Macbeth Essay

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Macbeth Essay In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, Macbeth undergoes many psychological tribulations. There is no doubt that he is insane, but the specifics of his conditions help explain the peculiarities of the play. Macbeth’s character was perhaps the culmination of all the psychological disorders known at Shakespeare’s day. He experienced disorders such as split personality, schizophrenia, and post traumatic stress. These disorders could be caused by stress on the battlefield and a poor spousal relationship. After Macbeth is diagnosed with said conditions the existence of Banquo, the witches, the murderers, and Fleance are called into question. A thorough analysis of the beginning of the play shows that Banquo is never mentioned without Macbeth’s name right next to his “Dismayed not this our captains, Macbeth and / Banquo?” (1.2.37-8). Therefore Banquo is actually the other part of Macbeth’s personality. Macbeth experiences the disorder known as dissociative identity disorder in the beginning scene of this play “Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is a mental illness that involves the sufferer experiencing at least two clear identities or personality states, each of which has a fairly consistent way of viewing and relating to the world”(Dissociative Identity Disorder). No character in the play has interactions with Banquo besides Macbeth. In fact when Macbeth is plotting the murder of Banquo none of the main characters know of it, including his wife Lady Macbeth. He meets with the murderers in private causing their reality to be questioned too. After Macbeth murderers Banquo he states “That, when the brains were out, the man would die, / And there an end. But now they rise again” (3.4.95-6). Macbeth is the only character that... ... middle of paper ... ...post-traumatic stress, schizophrenia, and dissociative identity disorder. These psychological issues cause Macbeth to imagine Banquo, Fleance, the witches, and the murderers. Macbeth is insane, there is no question about it, he is paralyzed by his delusions. This all explains his lack of success and eventual downfall. Works Cited "Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) Causes, Symptoms, Signs, Diagnosis and Treatment by MedicineNet.com." Web. 28 Mar. 2010. . Mowat, Barbara A., and Paul Werstine, eds. Macbeth. Washington D.C.: Folger Shakespeare Library. Print. "NIMH." NIMH. Web. 28 Mar. 2010. "Schizophrenia." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 28 Mar. 2010.

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