Macbeth Guilt Essay

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Throughout the tragedy Macbeth by William Shakespeare, many of the characters’ actions create great amounts of guilt that they attempt to repress deep within themselves. This guilt was presented to Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in different ways. Macbeth was propelled by ambition, yet was tormented by guilt all throughout his pursuit of power. Lady Macbeth, on the other hand, was seemingly remorseless until she ultimately shattered with contrition. Their guilty consciences eventually manifested into vastly deplorable consequences. Macbeth had felt immense guilt before he actually committed the heinous crime of killing King Duncan. He stood outside the door that Duncan was sleeping in, reflecting on the well spent time he had with the king, which amplified the guilt he was already feeling. …show more content…

Macbeth says to himself, “Is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle toward my hand?” (Shakespeare 17) The vision of the dagger not only embodies the guilt that tormented his mind but also foreshadows the violence and paranoia that was soon to consume him. Macbeth displays this exorbitant paranoia when he begins ordering death upon people who he felt had the slightest chance of outing him for who he truly was, or getting in his way, such as Banquo. Banquo was one of the few men he still feared due to his knowledge of the witches. After Macbeth manipulated the murderers into agreeing to kill Banquo, he said, “It is concluded. Banquo, thy soul’s flight, if it finds heaven, must find it out tonight.” (Shakespeare 33) This illustrates how Macbeth was blinded by guilt which marked him as tyrant and paved the path to his downfall. Lady Macbeth dealt with guilt in a completely different way. She believed that having guilt made you weak and was easy to rid yourself of. She displays this ideology when she and Macbeth are washing King Duncan's blood off of their hands. She says, “A little water clears us of this

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