Effects Of Guilt In Macbeth

Words: 923
Pages: 4
Open Document
William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, consists of numerous themes regarding the evil intentions and tragic downfall of the nobleman Macbeth and his wife Lady Macbeth. Hopeful prophecies that Macbeth receives, creates ambition and greed in both, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth which drives them to reach their goals and fulfill their fate. Along the way, through sinful deeds, they ultimately face the corrosive effects of guilt. The guilt they experience demonstrates the projection of their personal conflicts, directed by the destruction of not only their reputation, but also their mind. The effects of the theme are reinforced through the literary devices of blood, hands, and sleep imagery. First, blood imagery emphasizes the theme of the corrosive effects …show more content…
Due to unjustified faults committed by Macbeth and his accomplice, they both are unable to tranquilly sleep. When Macbeth is speaking to Lady Macbeth, he refers to, “these terrible dreams/ That shake us nightly” (3.2.20-23). Macbeth emphasizes that both he and his wife spend their nights tossing and turning, plagued with nightmares, causing them to experience mental torture and constant sleep deprivation. Likewise, Lady Macbeth’s troubled mind is observed through her restlessness over the course of several nights. The portrayal of Lady Macbeth in this way verifies that her guilt-filled heart involves her mind and soul as well. The doctor replies to this as, “a great perturbation in nature” (5.1.8), stating that her sleepwalking is a disturbance caused by her, “infected mind” (5.1.64). The significance of Lady Macbeth’s infected mind validates that she over thinks and abuses her thoughts, constantly pressuring and bringing up the guilt she is trying to escape. Therefore, the experiences of prolonged conflict, indicates Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s intense guilt through their inability to sleep, let alone sleep peacefully.
In conclusion, the literary devices of blood, hands and sleep imagery reveals the corrosive effects of guilt on Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s life and future. Both Macbeth, as a gracious and courageous nobleman, and Lady Macbeth, a calm and intelligent wife, have a strong bond with their King and country. However, when the aspect of fate and ambition take over, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth commit a sinful deed that instills a deep and intense guilt into their minds which not only, indicates the ruin of their status, but also their perception. This intense guilt causes them to both conclusively face their tragic
Show More

Related Documents: Effects Of Guilt In Macbeth

Examples Of Guilt In Macbeth

Guilt is one of the side effects that a person feels after they have done something bad or before they do something bad. In the world today guilt is used in TV shows, books, and movies. One modern example of guilt was used in the show Icarly. When Sam changed Carly’s grade to an A, because Carly got a B on her paper for using hole punched paper. Carly found out that Sam changed the grade and it started eating her up slowly until she was a mess. Later on in the show she ends up telling Principal Franklin…

Words 1000 - Pages 4

The Theme Of Guilt In Macbeth

Elder David A. Bednar once said, “Guilt is to our spirit what pain is to our body.” Perhaps the inspiration for such a hauntingly prolific statement stems from Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth, in which the five acts contain themes of ambition, fate, but most notably, guilt. When Macbeth brainstormed the possible repercussions of killing King Duncan to take the throne, the soul-shattering guilt he would feel was not even mentioned. However, in the end, it is this guilt that leads to both his and Lady…

Words 156 - Pages 1

English Macbeth Essay

Discuss the Purpose of Symbolism in Macbeth Symbolism is the use of an object in literature to represent or referring to something that’s beyond its definition. Symbolism can be used to add complexity on the character or event to highlight its importance and significance. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Shakespeare uses several symbols to represent, furthermore to highlight the characters’ personalities and characteristics with multiple appearances in the play. Blood is a significant symbol in this play…

Words 1125 - Pages 5

Why Is Blood Important In Macbeth

of man in the universe. In Macbeth, a Shakespearean play, a great man is deemed the new Thane of Cawdor after a victorious battle with the former, rebellious title holder. Without Macbeth’s knowledge of the king’s decision, an encounter with three witches and a prophecy foreshadowing Macbeth’s future as King of Scotland compels him to take the throne. Through vaulting ambition and endless desire, Macbeth, with the accompaniment of his loyal yet deceitful wife, Lady Macbeth, attempts to accomplish his…

Words 1184 - Pages 5

Macbeth Guilt

Timed Write Macbeth is a work of literature that forces the protagonist, Macbeth, to contend with an aspect of the past: his guilt. Stemming from one of the first few acts of the play, Macbeth is constantly bombarded with reminders of his greed and guilt, which reinforces the play’s theme; nobody is immune to the destructive nature of guilt and greed. His deplorable actions and guilt had a lasting impact on his life and decision making process, which further proves that Macbeth is not immune to…

Words 751 - Pages 4

Who Is To Blame In Macbeth

palace, Lady Macbeth encouraged her husband to murder Duncan to finally acquire Duncan’s powerful status. Although it was Macbeth’s ambition that fueled him to commit the action and caused him suffering it was Lady Macbeth who urged Macbeth to perform it. As expressed in scene 5 15-16 Lady Macbeth states “Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be What thou art promis'd. Yet do I fear thy nature? It is too full o' th' milk of human kindness To catch the nearest way.” In this scene Lady Macbeth fears that…

Words 429 - Pages 2

How Does Shakespeare Use Emotion In Macbeth

be advantageous or detrimental to their sense of self. In “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” a play written by William Shakespeare, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth let their emotions manipulate them into committing heinous acts that yielded their own damnation. According to Merriam-Webster, guilt can be defined as “the state of one who has committed an offense especially consciously,” or “a feeling of deserving blame for offenses.” Guilt is something humans experience frequently throughout the course of their lives…

Words 1284 - Pages 6

Essay on Macbeth: Macbeth and Macbeth’s Thoughts

Macbeth In this essay I will be discussing the main emotions within Macbeth such as Fear, Ambition and Greed, Love and Guilt. As these are the main emotions that run strongly throughout the play and some that you see up until the very end. These emotions are some of the reasons the book is so enticing you wonder how a certain character is feeling and you can put yourself in their shoes. The first emotion I am going to discuss is Fear some of the most simple of sentences or statements can show vivid…

Words 2297 - Pages 10

Essay on Macbeth and Guilt

Manifesting guilt in the tragedy of Macbeth According to The Dictionary of Psychology, guilt is defined as an emotional state produced by the knowledge that one has violated moral standards. Most authorities recognized an emotional state as guilt only when the individual has internalized the moral standards of the society (thus it is distinguished from simple fear of punishment from external source). Based on this definition guilt is a powerful feeling of remorse that haunts the conscience, is…

Words 1708 - Pages 7

Examples Of Blood And Ambition In Macbeth

Blood and Ambition in Macbeth Everyone has dreams or goals of what they desire to do or become. The word ambition shows the strong determination to achieve objectives. Although ambition may sound positive, too much ambition can have poor consequences. Most often, blood represents immoral or unpleasant affairs and actions, as well as guilt and regret. In the 17th century tragedy Macbeth, Shakespeare uses blood to represent the monstrosity of actions, which reveals how strong ambition can result in…

Words 326 - Pages 2