Examples Of Mental Deterioration In Macbeth

Mental deterioration can be defined as mental breakdown to the point of hallucination, memory lapses and destructive thoughts. In the play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, Macbeth’s mental state starts to deteriorate following the murder of King Duncan, and he begins to seek help from inanimate objects as well as experience vivid hallucinations. Nature symbolism emphasizes Macbeth’s mental deterioration as he seeks help from lifeless objects. Macbeth asks inanimate objects to remove his guilt instead of people because he worries of the repercussions of his crimes he will face. The guilt Macbeth feels when he plans and executes Banquo’s murder causes him to have realistic hallucinations and he is unable to differentiate between reality and his

hallucinations. Although Macbeth is initially perceived as a confident character grounded in reality, his mental deterioration throughout the play is evident through the use of nature and animal symbolism.
Mental disorders can cause people to speak to lifeless objects to provide satisfaction or comfort. Macbeth’s mental deterioration is highlighted through the use of nature symbolism as he calls on the natural forces to help eliminate his guilt. When Macbeth kills King Duncan he says to himself, “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood/ Clean from my hand?” However, Macbeth quickly realizes the greatness of the murder and says, “No, this my hand will rather/ The multitudinous seas incarnadine,/ Making the green one red.” (II. ii. 57-60). Shakespeare uses imagery to highlight how great Macbeth’s guilt is. Since oceans are vast, Macbeth’s question proves how much guilt he carries because he needs a great amount of water to attempt to rinse off the evidence of his deed. Shakespeare also uses diction to describe Macbeth’s personality change as ‘making the green one red’. Mental deterioration can cause a change in personality, as evident in the character Macbeth. Shakespeare chooses the colours red and green to describe Macbeth’s change in personality because they are opposite of each other on the colour wheel just as Macbeth’s personality undergoes a one hundred and eighty degree change following the murder of King Duncan. Before the murder, Macbeth’s mind was like the colour green because in nature green symbolizes balance and harmony. After he murders King Duncan, his mental state becomes the colour red. Red in nature can symbolize strength, power and violence. Those words describe Macbeth’s state of mind because after his first murder; he uses all of his strength and violence to keep his power. The word choice foreshadows that Macbeth’s mental deterioration will be evident to others and ultimately lead to his downfall as red is a colour that calls attention. Furthermore, when Macbeth puts his plan to murder Banquo into action, he calls to the night sky, saying, “And with thy bloody and invisible hand/ Cancel and tear to pieces that great bond/ Which keeps me pale.” (III. ii. 49-51). Shakespeare uses the personification of the night sky to show how Macbeth tries to hide his guilt so he can murder a close friend. Macbeth’s mental deterioration is proven when he calls upon inanimate object to destroy the bond between him and Banquo. Shakespeare also uses dark imagery to prove how Macbeth’s guilt haunts him. The guilt has taken his sight as he cannot see reality; he calls to the night sky to eliminate the guilt so he is able to see the truth and live a fearless life. Therefore, Shakespeare uses nature symbolism to demonstrate Macbeth’s mental deterioration as he calls upon nature to conceal his guilt.
Mental deterioration may also prevent people from confronting their fears.

Macbeth’s mental deterioration is evident because of the animal symbolism Shakespeare uses. As proof, when Macbeth expresses his frustration with Banquo’s suspicion of his crime, he cries, “Oh, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife!” (III. ii. 38). Shakespeare uses diction to highlight Macbeth’s mental state. Macbeth uses the word ‘scorpion’ to describe his pain. The diction proves Macbeth’s mental change, as mental deterioration is often described as the softening of the brain in the same way that scorpion bites cause the skin to be soft. Shakespeare's use of the word ‘scorpion’ also describes the condition of his mind. Scorpions are poisonous animals. When the scorpions ‘pinch’ Macbeth, they release the poison. Poison causes illness; Macbeth suffers from mental deterioration. Poison can also cause death if not treated as Macbeth does not seek proper help to clear his concise, the passage foreshadows his mental deterioration will lead to his death. Additionally, when the ghost of Banquo appears for the second time, Macbeth challenges it: “Approach thou like the rugged Russian bear,/ The armed rhinoceros, or th’ Hyrcan tiger;/ Take any shape but that, and my firm nerves/ Shall never tremble.” (III. iv.100-103). Shakespeare uses metaphors to emphasize how much guilt Macbeth feels. Banquo’s ghost symbolizes Macbeth’s guilt. He demands the ghost of Banquo to go and not to disturb him again; just as he wants his guilt to vanish. Shakespeare also uses imagery to paint a picture of how consuming Macbeth’s guilt is. Since animals like the Hyrcan tiger are ferocious and frightening, this reveals that Macbeth greatly fears his guilt and how substantial Macbeth’s guilt is; he would rather face vicious animals than the guilt of the murder of Banquo. The diction also foreshadows the downfall of Macbeth if he cannot discard his guilt. Thus, Shakespeare uses animal symbolism to emphasize and reinforce

Macbeth’s mental deterioration.
Shakespeare’s use of symbolism provides depth to Macbeth’s mental state. Blood and nature symbolism highlights Macbeth’s mental deterioration even though he is initially recognized as a self-possessed character. When Macbeth calls to the natural forces, Shakespeare uses nature imagery to emphasize Macbeth’s urgency to dispose of his guilt. In addition, Shakespeare also uses animal imagery to create metaphors for Macbeth’s increasing guilt and pain. Macbeth is a character who is strong willed, confident, and ambitious but harbours a dark secret. Behind his self-assured facade is a dark and dangerous man. Through Macbeth, Shakespeare teaches the valuable lesson that even those who appear strong on the outside can be suffering in the inside.