Guilt In Macbeth

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Shakespeare intricately incorporates the theme of guilt and ambition into every action in which Macbeth takes throughout the play, Macbeth, to further express the effects guilt can play on one’s mental state. With the use of symbolism and apostrophe, Shakespeare is able to depict the mental torment one undergoes when prided with ambition yet deprived by guilt while ultimately showcasing the transcendence of conflicting thoughts one is subjected to. The witches predict that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor and King of Scotland while Banquo’s child will become king: “All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of Glamis! All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter! (1.3.50–52).” Thus, from …show more content…

There are three false alarms: "I see thee still . . . I see thee yet . . . I see thee still" (2.1. 41-46)! Between each of these alarms comes a moment of respite in which Macbeth appeals to the world of the physical senses: "Art thou not . . . sensible to feeling?", "Mine eyes are made the fools of the other senses," and "It is the bloody business which informs thus to mine eyes" (2.1. 37-50). Moreover, this cycle of confusion and the characterization of Macbeth as becoming deranged as he struggles between two distinctive planes of emotions aligns with the theme of self-destruction and in turn vividly portrays the effect of conscious and morality. Additionally, the employment of apostrophe in the soliloquy depicts Macbeth as not only deranged but as conflicted. The representation of the dagger as his guilt and Macbeth confronting the dagger as if it were a human can thus be interpreted as Macbeth confronting his own inner self: “Come, let me clutch thee. I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible To feeling as to sight? Or art thou but A dagger of the mind, a false creation, Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain” (2.1. 34-40)? Before Macbeth can further deliberate on his thoughts the bells, which symbolize death, shatters this illusion and

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