...THEMES OF GUILT – MACBETH In the story of Macbeth, guilt is an important theme due to the fact that it unstiffens Macbeth’s ambition and coldness. His brutality is balanced by his guilt, a trait that enables the audience to identify with Macbeth throughout the play despite his oppressiveness. MACBETH AND LADY MACBETH: The two main characters who experience extreme feelings of guilt throughout the play are Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Macbeth’s guilt is caused by the ghosts of those who he murdered and of the consequences that follow their murders. For example, Macbeth is visited by the ghost of Banquo, who he murdered to protect his secret. The apparition embodies Macbeth’s guilt and therefore causes Macbeth to nearly reveal the truth about King Duncan’s murder. Macbeth’s guilt prevents him from enjoying his gain of royalty but it does not stop him from committing more than 1 murders. This perhaps indicates a lack of morality, which is Macbeth’s key character flaw. Lady Macbeth on the overhand is driven crazy from the adrenaline of watching her husband commit such murders and is the force behind his actions. Unlike Macbeth’s...
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...while, Lady Macbeth realizes what she has done is inhumane and atrocious. At first, Lady Macbeth had no guilt for what she did to King Duncan and his groomsman, towards the end she changed dramatically. Lady Macbeth changed from the start to the end by acting irrational and finally caring about what she did to Duncan. One way Lady Macbeth changed from Act 2 to Act 5 is that the from that death of King Duncan has finally caught up with her. “All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand.” (Act V, Scene 1, Line 50)She claims that the smell of Duncan’s blood on her hands can not be freed by perfumes. This shows the guilt Lady Macbeth has for Duncan’s that we didn’t see in the previous acts. Throughout this act we see lots of quotes from Lady Macbeth that shows her guilt. “Out, damned spot! Out, I say!(Act V, Scene 1, Line 34) Lady Macbeth visualizes a spot of blood on her hand. This represents the deed that can not be washed from her hands from a...
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...Lady Macbeth vs. Macbeth in William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Macbeth Often, the influences in one’s life alter his or her attitude and point of view of the surrounding world. Lady Macbeth plays this influential role in Macbeth’s life. Her seductive words convince Macbeth to kill King Duncan, which further leads to a change in Macbeth’s personality. These two contrasting characters set the stage for a perfect example of a complete 360 transformation. While it is Lady Macbeth who primarily leads to Macbeth’s transformation, her transformation is more of a self-triggered change. In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Lady Macbeth’s fearless, manipulative, and shameless qualities fade, as the once moral Macbeth gains these qualities and turns into an evil, life-taking ruler. Right from the start, it is easy to identify Lady Macbeth’s greedy and manipulative qualities. After finding out that her husband has been prophesized to be the...
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...Macbeth Essay William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth is about a tragedy that takes place in Scotland. Macbeth murders Banquo, a good friend of his, King Duncan and Macduff’s family because of his greed for wealth and power, and his desire to become king. Throughout the play, Shakespeare uses symbols that represent different ideas and concepts. Although there are many, the most vital concept is the feeling of guilt. There are many instances that show the power guilt has played on the main characters, but there are three examples that show it the best. Firstly, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are overwhelmed by the visions of blood after the murder of King Duncan. The blood is seen as the guilt they cannot overcome. Secondly, the Ghost of Banquo indicates the remorse Macbeth feels over killing his good friend. Although Banquo’s ghost may not exist, Macbeth’s guilt is making him see it. Lastly, Lady Macbeth begins sleepwalking, and then later commits suicide, all because of the burden of her guilt. The guilt is the consequence both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth will have to live with until they go to their graves. Once Macbeth and Lady Macbeth accomplish their quest to kill King Duncan, their feelings of guilt become conspicuous. The blood from killing King Duncan indicates their guilt, and they begin to feel that the murder will stain them and that they will be unable to be washed clean. The blood covers their hands, bodies and clothes, and as they try to wash it away, their...
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...with the theme of guilt throughout the play. After the murder of King Duncan, both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are overwhelmed with guilt. The first example of guilt through “hand” is when Macbeth begins to hallucinate before he is signaled to go kill Duncan. Macbeth says “Is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle toward my hand?”(2.1.44-45). Macbeth reaches for the dagger with his hand in the same which he motioned when killing the king. After the murder, Lady Macbeth urges Macbeth to wash his hands of the killing. Lady Macbeth says “Go get some water and wash this filthy witness from your hand.”(2.2.60-61). Macbeth is paranoid about the noise he hears in the second chamber, but Lady Macbeth assures him it was nothing and he needs to go wash his hands to clear his mind of the act he committed, and erase the guilt. Macbeth replies to...
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...when we ignore our feelings of guilt, it can lead to the destruction of our conscience. In his play Macbeth, Shakespeare incorporates his idea of guilt into images for the audience. Blood and water are two symbols in Macbeth that function as keys to unlock the hidden message of the effects of guilt. Blood is used to remind Macbeth and Lady Macbeth of their violent actions, while water represents a way to cleanse their minds of the remorse they feel. Shakespeare’s use of blood and water are a chilling reminder of the power that guilt may have on people or how a person might overcome guilt, but become emotionally dead. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are two characters that are responsible for the bloody actions that occur in Macbeth. Blood is a reoccurring image that travels with the characters, not only on their hands, but in their minds. Wherever violence takes place in the play, blood is shown on the characters immediately after the crime. When Macbeth is involved in one of these crimes and kills Duncan, he soon regrets what he has done. But the blood on his hands shows the evidence of the act and that it can’t be undone. Lady Macbeth suggests to get rid of the evidence by putting the blood on the guards so “it must seem their guilt” (2.2.73). The symbol of blood can be seen as “the image of death” (Holloway 108). It represents the violence, since Macbeth says, “blood will have blood” (3.4.153). The characters want to escape their feelings of guilt and forget the murder they have...
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...Shakespeare to develop the theme of guilt in key scenes in both Macbeth and Hamlet. Guilt is defined as the remorseful awareness of having done something wrong. It was not unusual for Shakespeare to feature a lot of conflicted emotion in his plays, a favourite emotion for Shakespeare to right was guilt and therefore features heavily in his plays; Hamelt and Macbeth included. The use of guilt is often used to make the audience feel sympathy for the character or to change their perspective on the character as a whole; it is also used to drive the plot of the play and to create an atmosphere within the play. Macbeth showcases a lot of guilt to change the tone and atmosphere of the scene and to show how guilt affects religion and beliefs. For example in Act 2 Scene, after Macbeth has killed King Duncan, the audience finds him struggling with the guilt he feels. Shakespeare shows Macbeths guilt through his inability to say ‘Amen’ which would have previously come easily from him. But after killing Duncan Macbeth believes God has turned his back on him because he committed the biggest sin- Regicide- and have gone against the divine right of kings and so would no longer be under the protection of God. Furthermore, in his mini-soliloquy in Act 3 Scene 1 Macbeths says the murder of King Duncan “put rancours in the vessel of my peace”. This shows he is being tormented with a constant reminder of his crime and sins and this can be perceived as guilt coming out by the audience. Another...
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...has reasons to fear Banquo. This is understood because Macbeth states, "To be thus is nothing;/But to be safely thus.--Our fears in Banquo/Stick deep"(Mac. 3.1.47-49). The most obvious reason for Macbeth to fear Banquo is Banquo’s suspicions of Macbeth for murder. However, Macbeth says he fears Banquo due to his "royalty of nature" (Mac. 3.1.49). For Banquo’s “‘royalty of nature’ is a particularly awesome thing which makes Macbeth shrink pitifully,”(Long 1). Macbeth states of Banquo, "under him,/My Genius is rebuked"(Mac. 3.1.54-55). This “sad confession makes him seem like a boy among men,”(Long 1). He feels that Banquo is inherently superior to him. Just being in Banquo’s presence makes Macbeth feel humiliated....
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...Is Macbeth an evil villain or simply a tragic hero? What makes a character a true tragic hero? All tragic heroes have the same qualities; an honorable person who is doomed for a tragic downfall; the situation usually makes them suffer and feel guilty. Would Macbeth be considered an evil villain or noble man? Throughout the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, it is clear to see that Macbeth is a man who was influenced by the wrong people, and completely driven to have success. Could the drive to success make a person so morally wrong? How could the favorable Macbeth take such an awful turn for defeat? Macbeth is the perfect example of a true tragic hero; possessing great nobility that came crashing down at the hands of his peers, and the single tragic flaw of ambition. The first time the reader was introduced to the character Macbeth, it would be impossible to think he could turn out to be so morally imperfect. For brave Macbeth—well he deserves that name—Disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel, Which smoked with bloody execution, Like valor’s minion carved out his passage Till he faced the slave; Which ne'er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him, Till he unseamed him from the nave to th' chops, And fixed his head upon our battlement (Shakespeare 1.2.16-23). When the caption is talking about Macbeth, it was obvious to understand that Macbeth was a brave and a courageous fighter; he was explained to be a hero very quickly in the beginning. This...
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...Shakespeare’s Characters: Self-Gratification Over Human Kindness William Shakespeare wrote in his tragedy, Julius Caesar, “The evil, that men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones.” It is shown that Shakespeare’s lead characters are concerned with their need for self-satisfaction, gratitude, and dignity. They lack the solicitude for human kindness and the thought of others. The more the audience analyzes the characters, the more they see the true ambition and reasoning for their evil deeds. During Shakespeare’s time, it wasn’t unusual for men to seek such power. For instance, Taming of the Shrew is a play that focuses on the desire for marriage; but the emotions of young couples were not the main consideration in courtship (McDonald 267). Katherina actions portray her as the shrew, but the audience knows her ultimate desire was to receive genuine love from a man. Richard III makes it abundantly clear that he desires to take over the English thrown and do whatever it takes to grasp it. Additionally, Hamlet seeks revenge and is motivated to do so by his supernatural spirit of his father (Sobran 45). The need for wealth, power, ambition, and greed lead many of Shakespeare’s characters to satisfy their own self gratitude over the basic ideas of human kindness. London, during the sixteenth century, was a time of extreme corruption. Gender roles were unequal, marriage was spurious, and seeking wealth or power of some sort became every man’s objective. The...
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...Shakespeare’s Macbeth uses three main literary elements throughout the play. In this paper I will discuss the symbolism, irony, and metaphors portrayed thought this play. I will use the play from our required text from the Ashford University online book, “Journey into Literature “by R.W Clugston, Ch.14.3 (2010). The parts leading up to, during, and after the murder of the character Duncan shows these three literary elements to their fullest. The use of symbolism, irony, and metaphors has captured my attention, and I find it interesting on how they all tie in together. Symbolism is defined as “One thing stands for another.” (Wikipedia). In the play Macbeth, I believe that Shakespeare uses symbolism to capture the reader’s attention and keep it thought the entire piece. For an example when Lady Macbeth helped commit the murder of Duncan, she could not escape her feelings and emotions of compassion and the guilt became overwhelming which drove her insane. Lady Macbeth dreaming of a blood on her hands is how Shakespeare portrays her guilt. “Out, damned spot! Out, I say! (Clugston, 2010, Shakespeare Act V scene 1). The blood is symbolic of Lady Macbeth’s guilt of the murder. According to our book, irony is “created when a discrepancy or contradiction occurs between what is expected to happen and what actually happens in a situation (situation irony) or in an expressed statement (verbal irony). (Clugston, 2010). Shakespeare uses irony to connect the murder of Duncan and Lady Macbeth going...
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...English 11 December 4th 2015 The Guilty Conscience of Lady Macbeth vs. the Narrator of “The Tell-Tale Heart” One in five people have mental health issues, but five in five people have mental health. William Shakespeare’s character Lady Macbeth from the play Macbeth and the narrator of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart.” both are examples of mental health issues. Lady Macbeth’s mental illness was brought on by the guilt she felt after committing a murder, but for the narrator of “The Tell-Tale Heart.” the mental illness was present before the murder. This showing that it was not a result of guilt. Before the murder of Duncan in the play Macbeth, Lady Macbeth seemed happy and showed little to no signs of mental health issues. After the death of the king and guards, you can see the change in Lady Macbeth. She starts to sleep walk, she mumbles about feeling guilt and she no longer wants to be in the dark. In the play when murders happen it is always a dark stormy night, this is to set the mood of it being dark and scary. (Enter Lady Macbeth with a taper) DOCTOR. How came she by that light? GENTLEWOMEN. Why, it stood by her. She has light by her con- / tinually, tis’ her command. (5.1.133). Lady Macbeth doesn’t want to be in the dark anymore so she carries a candle with her everywhere she goes, even sleep walking. Another sign that the guilt of the murder sent Lady Macbeth into a mentally ill state would be her continuously trying...
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...blamed on only one. If one goes in, the other one will follow, whether it’s good or bad. In the play Macbeth, Macbeth is supported by his wife, Lady Macbeth to kill the king, Duncan and grab the royalty for themselves. Lady Macbeth and Macbeth have many similar and different characteristics. This couple ate both egotistical, see things from face-value, and very power-hungry. While they are both very manipulative, Macbeth is easier to manipulate. Lady Macbeth is eventually guilt-ridden, while guilt never affects Macbeth. Lady Macbeth is also fine with only killing Duncan, whereas Macbeth murders everyone who he feels will take his royalty from him. The witches tell Macbeth the first three prophecies; Thane of Glams, Thane of Cawdor, and The future King. He is confused at first, but then called the witches to come back, and tell him more, this is his ego growing. He wanted to know, “to be King stands not within the prospect of belief, no more than to be Cawdor”. When news came that the Thane of Cawdor is now Macbeth, fuels the fire, his ego starts to build even more. “Glams and Thane of Cawdor! The greatest is behind,” Macbeth says aside. Once he is king, to be sure he hangs on to his power, Macbeth visits the witches again for a second time, asks for prophecies. One of the four apparitions was that, “None of woman born shall harm Macbeth.” This apparition also contributes to Macbeth being egotistical, because it...
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...this verse in the tragedy Macbeth. First performed in 1606, Macbeth magnifies the effects both mentally and physically of one who seeks power for there own sake. Macbeth, with assistance from his wife, Lady Macbeth, kills the beloved King Duncan after finding out from the Weird Sisters that he would be king. After the murder, Macbeth starts slowly losing his mind leading to him seeing apparitions and hearing voices. These occurrences lead him to become paranoid causing him to kill off his closest friend Banquo and Macduff’s family. Feeling helpless and alone, not even trusting his own...
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...November 2015 Lady Macbeth Character Profile Lady Macbeth has character traits that make her into the cunning, clever and deceptive character that she is. Her traits are often an antithesis to those of her spouse, Macbeth. First off, she is a character that lacks all humanity, as she has no qualms about planning and carrying out murders and evil actions, nor does she care about the people it will affect. An example is when the murder of King Duncan is being plotted, she has no doubt about whether it should happen. This is in sharp contrast to her husband, Macbeth, who is indecisive regarding the matter. Next in order, she is incredibly deceptive, frequently acting as a good, moral person in front of other characters, tricking them into thinking she is their friend or ally. However in reality, she has other, more sinister plans. This harkens back to the witches saying “Fair is foul, and foul is fair.” This phrase establishes the theme of reality vs. appearance within the story of Macbeth. For example, when King Duncan arrives at the castle for dinner, Lady Macbeth escorts the monarch in, holding his hand. When doing this, the king thinks that Lady Macbeth is loyal, even though she has plans to murder him later that night, a traitorous act. Thirdly, she is very manipulative, she taunts and torments people into doing things that she wants to be done. For example, when Macbeth has moments of indecision about whether he should murder Duncan, Lady Macbeth questions Macbeth’s...
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