In Macbeth, Shakespeare uses sleep to forward the themes of the play in three different scenes. The first instance where Shakespeare uses sleep to forward the themes of the play occurs when King Duncan is murdered by Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. The second illustration of Shakespeare using sleep happens when Macbeth’s only way of escaping the horrible reality he is living in is by sleeping. The final occurrence of Shakespeare using sleep in his play transpired during the end of the play when Lady Macbeth walks and talks while she sleeps, giving up confidential information about what she and Macbeth have done. The first instance where Shakespeare uses sleep to forward the themes of the play occurs in Act 2, when King Duncan is murdered by Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. King Duncan, a king who puts his trust in anybody, happens to put his trust in the wrong people. While King Duncan sleeps, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth get to work on their malicious plan. Lady Macbeth signals Macbeth to go for the kill with a bell. “Don’t listen to the bell, Duncan, because it …show more content…
She gives up confidential information about what she and Macbeth have done. Lady Macbeth having all of these secrets and stress causes her to get some things off her chest while she is asleep “Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him.” (5.1.53-54). “Sleepwalking and sleeptalking are considered supernatural events in Shakespeare’s time” making this seem very scary, especially with what she says. The doctor is freaked out; the only thing he can prescribe to her is God. “More needs she the divine than the physician. God, God forgive us all!” (5.1.64-65). Sleep forwards this even more because Lady Macbeth commits suicide the next day, and once her husband hears the news he expresses no grief, going from a noble hero to a emotionless
“Out, damned spot, out, I say!” Lady Macbeth exclaimed as she walked down the hall in a deep sleep (Folger 163). In Act 5 Scene 1, Lady Macbeth sleep walks down the hall as a gentlewomen and doctor observe what is happening. Ever since Macbeth went into the field, Lady Macbeth has begun sleep walking down halls and writing herself notes, reading them allowed, then going back to sleep. The gentlewomen called for a doctor because Lady Macbeth kept making the gestures of repeatedly washing her hands as she relived all the past horrifying occurrences Macbeth and her experienced.
He then has a conversation with his wife saying that his “Sleep [is] in the affliction of [his] terrible dreams” (3.2.20-21). The author uses the motif of sleep to represent peace. This time Macbeth’s sleep is disturbed by terrible dreams, meaning that his peace is disrupted by the results of his actions. He even goes as far as to say that Duncan in his grave “sleeps well,” meaning that death is more peaceful than Macbeth’s life (3.2.25-26). Therefore, the author’s usage of the motif of sleep shows that one who is guilty of an immoral act will suffer consequences
Sleep is seen as a calm relaxing time but because Macbeth has murdered King Duncanin his sleep he is not able to enjoy it as he once was able to. Furthermore, later on in this act Macbeth runs into this word again. Sleep comes back into effect after Macduff finds King Duncan dead. Macduff screams in horror, “.......Awake, awake!
Throughout Macbeth, there are continuous references to sleep and its influence over characters. Sleep is used to symbolize innocence, purity, and sanity. When a character has difficulty sleeping, they're experiencing feelings of inner turmoil or have a guilty conscience. Sleep also represents the intentions of a character because characters that sleep more usually have good intentions. In short, Shakespeare uses many different literary devices to portray the importance of needing sleep, and what consequences follow if a character cannot sleep.
As he begins to panic he exclaims:“Methought I heard a voice cry 'Sleep no more / Macbeth does murder sleep'..... great nature's second course, / Chief nourisher in life's feast” (2.2.34-39). Macbeth is starting to understand the severity of the crime he just committed. Shakespere uses sleep as a metaphor for innocence because people are their true, vulnerable self while sleeping. Macbeth refers to sleep as “The death of each day's life,” which indicates that he believes in the after life.
Topic: Sleep and Dreams in Shakespeare's Macbeth Quotes: "Methought I heard a voice cry, 'Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep' - the innocent sleep" (Act 2, Scene 2). "O gentle lady, 'tis not for you to hear what I can speak: The repetition, in a woman's ear, Would murder as it fell" (Act 2, Scene 3). "I have done the deed. Didst thou not hear a noise?"
In this quote Macbeth is saying that the bell is calling Duncan to heaven or to hell. Macbeth was told to kill him after the bell rings. Second, Macbeth’s greed made him let everyone believe that the killer was someone who was in his way of the throne. When Malcolm and Donalbain ran off it made people think that they were the ones who killed Duncan, Macbeth let the rumors
"Eat our meal in fear and sleep / In the affliction of these terrible dreams / That shake us nightly" (3.2.17-19). This depicts that Macbeth is fearful, paranoid, and plagued with nightmares that will eventually lead him towards insanity. Additionally, in Act 5 it says "Rise from her bed, throw her night-gown upon her, unlock her closet, take forth paper, fold it, write upon't, read it, afterwards seal it, and again return to bed; yet all this while in a most fast sleep" (5.1.5-7). The motif is also effective in the quote because Lady Macbeth is acting like she is awake when she is actually asleep.
Sleep is one of the purest forms of altered consciousness however, traumatic experiences can impede one’s unconscious thoughts. Macbeth returns after killing Duncan and the guards, grief stricken and afraid. He tells his wife that sleep itself has been murdered and that nobody is immune his treachery (5.1.44). Macbeth’s crime is intensified by the act of murder being done at night and to sleeping rather than awake guards. The moment of guilt that Macbeth felt for his actions represents the hidden innocence behind the crimes.
The word “sleep” is used throughout Macbeth with various connotations. One of the ways to interpret Shakespeare's use of “sleep,” is as a symbol of innocence. This symbolism is used repeatedly in concerns to Duncan and his murder. When Lady Macbeth is unable to kill Duncan, she explains, “Had he not resembled / My father as he slept, I had done’t”
She must live up to them, especially now that she is Queen and many people look up to her. She begins to feel guilty for what she has done and realizes her actions can never leave her or be undone. Her behaviour as she sleepwalks causes the doctor to diagnose her as having a mental disorder, and only a priest can help her. It can be foreshadowed that Lady Macbeth's ego would attack her as she always taunts Macbeth into doing the dirty work and does not do it herself. Furthermore, her sleepwalking represents her unconscious mind.
A Motive that Murders Sleep Ambition can either be a good driver or a reckless one. In act one, scene seven Macbeth states, "I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself and falls on the other. " Macbeth, is trying to rationalize his impending murder of King Duncan. Unfortunately, as Macbeth has just explained to himself, there's no real justification for the crime—Duncan is his relative, a good king, and, furthermore, a guest at his castle. All this argues against his intent of murder, which will appear unjustifiable to mortal and divine eyes alike.
Even though Lady Macbeth had the upper hand over her husband at the start of the play, she begins to lose her power after she refuses to kill Duncan as he reminds her of her “father” (A4, S2). However, she still treats Macbeth like a child and tells him that he lacks “season of all natures” (A3, S4) to shame his desire to remain ethical. Ironically, this foreshadows how Lady Macbeth later begins to sleepwalk and turn mad, eventually leading to her death. It seems the matters that she goads her husband for later return to haunt her, as an act of moral karma. Sleep is a constant theme in Macbeth and many contemporaries believed that too little sleep can make a person mad and irrational.
Macbeth is extremely paranoid and guilty. He doesn’t believe he will be able to sleep after committing this
Macbeth writes to his wife, Lady Macbeth, telling her all about what happened. Lady Macbeth suffers from insecurity about her husband because she wants him to become king and wants him to kill Duncan for the throne. When Macbeth comes to the castle, Lady Macbeth persuades him to kill the king still that same night. He and Lady Macbeth plan to get to Duncan with two drunken guards in order to disguise themselves and the next morning the two of them found guilty, and they will be helpless, because they will not remember anything. While Duncan is asleep, Macbeth stabs him, despite the doubts and the number of supernatural prophecies, including a vision of a bloody dagger.