Examples Of Guilt In Macbeth

Throughout the entirety of the play “Macbeth” written by Shakespeare, roles between a husband and wife reverse constantly making the two characters’ dynamic. It can be argued as to why Macbeth has break downs and why Lady Macbeth ended up lucid. Could it be guilt or could it be the knowledge that the prophecy will ultimately lead to the overthrow of Macbeth?
Some may say Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s downfall derived strictly from guilt; however, I believe they both were living in fear because of the truth of the prophecy thus far. In the beginning, Lady Macbeth thrived of the idea of being Queen, and she became the soul and ambition for Macbeth to gain the courage to literally steal the thrown away from Duncan. When more of the prophecy came

to light, they became fearful of the outcome, which stated Macbeth would eventually not be king any longer. This led to the death of both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth’s sleep deprivation and lucid dreaming expressed her pain and fear from no longer being queen. Not only did fear lead to their downfall, but also, the criminal activities they committed to wrongfully fulfill the prophecy.
In the end, all of the steps to the prophecy expressed by the witches came true, and Macbeth and Lady Macbeth ultimately received what the deserved. They feared that the prophecy was not going to come true so they took matters into their own hands, which in the end, killed them both.