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Macbeth consciences essay
Macbeths conscience english essay
Macbeths conscience english essay
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Final Macbeth Essay
As one matures throughout life, identity and conscience are developed. According to one’s experiences, conscience becomes a form of judgment for future occasions. In William Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, Macbeth refuses to listen to his conscience, therefore leading him to make irrational decisions. His conscience serves as guidance, helping him differentiate between right and wrong. Unfortunately, Macbeth is unable to kill Duncan because it requires going against his rational thinking. Initially, Macbeth’s conscience makes him reluctant to Lady Macbeth’s proposal about killing Duncan; however, as the play progresses, Macbeth continues demonstrating how ignoring one’s conscience allows a person to do despicable acts.
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are many factors that bring Macbeth to an inevitable downfall, such as Lady to be persuaded to disregard his sneaking suspicion. After hearing the three witches prediction about his future title as king, Macbeth exclaims, “Chance may crown me, / Without my stir” (1.4.157-159). Due to his recurring thoughts about murder, Macbeth desperately attempts to push them out of his mind. Later on, Lady Macbeth is taunting Macbeth about his masculinity. As she is calling him out on his cowardice, Macbeth replies, “We will proceed no further in this business” (1.7.34). Leaving Macbeth in a vulnerable state, he manages to adjourn the killing. Therefore, presenting how headstrong he was to stay true to his conscience. While preparing for the murder of Duncan, Macbeth changes drastically.
His mental state violently declines, subsequently making him more absentminded. Before entering Duncan’s chambers, Macbeth hallucinates a bloody dagger in front of him. As Macbeth is staring at the dagger, he mutters, “Is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. I have thee not, and yet I see thee still” (2.1.44-46). His visions that occur frequently, alter his reasonable thinking. Macbeth takes the hallucination as an omen of his interior intuition, guilt. Guilt parades in the mind of Macbeth, changing his empathy for anyone who steps in his path. Following the murder of Duncan, Macbeth realizes that he has no offspring to inherit the throne. The notion of banquo’s sons instills uncertainty in Macbeth, therefore making him anxious. Feeling like a cornered animal, he resorts back to the only solution he knows, murder. While contemplating his options for Banquo’s disposal, Macbeth declared, “Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown, and put a barren scepter in my grip, /No son of mine succeeding” (3.1.66-69). Without a successor, all of the insanity that Duncan’s murder has placed on Macbeth would have squandered. After seeing the ghosts of Banquo’s descendants, he abandons all of his lucid composure. His illusions not only modify his behavior, but it affects his decision
making.
Guilt surrounds Macbeth for the second time when he sends out the murderers to kill Banquo, his old friend. Macbeth had no other choice but to get rid of Banquo. Banquo had witnessed the three witches and the prophecies. One prophecy was that his son would become king one day "To make them kings, the seeds of Banquo kings"(Act3 scene1 line70). In order for Macbeth to be safe is to kill Banquo. Banquo may assume what had happened and tell the people of Scotland. "For Banquo’s issue have I filed my mind; for them the gracious Duncan have I murdered; Put rancors in the vessel of my peace only for them, and mine eternal jewel".
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)
Macbeth displays the characteristics of an insane character because of his foolish acts and poor mental state when he visualizes the floating dagger, speaks to a ghost, becomes obsessed with killing others and with the idea of being invincible. When Macbeth begins talking to a ghost, his insanity becomes very apparent to the reader. From another one of the witches prophesies, Macbeth is threatened by Banquo because his sons are to be king one day as well. Macbeth begins to see Banquo’s and makes foolish comments. He says, “[Macbeth] The table’s full.
One of the most profound and disturbing themes in Shakespeare’s Macbeth involves the changing in morality. Macbeth had changed his whole outlook on life throughout the course of the book, ranging from being reluctant to kill a noble friend to doing anything to it takes to maintain his position as king.
Macbeth feeling this way convinces a pair of men to kill Banquo and his son Fleance. By having Banquo and Fleance murdered, Macbeth believes that it will prevent Banquo's sons from becoming king. Macbeth also hires the murderers to kill Macduff's family. This demonstrates Macbeth's obsession because it indicates that Macbeth values his power over his friends. His obsession with power causes Macbeth to feel guilty and lose his sanity. Macbeth's guilt and loss of sanity is indicated in the hallucinations he experiences. His first hallucination occurs just before killing King Duncan. Macbeth sees "A dagger of the mind, a false creation" (act II, scene I, line 38).
In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the theme of guilt and conscience is one of many explored throughout the play. Macbeth, is a well respected Scottish noble who in the beginning of the play is a man everyone looks up to; however as the play progresses he makes a number of bad decisions. Eventually, as a result of his actions he suffers guilt and this plays heavily upon his character until his personality is completely destroyed. Shakespeare uses a range of techniques in order to develop this theme such as, characters, imagery.
He then acts upon his greed and abandons his morals through the likes of Lady Macbeth. "I have no spur/To prick the sides of my intent, but only/Vaulting ambition, which overlaps itself/And falls on the' other." After the king's death, Macbeth expresses his hatred towards killing the king. During his rise to power, he was taking extra precautions to prevent anyone from taking his bloodline as king. He then becomes apprehensive of his throne, so he kills Banquo because of his prophecies about his descendants becoming kings. "Upon my head, they placed a fruitless crown/And put a barren sceptre in my grip,/Thence to be wrenched with an unlineal hand,/No son of mine succeeding." Committing the same mistakes over and over again to his fellow human beings he never felt any pain. Even when his wife committed suicide, there was no sight of Macbeth's
Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” explores a fundamental struggle of the human conscience. The reader is transported into the journey of a man who recognizes and acknowledges evil but still succumbs to its destructive powers. The character of Macbeth is shrouded in ambiguity that scholars have claimed as both being a tyrant and tragic hero. Macbeth’s inner turmoil and anxieties that burden him throughout the entire play evoke sympathy and pity in the reader. Though he has the characteristics of an irredeemable tyrant, Macbeth realizes his mistakes and knows there is no redemption for his sins. And that is indeed tragic.
Macbeth is the remaining contributor to turning himself into the power-hungry animal he is before he is finally taken down. Macbeth let himself get talked into killing Duncan; he rationalizes with himself to kill Banquo. He is too ambitious. As soon as the witches cast the prophecy that he would be King, Macbeth lets himself be jealous. Once it is an option, he realizes how divine it would be to be King. Now, Macbeth will do what is necessary to get there, even if he suffers terrible consequences. After killing Duncan, Macbeth suffers by not being able to speak. “As they seen me with these hangman’s hands,/List’ning their fear. I could not say ‘Amen’/When they did say ‘God bless us’” (2.2.38-40). Macbeth cannot utter the sacred words of God; moreover, this illustrates to the reader how terrible the consequences are psychologically for this murder. Macbeth is also jealous of the prophecy Banquo gets, which also drives him to kill Banquo. Soon after he kills Banquo, Macbeth hosts a banquet, where Banquo’s seat is left empty. Only Macbeth truly knows what has happened to Banquo. However, he hallucinates that Banquo is at the table with all the guests when Macbeth says, “Avaunt, and quit my sight! Let the earth hide thee./Thy bones are marrowless; thy blood is cold;/Thou hast no speculation in those eyes/Which thou dost glare with” (3.4.113-116). Macbeth is seeing Banquo at his banquet even after he ordered murders to kill Banquo and Fleance, Banquo’s son. Macbeth cannot believe his eyes, he is shocked at the sight of Banquo and he is losing his mind. Macbeth endures horrific hallucinations, falling into the depths of insanity. These two quotations in the play are very important because they emphasize how Macbeth has turned into a mon...
Some writers concern themselves with inward psychological processes. In these works the focus is the mind of the character and the decisions that he makes. The reader is concentrated on whether the character will make the right choice or the wrong choice. He can stay the same, or learn something about himself and change. In the play Macbeth, Shakespeare uses the mental processes of Macbeth to reveal and explore his character. Through the opinions that Macbeth possesses, the reader interprets his personality. Macbeth goes through many changes, each time gaining more and more evil. As the play progresses, he loses his soul and humanity.
Macbeth’s “fear” is that he thinks Banquo has the power to expose his treachery, because he has a “dauntless temper” and “wisdom”, implying that he is brave and sharp-witted. Macbeth is afraid of Banquo discovering his “genius” plans to get the throne, which was the murder of Duncan and he develops the suspicion that Banquo is going to betray him after knowing the truth. This foreshadows that he will get rid of his friend Banquo for the longevity of his power. In addition to his growing suspicion on Banquo, Macbeth brings up the prophecy that states Banquo’s sons will be kings and accuses Banquo to be ambitious, which shows his paranoia of distrusting everyone around him and he begins to act irrationally by sending off two murderers to kill Banquo and Fleance. Not only he becomes paranoid due to his corrupt ambition, he also becomes excessively confident. Another Consequence of Macbeth being ambitious is that he becomes
He starts to get suspicious of Banquo because of the prophecy the witches give him;. “Thou shall get kings, though thou will be none” (I.iii.70). Macbeth is worried that Banquo's children kids will become king so he makes another bad decision and decides to kill Banquo and his son so that he will not have any more descendants that could take over. Macbeth sends murderers to kill Banquo and his son Fleance;. “I will advise you where to plant yourselves, Acquaint you with the perfect spy o' th' time, The moment on ’t; for ’t must be done tonight, And something from the palace; always thought That I require a clearness. And with him—To leave no rubs nor botches in the work— Fleance, his son, that keeps him company” (III.i.134-140). The murderers successfully kill Banquo but Fleance escapes. Because of Macbeth’s hand in murdering his best friend Banquo he hallucinates. “(to GHOST) Thou canst not say I did it. Never shake thy gory locks at me” (III.iv.61-63). He is hallucinating Banquo’s ghost because of his guilt. Macbeth still has to worry about
After hearing the prediction from the three witches, which expressed that Macbeth would become king, but the sons of Banquo will be the heirs of Macbeth, Macbeth killed Duncan. Yet, Macbeth frets that the crown will just go to Fleance, or another one of Banquo’s descendants. To exhibit this distress, Macbeth remarks: “For Banquo’s issue have I filed my mind; for them the gracious Duncan have I murdered put rancors in the vessel of my peace only for them…to make them kings, the seeds of Banquo kings. ”(III.i.70-75) Macbeth worries that the murder of Duncan will not be worth the eternal damnation of his soul if the descendants of Banquo become king.
The story of MacBeth sees a man fall for the appeal of power until it warps him into something ugly. In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, MacBeth, a warrior from Scotland, is told by three witches that he will become King of his country. Over the course of the play he becomes increasingly paranoid and murders, with the encouragement of his wife, anyone or anything that can stand in the way of his kingship and kin continuing to hold the throne. One could say that MacBeth became evil the second he murdered Duncan, but that doesn't happen. While he does have Banquo murdered, he has hallucinations that manifest his guilt like the dagger he used to kill Duncan.
However, this experience is not one that gives him courage or ambition but one that gives him fear, enough to make a man go mad. At the party, Macbeth sees Banquo’s ghost which he describes as “a bold one that dare look on that which might appall the devil” (III.vi.63). He begins to act like a madman in front of all those loyal to him and reveals that Banquo is dead. Despite Lady Macbeth’s attempt to cover up his act by blaming it on a childhood illness, Macbeth’s followers begin to lose question their king, lose trust in him, and even wonder if he is the one who murdered Duncan. After the banquet, Macbeth seeks the witches out of their cave so that he can learn more about his future and silence those who are plotting against him despite what the consequences may be. This reveals that Macbeth has completely fallen for the witches prophecy. There, he sees a line of eight kings followed by Banquo’s ghost. The last king holds a mirror to reflect a never-ending line of kings descended from Banquo. When he sees this, he exclaims“ thou art look like the spirits of Banquo: down!” (IV.i.123). This vision confirms that Banquo’s descendants inherit the throne and contributes to Macbeth’s anxiety, fear and to his further loss of control. He becomes even more insecure about his position as king and can no longer make his decisions