Conscience Quotes In Macbeth

Have you ever felt so terrible for something you did, or even felt awful before you even do that dangerous act? A part of the human nature is the very complex brain which gives humans the thought that they have done something wrong or are about to do something wrong. This is called your conscience and if you do not listen to it, very bad things can occur as a direct consequence. In the beginning of the play, Macbeth comes across as a hero and then turned into an absolute monster due to the inhumane acts that he takes to become the most powerful leader and hold that position. Art Markman from phychology.com defines the use of guilt. He says, “Guilt is a valuable emotion, because it helps to maintain your ties to the people in your community.”(Psychology.com)

As a world leader, Macbeth should have very strong and positive ties to his community but unfortunately his conscience had other things in mind. Readers see this theme of guilt and conscience in the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare. Shakespeare portrays the theme of extreme guilt and conscience through the character Macbeth and indirectly faces the reader with the question on how humans face this extreme guilt.
In the beginning of Macbeth’s attempt to rise of power, Shakespeare portrays the theme of guilt and conscience through a quote of Macbeth talking to Lady Macbeth.

He says, “Better be with the dead, whom we, to gain our peace, have sent to peace, than on the torture of the mind”(III.2.46). This quote takes place just before he does the daring deed and shows the reader that he knows it is not the right thing to do before he even goes to do it. His conscience tries to stay strong but he wants all the power as soon as possible so his conscience gives out and he decides that he will kill Duncan. He states before the domino effect of murders starts that he would rather be dead, than to be a guilty murderer. As the character gives into his dream of being the king he goes to do the deed and murder King Duncan. After he commits the murder, Macbeth feels immediate guilt. This is shown in a conversation with his wife yet again. He says, “I am afraid to think what I have done. Look on’t again I dare not”(II.2.56-57). This quote takes place right after the murder of King Duncan but he accidentally left the daggers in the bedroom with the corpse of Duncan. He immediately feels the guilt which is good for his conscience because he realizes he did something he should not have. He says to Lady Macbeth that he can not stand to even see what he has done anymore. Soon after Macbeth’s daring act his guilt begins to haunt him

mentally.
As Macbeth is now the king, he realizes what the three apparitions told him that Banquo would form a line of kings. He is not happy about this and decides to go against his conscience yet again and change the future. He wants to have the position of king in his bloodline, so he decides that he has to kill Banquo and his son Fleance to end the lineage that would become kings to insure that the line of kings would go to his bloodline. At this point he mentally can not stand to kill his best friend. He hires two people to pull off his mission. When this event takes place the hired hit men do not succeed. They kill Banquo but the son Fleance escapes. When this news gets to Macbeth he is enraged. He conscience takes off even more and starts to turn him mentally insane. He was alone in the dining room when he sees eight ghosts walk into the door. He is shocked because they look just like Banquo. All eight are dressed as kings and they are followed by the ghost of Banquo. Macbeth then starts to scream at the ghosts that he thinks he sees. He yells, “Thou art too like the spirit of Banquo. Down!”(IV.1.67). At this point Macbeth is clearly going mentally insane because he is imagining ghosts. His insanity is single handedly because of his overpowering guilt. These vicious acts are driving over the edge mentally and ruining his life along with the lives of others, while claiming the lives of powerful political leaders of this time for the sake of his own power.
The character Macbeth sabotaged his own mental state and later on, his life for his guilty inhumane acts to rise to power. This shows how vital listening to one’s conscience is for human nature. If this instinct is ignored you will take down yourself along with others for being selfish, as shown through Macbeth in the play Macbeth by Shakespeare. Shakespeare portrays the theme of extreme guilt and ignoring one’s conscience through the character Macbeth and indirectly faces the reader with the question on how humans face this extreme guilt. In the case of the play, Macbeth dealt with his guilt in the wrong way because he simply ignored it and kept killing for his own protection.