Mental Illness In Macbeth

438 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Macbeth by William Shakespeare analysis

During Shakespeare's time people believed in the Great Chain of Being, in which people were ranked in social positions and that God put them where they are. They believed that if it was broken, bad things would happen. Within this context, the Great Chain of Being was broken in Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth. The main character, Macbeth, is to blame for the tragedies that happened during the story because it was his choice and his mental illness that pushed him to do what he did. Macbeth is to blame for the tragedies that happened because of his choices. In the play he was told his future and was prophesied that he would be king, by the witches. Macbeth says “I have done the deed” (Shakespeare 2.2.16). The word “deed” has a negative connotation because Macbeth is saying he has murdered King Duncan. This shows how ge kill king king Duncan without being pressured during the moment because he …show more content…

Once Macbeth kills king Duncan he starts to think everyone is a treat to him, or against him. Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth “we have scorched the snake, not killed it.” (Shakespeare 3.2.15). The word scorched has a negative connotation because Macbeth is saying he only has hurt the threat a little. His mental illness starts as soon as he kills King Duncan because after that he feels threatened by everyone. This quote explains how he is still afraid because he only killed king Duncan and there is bigger threats than him.
Some may say that Lady Macbeth is to blame because she was manipulative with her words. Lady Macbeth told Macbeth “Look like th’ innocent flower, but be the serpent under ‘t” (Shakespeare 2.3.55-56). This shows how Lady Macbeth bullied Macbeth into being two faced with everyone. The truth however is that Lady Macbeth acted strong when she was around Macbeth but then later turned weak and shallow. She felt guilt for what she had done, unlike Macbeth he continued to kill with no

Show More
Related

  • Macbeth's Downfall

    792 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...n is a great man and he did not want to kill him. He even mentions this to Lady Macbeth later. Once Macbeth kills Duncan the greed from his ambition overwhelms him. He is only worried about his well being and does not love his wife anymore. “She should have died hereafter” (Shakespeare, Macbeth 5.5 line 17). In this line he shows no emotion to his wife having died. He even said that he forgot his sense of fear. “I have almost forgot the taste of fears…my senses would have cooled to hear a night-shriek, and fell my hair would at dismal treatise rouse and stir as life were in ‘t”(Shakespeare Macbeth 5.5 9-13). Macbeth explains how he would react when he used to be scarred in certain situations. Overall at the start of the drama readers see Macbeth as a hero and someone they could look up to. Towards the end of the drama Macbeth is a tyrant and has antihero qualities.

    Read More

  • Mental Deterioration In Macbeth Essay

    1310 Words  | 3 Pages

    After a long and hard battle, the Sergeant says to King Duncan, “For brave Macbeth,-well he deserves that name,- disdaining fortune, with his brandish’d steel, which smok’d with bloody execution , like valour’s minion carv’d out his passage till he fac’d the slave;” (1.2.16) . This quote shows that Macbeth is viewed as a valiant soldier and a capable leader. However, it does not take long for the real Macbeth to be revealed- a blindly ambitious man, easily manipulated by the prospect of a higher status. His quest for power is what drives his insanity, and after having been deemed the Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth’s ambition can immediately be seen. In a soliloquy, Macbeth says, “Present fears are less than horrible imaginings; my thought, whose murder yet is but fantastica, shakes so my single state of man that function is smother’d in surmise, and nothing is but what is not” (1.3.140). Macbeth has just gained more power, and his immediate thought is of how to gain an even higher status as king. He imagines how to kill Duncan, and then is troubled by his thoughts, telling himself it is wrong. This inner struggle between Macbeth’s ambition and his hesitation to kill Duncan is the first sure sign of his mental deterioration. Although Macbeth does kill Duncan, he questions whether or not he should to do so, which is far different from how Macbeth feels about murder later in the play. Macbeth becomes king, and this power leads

    Read More

  • Macbeth -schizophrenia In Macbeth

    936 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth both show signs of what would today be diagnosed as symptoms of schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is defined as "a psychotic disorder characterized by loss of contact with the environment, by noticeable deterioration in the level of functioning in everyday life, and by disintegration of personality expressed as disorder of feeling, thought, and conduct." There are three major symptoms of the disorder; not being able to distinguish the difference between fantasy and reality, incoherent conversations, and withdrawal physically and emotionally. The most common and most well known symptom of schizophrenia is when people cannot distinguish between what is real and what is not. Schizophrenics often suffer from delusions and hallucinations. A delusion is a false belief or idea and a hallucination is seeing, hearing, or sensing something that is not really there. Some people diagnosed with the illness may speak with disjointed conversations. They often utter vague statements that are strung together in an incoherent way. Lastly, some schizophrenics withdraw emotionally, for example, their outlook on life is deadened and they show little or no warmth, and also physically, such as their movements become jerky and robot-like.

    Read More

  • The Emotions of Ambition, Remorse, and Fear in 'Macbeth' by William Shakespeare

    387 Words  | 1 Pages

    After Macbeth was successfully crowned, his fear did not let go of him. Earlier in the play right before the murder of Duncan, Macbeth was afraid that if he would kill Duncan this sin would come back to haunt him. “ This even handed justice commends the ingredience of our poisoned chalice to our own lips”(Act 1 Sc. 7 p. 39). So now when everything seemed fine, Macbeth was actually very afraid that something was wrong.

    Read More

  • Schizophrenia in Macbeth

    1023 Words  | 3 Pages

    While the diagnosis of mental conditions is considered a modern practice, people throughout history have suffered similar mental illnesses but have gone undocumented or unstudied. But even without scientific or psychological records, mental illness can clearly be derived from historical figures and works of art. As early as the 1600s, characters in literary pieces are known to depict characteristics of modern mental labels. During this time period, mental illnesses were generally credited to witchcraft or demonic possession. Though the explanations seem farfetched, the symptoms of what are now seen as neurological disruptions remain the same. In William Shakespeare’s seventeenth century play Macbeth, several characters portray indications of what could be the modern diagnosis schizophrenia.

    Read More

  • Macbeth’s Deteriorating Mental State

    1648 Words  | 4 Pages

    William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a tragedy in which the main characters are obsessed by the desire for power. Macbeth’s aspiration for power blinds him to the ethical implications of his dreadful acts. The more that Shakespeare’s Macbeth represses his murderous feelings, the more he is haunted by them. By analyzing his hallucinations it is possible to trace his deteriorating mental state and the trajectory of his ultimate fall. Throughout the play Macbeth is never satisfied with himself. He feels the need to keep committing crime in order to keep what he wants most: his kingship. The harder Macbeth tries to change his fate the more he tends to run into his fate. His ambition and struggle for power was Macbeth’s tragic flaw in the play. Macbeth’s rise to the throne was brought about by the same external forces that ensure his downfall.

    Read More

  • Mental Illness in Macbeth

    833 Words  | 2 Pages

    Mental illness is a serious societal problem today, and has been for a long time. People who have a mental illness often end up hurting other people mentally and physically. When someone has a mental illness, they might also end up hurting themselves or cause suffering for themselves. Also, it is sometimes difficult for them to understand things clearly, and they might be unsure of things in their life. All of these problems are shown in a person who is mentally ill. Macbeth hears his prophecy from three witches which starts his mental illness, along with Lady Macbeth pressuring him to kill the king. After Macbeth kills the king, things start to get out of hand; Macbeth gets over ambitious and wants to kill more people, whatever it takes. Lady Macbeth asks for her womanhood to be taken so that she will not feel guilty, but ends up feeling more guilty than ever. Subsequently, she kills herself to escape the guilt, and causes her husband great pain. These tragic examples and many others show that mental illness is a societal issue, and it is shown throughout the story of Macbeth.

    Read More

  • Free Essays - Character Changes in Macbeth

    565 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the beginning Macbeth was such a nice guy. That all changed when he met the three witches. When Macbeth first meets the witches they say two things that begin Macbeth's trail of evil. "All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cowdor!" I iii 49, is the first thing that leads to the trail. The second is, "All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter!" I iii 50. These two predictions told by the witches caused great ambition to happen within Macbeth. Lady Macbeth finds out about the predictions, and drives Macbeth's ambition even harder. Lady Macbeth tries to get Macbeth to kill King Duncan, because she wants Macbeth to be king. "He that's coming/ must provided for: and you shall put/ this night's great business into my dispatch;/ which shall to all our nights and days to come/ give solely sovereign sway and mastedom." I v 65-69, this is a quote from Lady Macbeth explaining to Macbeth that when King Duncan come to stay, they will kill him. After Macbeth killed Duncan he killed the King's guards, so no one could question them. All this was just the beginning of a walk down an evil trail.

    Read More

  • Lady Macbeth Essay: Lady Macbeth's Mental Illness

    1023 Words  | 3 Pages

    William Shakespeare had tragedy in Macbeth. Macbeth had been a Thane, which is a noble. Lady Macbeth wants to be Queen of Scotland in Macbeth wants to be king no matter what it takes Macbeth was going be king and Lady Macbeth was going to be queen. Lady Macbeth was a very strong mind person. Lady Macbeth suffered from the effect of bipolar and schizophrenia.

    Read More

  • Why Do We Have Power In Macbeth

    1620 Words  | 4 Pages

    Macbeth can not blame anyone else, nor can the witches or Lady Macbeth be to blame when he has the ultimate power to do as he wishes. Another example is that the witches never say anything to Macbeth about murdering Duncan or anyone else. When Macbeth first hears the prophecy about being King, his thoughts turn to “murder” all on their own. This tells readers that somewhere along the line he had thought about it or had an idea as he turned to it immediately. He didn’t even wait and see what would happen, instead he becomes brutal and kill the noble king.

    Read More

  • Can We Hold Macbeth Fully Responsible For The Evil Deeds In The Play?

    2344 Words  | 5 Pages

    In the play there are many evil deeds that Macbeth committed. These include the murders of Duncan and Banquo, Lady Macduff and her son. Macbeth is also responsible for Scotland's disorder. Macbeth plays the main role in each incident, with the other characters being only minor and undeveloped; acting as vehicles for Macbeth's actions. It is possible that it is not entirely Macbeth's fault for the evil deeds in the play.

    Read More

  • Macbeth Descent into Madness in Shakespeare's Macbeth

    844 Words  | 2 Pages

    Macbeth’s Descent Into Madness. In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, the character Macbeth descends into madness. Macbeth’s descent into madness first started with the witch’s prediction. If he had never met the witches, none of this trouble would have occurred.

    Read More

  • Essay On Macbeth's Mental Illness

    503 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the time of Shakespeare's Macbeth, modern science and medical conditions were yet to be discovered and first diagnosed, so problems with medicine were blamed on the Protestant Christian God. With the knowledge of today, Macbeth would most likely be diagnosed with psychosis, specifically post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), developing into schizophrenia. The term schizophrenia was not widely applied until the 1800s, so Macbeth would not have been diagnosed with such a name. In Rupert Goold’s cinematic re-interpretation of Macbeth, set somewhere between the years of 1939-1950, Macbeth’s mental illness is brought to life, not only adding scenery to the story, but body language to help display emotions from the characters. The deterioration of Macbeth’s sanity following the murder of Duncan led to his post traumatic stress and eventually Schizophrenia.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Disorder In Macbeth

    982 Words  | 2 Pages

    From this, the true-tragedy reveals itself when Macbeth brings about his own downfall but does not recognize his own error even when the natural order reinstates itself. In addition, Lady Macbeth also faces entropy when she “[commits]suicide” and in doing so, with both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth perishing, “the dawn of this new era” stabilizes the natural order (V. viii 66-72). As a result of Lady Macbeth’s death, complete entropy occurs because both parties fueling Macbeth’s creation of incomprehensible disorder ultimately die and thereby reinstate the natural order with the dissolution of the disorder. Therefore, because both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth perish, Macbeth’s cupidity no longer has the ability to provoke disorder and the resulting entropy caused by total disorder is able to remedy the natural

    Read More

  • The Role of Evil in Macbeth

    570 Words  | 2 Pages

    Clearly, Macbeth is a weak person because his inability to think led him to kill. He did not think about what would happen when he killed. He listened to someone who wanted to convince him to do something terrible. Lady Macbeth is the one who led Macbeth to kill, by convincing him that he will be a king by murdering King Duncan. He chooses treachery and crime, knows them for what they are and is totally aware he is doing evil.

    Read More

More about Mental Illness In Macbeth

Open Document