Who Are The Sane People's Transformation In Macbeth

In William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”, it is noticeable how Macbeth and his wife change from seemingly sane people to madmen, intoxicated by the desire for kingship. There is no doubt that the eponymous main character undergoes a radical change in character. If in the beginning he is in possession of ordinary moral standards, by the end of the play approaches he slowly discards them as he gets entangled in a string of betrayals and murders. While Macbeth transforms into a ruthless person, his wife devolves from a strong woman to a weak-hearted, guilt-ridden one. This paper aims to present the factors which contributed to their moral degradation and how each person’s madness manifests.

In the beginning of the play, Macbeth embodies the image of a perfectly sane man that bravely fights for his country and for his king, the latter for whom he has sworn unconditional loyalty. This gradually changes over the course of the play, as Macbeth throws away his morality and commits countless murders, both in name and in action, one of which being the murder of the very king that he swore his oath to. His descent into madness is triggered by an external force, represented by the three Weird Sisters. By telling him that he is to become Thane of

He is afflicted with terrible guilt and insomnia, which weigh him down. Despite feeling guilt over the crime he committed, Macbeth continues to go off the deep end. His paranoia compels him to call for Banquo’s death, and subsequently, his guilt over ordering the death of his loyal subject manifests itself under the guise of Banquo’s ghost, who appears in Macbeth’s place at the banquet. Eventually his guilt fades away and makes way for his increasing madness. He continues with the series of murders, such as the order of the massacre of Macduff’s family, until he himself is finally killed. Thus, the once sane thane Macbeth dies as a mad