The Power Of Guilt In Macbeth

In act 1 scene 2 lines 60-66, Macbeth speaks of the blood on his hands after murdering Duncan as he starts to regret his actions. In act 3 scene 4 lines 122-140, Macbeth realizes that blood begets blood and continues to murder. In act 5 scene 1 lines 31-36, Lady Macbeth is crazy because of the spot of blood still on her hand and how the smell will never leave her. In these three examples Macbeth’s murders come back to frighten him.

She was having nightmares, regretful thoughts and hallucinations. ”“The smell of the blood is still there. All the perfumes of Arabia cannot sweeten this little hand. Oh, oh,oh!”

She is found sleep walking, claiming she cannot wash the imaginary blood clean of her hands, saying, “Out damned spot” (5.1.32). The characters’ hallucinations of blood illustrate how gravely the guilt is affecting their minds. In conclusion, the image of blood in Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth is important in developing the plot. The image of blood is first used to represent bravery when the valiant captain dies, the meaning then changes to guilt after Macbeth murders the king, and finally the image of blood reflects changes in the characters’ minds as guilt consumes their thoughts.

A soldier, and afeard?... Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him.” Here, the quote shows that Lady Macbeth is stricken by the death of King Duncan, and with further comprehension is also known that she has also been sleepwalking, which is associated with her guilt. Therefore, this illustrates that her responsibility for the murder has caused her guilt, which later led to her

Thou wouldst be great, art not without ambition, but without the illness should attend it” (15-20). After reading the letter from her husband which recounts the witches' prophesy, Lady Macbeth's thoughts immediately turn to murder. The problem with that is Macbeth has ambition, but he doesn’t have the nerve to see it through.

At first Lady Macbeth did not feel any guilt until things begin to get carried away. Sleepwalking, Lady Macbeth is heard saying, “Here's the smell of blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. ”(5:1:53-55) and“ Out damned spot, out, I say”(5.1.37). Lady Macbeth is saying these things because she is visualizing that there is blood still on her hands representing her extreme guilt because she knows what she did not was wrong.

Where is she now?—What, will these hands ne 'er be clean?” The hands she refers too are her own. The hands that not too long ago where covered in the blood of King Duncan. The reference to them never been clean is her feeling as though she will never be free of the unnatural and sinful actions she was once so willing to undertake. These quotes clearly depict a broken and mentally unstable individual.

No more o’that, [her] lord, no more o’that. You mar all with [that] starting,"(V. i. 38-40). This demonstrates how Lady Macbeth is feeling remorseful about Lady Macduff’s murder and how Macbeth has ruined everything with his nervousness. Her guilt is coming to the surface as she sleeps and dreams. In this state, she attempts to clean Duncan's invisible blood off of her hands.

Before killing Duncan Macbeth says ‘’I see thee still, And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood, Which was not so before. There’s no such thing: It is the bloody business which informs Thus to mine eyes.’’ (www.shakespeare-navigators.com) showing that he is apprehensive towards killing Duncan. Blood symbolism also reveals the quilt that Macbeth suffers from for murdering

Macbeth’s ambition is what is causing him to intervene with his prophecy and pursue his goal (rather than leave it to chance). In a way, it is Macbeth’s own “black and deep desires” that make him kill in the first place as the witches never tell him to do so. Furthermore, apart from ambition, it is Macbeth’s own weak will and moral system that causes him to do the actions that result in his downfall. Macbeth’s weak will is undeniable and is illustrated before killing Duncan. “I have of spur/To prick the sides of my intent, but only/Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself/And falls on the other” (I, VII, 25-28).

When ambition is overlooked, it has the ability to become extremely dangerous. Macbeth from Shakespeare is a clear example of this. As he rises to power, he becomes more and more of a threat to those around him, killing those he was once loyal to. Destruction when ambition goes unchecked is present throughout the play because of Macbeth’s strong desires that ultimately lead to the deaths of Duncan, Banquo, and nearly Macduff. The death of Duncan was the first corrupt act stemming from Macbeth’s ambition.

Lady Macbeth, cruel wife of Macbeth, assisted in the murder of King Duncan and his servants. She is a violently ambitious and manipulative woman, so much so that she thought up and planned the idea to kill King Duncan and convinced Macbeth to kill Duncan and his servants so that he could take Duncan’s place on the throne. Macbeth carried out with the deed, while the feeling of guilt invaded his mind almost compromising the plan, when Lady Macbeth stepped in and completed the plan mercilessly. As she finished the deed that Macbeth couldn’t carry out, (putting the daggers back with the servants), she compliments herself for being so brave and mentally stronger than some men.

Macbeth chose to kill King Duncan on his own accord. His wife Lady Macbeth may have helped him come up with the plan and urged him on, it was his own hand that held the knife. Although without the witches there to inform Macbeth that one day he would be king, he may have gone down a completely different path. In the play Macbeth, William Shakespeare shows how giving people a glimpse into their future can change their fate.

Betrayal and loyalty is a huge concept that most of us have heard about. We see this concepts used in famous movies, plays, readings, and even songs. It is a term that most of us are familiar with. For example, a famous betrayal and loyalty movie would be “The Lion King” where Scar kills Mufasa. In comparison, Shakespeare's Macbeth and Bob Dylan’s “Positively 4th Street” show the same concepts, but in two different ways.

Farwah Iqbal Mrs. Mantilla ENG3U0-B December 7th, 2016 Macbeth’s date with Destiny Life is full of choices, where everyone at some point makes a wise decision or a poor one. When poor judgments are made, the weight can result in the feeling of guilt. In the play Macbeth, William Shakespeare portrays guilt is caused by what pathway someone opted for. Macbeth is a tragic hero who ruins himself because he lets his ambition, insecurity and ignorance control him and his actions.