Guilt In Macbeth

Guilt, a pervasive emotion in Macbeth that arises from the conflict with one’s desires and conscience, becomes a driving force and pertinent theme in the narrative, propelling the characters to their own tragic fates. The theme of guilt manifests itself in Macbeth through multiple ways, from the incessant knocks in Macbeth’s castle to the recurring motif of blood. Through this essay, I will be analyzing the motifs of blood and sleep in Macbeth as well as his hallucinations throughout the book to explore the theme of guilt, showing the haunting consequences of succumbing to guilt’s unrelenting grip. Shakespeare explores the theme of guilt in Macbeth through the symbolism of blood. Blood is a recurring motif in Shakespeare’s play of Macbeth,

Such an example occurs in Act 2 Scene 2, "Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather The multitudinous seas incarnadine, Making the green one red." In this quote Macbeth used the motif of blood to symbolize that his guilt from murdering King Duncan will never be washed off, that even with the immensity of Neptune’s oceans, he won’t ever get rid of the “blood” on his hands. By washing his hands with Neptune’s oceans, it would instead dye the ocean red, which should be impossible due to the vastness of the ocean. This hyperbole shows that guilt is something that will stay with him for eternity, and he will never be able to get rid of it, despite his efforts and desperation. It is also mentioned in the quote that the act of regicide that he committed was so evil that he was able to stain the seas red, which emphasizes the severity of his crimes. It can also mean that the amount of guilt he felt was so immense that he believed that it was able to dye the seas red from his shame. Another example of blood being used to symbolize guilt was in Act 5

One of the psychological effects that Macbeth went through would be hallucinations. An example of a hallucination would be in Act 2 Scene 1 “Is this a dagger which I see before me, / The handle toward my hand?” Before Macbeth carries out his act of regicide. “Is this a dagger I see before me” is implying that even Macbeth himself was unsure whether the dagger he sees is real or not, allowing us to assume that he might be hallucinating it. Macbeth’s questioning of the reality of the dagger also mirrors his internal turmoil of whether to carry out the murder of King Duncan. As then he either gains power and lives his life as a murderer, or continues his life as usual. “Handle toward my hand” reveals Macbeth’s desire to take hold of the weapon to commit his act regicide. It reveals his murderous intentions, while at the same time, a sense of inevitability that he would commit the crime. of also further emphasizes on the fact that if Macbeth carries out the act of regicide, the amount of guilt, burden and responsibility it would bring to his life will be a heavy load. With Macbeth being faced by the handle, it is a foreshadowing to Macbeth’s future as a murderer, as in most murder cases, the one behind the knife is labeled as the murderer. It also shows the control that Macbeth has over his actions, and still had a choice to choose to not commit regicide. The fact that he