2/12/13
Ms. Varga
Enligh 2
Macbeth essay
Patrick Fitzhenry
P.O Patrick Fitzhenry
Paranoia
In the play Macbeth, the main character commits many horrific crimes. He kills the King of Ireland, his best friend and the family of one of his friends. When anyone commits a crime it changes them and by killing these people Macbeth is changed and begins to act very strangely. He started suffering from paranoia a feeling that someone or something is coming for you or watching you at all times. Macbeth is guilty of murder and he is always in a paranoid state of mind. He shows that he is paranoid when he starts having trouble sleeping, when he sees the ghost of Banquo, and finally when he begins to act without thought.
After Macbeth kills King Duncan he says “Still it cried “Sleep no more!” to all the house; / Glamis hath murdered sleep, and therefore Cawdor / Shall sleep no more, Macbeth shall sleep no more”(II.ii.45-47)
Macbeth is explaining what happened after he killed the king and he what he heard. In the play following this scene Macbeth starts to become paranoid and is unable to sleep at night. He cannot avoid the sight of him standing over a body and stabbing it with daggers and this is what he sees every time he closes his eyes. Since he killed the king now and people are investigating what happened and who would be brave enough to kill the king of Ireland. The fact that people are investigating also makes Macbeth worried and paranoid because he is trying to hide from everyone. This forces Macbeth to always be looking over his shoulder and asking questions about everyone even if they are close to him. Having trouble sleeping and being scared of getting caught together with hallucinations all point to what kind of illness Macbeth had, the illness was paranoia.
Since Macbeth killed the king he has also killed his best friend Banquo. Macbeth was nervous that Banquo came to the conclusion that he must have killed the king. After Banquo has been killed, Macbeth suffers from paranoia even more, and he begins imagining he sees the ghost of Banquo. Before he sits down at the table, Ross says: “His absence, sir, Lays blame upon his promise. Please’t your highness
To grace us with your royal company?”(III.iiii, 44-46)
And then Mcbeth answers with “The table’s full” (III.iiii, 47)
At this point Macbeth sees someone is sitting in his seat, this is Banquo’s ghost. Once Macbeth sees the ghost he gets very anxious because he was told that Banquo is dead but yet he is there sitting in his spot at the table. Seeing Banquo causes Macbeth to start acting different, he knows that Banquo is no longer living but because he is guilty and paranoid he starts wondering how it could be that Banquo still lives and that he can see him. Macbeth believes that Banquo can still tell everyone that it was he who had killed the king. Macbeth is then
