Essay On Mental Deterioration In Macbeth

After this Macbeth consults the witches for some advice. Macbeth believes more in the evil side than the good side and that’s one of the reasons why Macbeth has hallucinations. Macbeth has killed a lot of people throughout the story, but only a few of the people he killed make an appearance later in the story. This appearances make Macbeths character a lot different than when the story started. The guilt and anxieties he has because of the ghost he sees make Macbeth look like a crazy person.

He had just killed king Duncan and he says that he will never be able to wash all of the blood out of his hands. He feels so guilty that he thinks that what he did will never get better. He is seeing the consequence of listening to the witches. This is an example of guilt because at that point he would do anything to take it back. Another example of guilt is the hallucinations that Macbeth has after he kills someone.

Shakespeare uses sleep not as a peaceful resting state, but to reveal Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s guilty consciences. Macbeth is given prophecies throughout the play that prove his guilt and shame. In the beginning, Macbeth’s hunger for power is ignited by the prophecies from the witches. He likes the scheme of killing Duncan so he will be closer to the throne. As the play continues, he realizes how dreadful they actually are.

The captain is cursed for no sleep instead of any physical harm. Macbeth is paranoid after killing Duncan about murdering his sleep due to his guilt over killing. In addition, Lady Macbeth is so consumed with guilt that it resulted in a suicide. Ultimately, sleep is an important aspect that can be controlled by mental

Eventually, Macbeth, ridden with guilt, fear, and paranoia, commits even more murders in an attempt to secure his power; instead, he is overthrown and killed by Macduff. The downfall of the Macbeth is caused by the pulling of a thread — his first interaction with the witches — and the unraveling of his mind into insanity which is shown through his loss of empathy, his increased hostility and paranoia, and his delirious hallucinations. In the beginning of the play, Macbeth’s mental health is seemingly stable, and although he has just finished fighting a battle, his thinking is still rational. His first words spoken are: “So foul and fair a day I have not seen” (1.3.39). He shows remorse over those who were killed in the battle and recognizes that even though he has

In this critical moment, his level of inner peace began to decrease. After the murder of the king, Macbeth couldn’t free his frenetic conscious of the horrid act he committed. His peace has been taken away and torment begins to take over as he proclaims “Methought I heard a voice cry “Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep”- the innocent sleep, sleep that knits up the raveled sleave of care, the death of each day’s life, sore labor’s bath, balm of hurt minds, great nature’s second course, chief nourisher in life’s feast”(2.2.34-39). Now, Macbeth’s innocence is gone and he will no longer be able to rest peacefully.

In the third act, during a festival honoring the deceased Banquo, the ghost of Macbeth’s victim apparently taunts him, and the now-king dares the ghost to speak─much to the dismay of the guests (3.4.82-129). Similar to his encounter with the dagger, Macbeth probably experiences hallucinations, which can sometimes serve as flashbacks of traumatic events and terrify those who (according to people around them) are “seeing things.” Furthermore, in stage and film productions of Macbeth, the ghost is either nonexistent or portrayed by an actor. No one at the festival except Macbeth actually sees Banquo’s ghost; audiences determine whether Macbeth even sees it. Either way, his hallucinations certainly signal his remorse over both Duncan and Banquo’s murders. From the perspective of neuroscientist Nancy J. C. Andreasen, besides his harrowing confession, Macbeth’s hallucinations are another sign of him “still suffering enough from pangs of conscience.” Some may wonder if Macbeth is only talking to himself rather than the ghost since the ghost never answers Macbeth’s questions.

From hearing a prophecy to committing murder, Macbeth develops a different character throughout the play. That could say Macbeth let a few words from the ‘witches’ puppet him. He was not the only one who was controlled; Lady Macbeth let Duncan’s death take over her, and drive her to insanity. To lose sleep, and going crazy, Lady Macbeth let her guilt eat her alive little by little. From a happy marriage to the Macbeths' no longer having love in their relationship and only having fear, guilt and hunger for power.

Macbeth’s blames his paranoia on his dinner guests, shifting blame from himself to them, showing his weak character and inability to take responsibility for his own actions. Macbeth argues with his perception of Banquo, then shifting the blame to his hired assassins (Shakespeare 3.4.59-63). Intimidated by Banquo. Macbeth orders his assassination, however in order to avoid blood on his own hands, he hires murderers. His ambition led to his decline from a brave warrior to a weak man.

The imagery used of a brain physically over-heating accentuates the idea that Macbeth is beginning to lose his sanity as his brain can no longer function accordingly due to all the incalescence. Not only does the thought of killing Duncan cause Macbeth to hallucinate but also after having ordered the murder of Banquo, his guilt stricken conscience causes him to see Banquo 's ghost. No one else at the banquet can see the ghost which emphasizes that Macbeth is losing his sanity. Macbeth asks "Which of you have done this" (Act3:4:53) after seeing Banquo 's ghost because he believes one of the guests to be playing a prank on him as he is not aware that his own mind is hallucinating due to all the remorse. Near the end of the play, Macbeth begins to forget the brave and valiant soldier he was as he tells Macduff that he will "not fight with thee" (Act5:8:22) when he is realises that Macduff was foretold to be the one to slay him.