realize the troubles that come with killing Banquo, and recognize that troubles follow; his son Fleance can still cease the prophecy. This is demonstrated in the metaphorical quote “We have scorched the snake, not killed it.” Macbeth refers to Banquo as a snake, who has not yet been killed and is still able to “attack” them.

Continuously, the death of banquo has revealed their change of relation between Banquo and Macbeth. This is proven when Macbeth he refer to Banquo 's deceased body as “the grown serpent lies”, this Metaphor illuminates that Macbeth no longer saw Banquo as a friend but as a traitor to him and his country. This is know because Macbeth calls him a snake, an animal associated with evil deeds, disloyalty and Lucifer. This scene establish the breakdown of Macbeth 's and banquo 's

After hearing the witches’ prophecy, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth only focus on the last part of it which was Macbeth becoming king. This relates to the theme because Macbeth decides to take action and kill Duncan in order to make sure he is king. This also shows his disillusionment as he is doing anything for his fate to be proven true. Macbeth feels threatened by Fleance after the witches told Banquo his prophecy, which was that he will have a line of kings. “Fleance, his son, that keeps him company, / Whose absence is no less material to me / Than is his father’s, must embrace the fate / Of that dark hour” (3.2.134-138).

After killing Duncan, Macbeth’s mental state changes completely. The difference between the moment before the murder and the moment after is that Macbeth’s lack of determination. He feels personally responsible for the murder and wishes it never happened. Thus, he is afraid to look at the dead body and face what he has done (2.2.54-56). His regret of the murder shows the transformation of Macbeth’s attitude: he lets his remorse overpower him to the point of madness.

She is malicious not only in words but also in her intent. Her sole object is to obtain power and wealth, with its attendant treasures. Lady Macbeth lacks humanity and regrets that she was not born as a man. She understands that power and violence are synonymous with manhood and bravery. Additionally, Lady Macbeth interests’ and ambition, override her love for even her husband, Macbeth.

Throughout the play, Macbeth is viewed with hostility in regard to his unscrupulous actions. However, the fact that it was Lady Macbeth who was the mastermind behind king Duncan’s death is often