In the tragedy, “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare, guilt is contributed throughout the play, sacrificing a feeling that haunts the conscience. The feeling of guilt can come from committing a crime, a faulty act, or even violation over someone. The criminal may have remorse in their sinful hands creating an awful grudge with their past. It can lead them to their horrific death of repeatedly seeing their hands, as a reminder of what they have done. ”Hands”, signify the important components of self and violence that rounds out an emphasis placed on choice throughout the play. It is the impression of responsibility for this poor action that has been committed. In this play, there are many ideas, but guilt is one of the most significant ones. It teaches important lessons to the readers, with everlasting morals.
Guilt and Consequences Essay Guilt is caused when someone feels as though the have done something against their morals, this causes them to feel remorse and at often times cause their mind to become unsteady. In Macbeth, Macbeth and his wife experience guilt throughout the play. Guilt has negative toll on Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s mental state, causing anxiety, hallucinations and insomnia. Anxiety comes over Macbeth after he kills king Duncan to gain power.
Both contemporary and ancient literary works commonly use hands as a device to represent various overarching themes; for example, the possession of power or good versus evil. In the play, Macbeth, Shakespeare often uses this motif of hands to enhance the clarity of his desired message. At first impression, Macbeth appears to be a loyal and righteous character; however, his own desire for power and the influence of his wife, Lady Macbeth, both lead him to commit a relentless sequence of crimes. Along with creating this chain reaction of events, simply performing one unethical act elicits a feeling of guilt that cannot be washed away, and also corrupts those surrounding the initial wrongdoer. Through the motif of hands, Shakespeare demonstrates that the negative repercussions of an immoral action cannot be repressed and will ultimately corrupt a person’s character.
Guilt has the potential to crumble even the most powerful of mortals. The Shakespearean tragedy Macbeth reveals the consequence of immoral action: guilt. William Shakespeare portrays the idea that the downfall of one may transpire as a result of this regret. Throughout the play, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are negatively affected as they are overwhelmed by the realization that they have violated their moral standards; this causes their guilt. The two attempt to conceal the remorse they experience, but despite this, their misdeeds take their toll. The effects most prominent throughout the play are the development of depression, paranoia, and emotional detachment. Ultimately, it becomes obvious that guilt is capable of bringing ruin to any individual.
With respect to Shakespeare’s drama Macbeth, Macbeth is a successful general who through a series of treacherous acts would later ascend to the medieval Scottish throne. In an effort to claim the Scottish throne and prevent some undesirable prophesies from witches, Macbeth and his wife Lady Macbeth organized a series of murders and assassinations targeting King Duncan and his probable heirs. Out of guilt and shame attributed to the treacherous acts, both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are haunted by troubled consciences, initiating their fateful endings. Admittedly, the emotional forces of shame and guilt played roles in directing Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to their early graves.
The play Macbeth authored by William Shakespeare emphasizes a theme of guilt and regret in relation to unnatural acts, through the character change of Lady Macbeth, Macbeth, their relationship and how it can cause emotional breakdown loss of personality and ultimately, loss of sanity. The play was written in the early the 1600s and is set in Scotland. It focuses around the life of Macbeth a Thane, and future king of Scotland, who seemingly does whatever it takes to achieve this prestigious role. In the beginning of the play Lady Macbeth is steely in her mannerisms and appears to be willing to do anything in order to achieve what she ultimately desires. However, in the final act of the play her steely and cruel nature breaks down due to the
William Shakespeare wrote Macbeth. It is considered one of its most powerful and darkest tragedies; the play dramatizes the psychological and political corrosive effects produced when evil is chosen as a way to satisfy the ambition for power. Macbeth tells a story of crime and punishment mixed with witchcraft. Covered in the deceitful prophecies of the Weird Sisters, Macbeth decides to assassinate his king and take the crown. Aware of the horror to which he surrenders, he forges his terrible destiny and believing himself invincible and eternal. Throughout the play blood is used as a way to show the evil intentions of not only Macbeth but other characters of the famous play, demonstrating their ambition, anger, and guilt.
Furthermore, a character that felt an abundance of guilt was Lady Macbeth. After killing Duncan, Lady Macbeth was haunted by the sight of blood. This is evident when it is stated, “It is an accustomed action with her, to seem thus washing her hands: I have known her continue in this quarter of an hour”(V,I). Moreover, after killing
Macbeth 's decisions to murder changed his whole way of life negatively. His first murder was what changed it all. Duncan the ex king of Scotland, was his first victim. In order to become king, Macbeth’s final decision was that he would have to kill Duncan to become King. Decisions can have a bad or good consequence in your life.
In act one scene 7, Macbeth doubts if he should kill the king; however, his wife, Lady Macbeth, manipulates him into proceeding. It might be difficult for Macbeth, the renowned warrior, to hear his wife accusing him of cowardice. Therefore, under Lady Macbeth’s influence, as she questions his manhood, he commences the murder in order to prove to her that he is not a “coward.” This is important to note because his soliloquy shows his determination to proceed.
In Macbeth, blood is a symbol used to represent guilt and how one's guilt will cause them to act with concupiscence. If an individual feels guilty about an action they will do anything to try to make up for that action or clear their conscience. They may cross a line in which they never had thought of crossing before in order to fight their guilt. In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Macbeth feels guilty about the many murders he has committed and his guilt has turned to paranoia. His paranoia is evident in his conversation with lady Macbeth about banquo when he says, “Come, seeling night, / Scarf up the tender eye of pitiful day /
Shakespeare uses the recurring symbol of blood to emphasize the effect of death and violence on the human psyche. The connotation that Macbeth associates with blood switches from a primary motivator to a guilty reminder. Prior to Duncan’s murder, Macbeth witnessed a floating dagger covered with blood (II.i.33). Macbeth had experienced violence and Blood is also used as a reminder of the guilt and trauma from the murder of King Duncan, the guards and Banquo. Macbeth refers to his hallucination of the ghost of Banquo: “It will have blood, they say.
However, as the play progresses, the gradual diminishing of Lady Macbeth’s stone-like ruthlessness becomes visible as she deals with the guilt that stains her hands. As Lady Macbeth attempts to cleanse herself of the guilt she harbors in her mind, it becomes evident that guilt is a demon. A demon that if not dealt
In the drama “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” William Shakespeare reflects on guilt . More specifically, Shakespeare implies guilt and how repercussions of guilt can be detrimental towards an individual because it creates emotional instability and distorted judgement. Guilt is displayed many times throughout the play, but mostly through internal conflicts of Macbeth. For instance, Macbeth feels internal guilt when he murdered King Duncan. Macbeth says, “ I’ll go no more/ I am afraid to think what I have done/Look on it again I dare not,” (Act II, Scene ii , line 50). In other words, Macbeth regrets his decision right after killing King Duncan. He’s saying he can 't go back and that he’s afraid about what he’s done. This quote tells us, Macbeth feels
She convinces him to commit the murder of King Duncan, as well as convinces him that murder is the only way to achieve their ambition. Rather than listening to his own conscience, which tells him to “...proceed no further in this business” (Shakespeare I.VII.34), Macbeth allows his wife to manipulate and convince him by accusing him of not being a man and expresses that she would “...dashed the brains out...”