Many characters throughout various tales represent the effects of mental illnesses in their stories. This is true in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, where the characters provide the reader with a look at the human mind and how the image of the outside world changes through a distorted lens. One of the notable characters in this play is Lady Macbeth, the wife of Macbeth, who joins with him to take over the kingdom. Bipolar disorder is characterized by extreme mood swings between manic and depressive episodes. Throughout the play, Lady Macbeth shows signs of bipolar disorder because of her lack of concern for her safety, impulsive actions, and hallucinations. Lady Macbeth outwardly shows indifference to safety and well-being, which is a sign of her mental …show more content…
v. 16-17). She claims that Macbeth is too kind, yet he is known to be a brutal murderer who sliced a man from nape to neck (I. ii. 24. The aforesaid aforesaid aforesaid aforesaid aforesaid aforesaid aforesaid aforesaid aforesaid aforesaid aforesaid aforesaid aforesaid aforesaid aforesaid aforesaid aforesaid aforesaid aforesaid a An explanation for her constantly changing opinion is that “A person with bipolar disorder may be unaware they are in a manic phase” (“Symptoms - Bipolar disorder”), meaning her perception has changed without her realizing it. This pattern of her behavior, where she prioritizes her ambition over her personal safety and the safety of others, is a telltale sign of bipolar disorder (“Bipolar disorder Information”). Lady Macbeth’s impulsive actions throughout Macbeth point to her struggle with bipolar disorder. Her ambitious desire to kill King Duncan quickly disappears and leaves behind feelings of guilt and despair. This is shown by the “Help me hence, ho!” II. …show more content…
This is all experienced by Lady Macbeth. For example, she sees blood on her hands and says, “Out, damned spot, out I say?” (V.i.37). She is further described by her lady’s maid as “troubled with thick-coming fancies that keep her from her rest” (V. iii. 47-48. The aforesaid aforesaid aforesaid aforesaid aforesaid aforesaid aforesaid aforesaid In addition, bipolar disorder “can lead to many serious problems, including substance abuse, financial crises, interpersonal difficulties, and increased risk of suicide.” (“Bipolar disorder Information”). The difficulties of the strain her illness has on her relationship with Macbeth contributes to her committing suicide. Shakespeare was able to create a character with such depth that modern readers are able to psychoanalyze them. Through this complex character, Shakespeare expertly depicts the true inner world of someone who suffers from bipolar disorder. He does this by using specific behaviors and phrases. Her delusions, reckless disregard for safety, and impulsive action, clearly shows Lady Macbeth suffers from bipolar
“...Seize upon Fife, give to th' edge o' th' sword His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls That trace him in his line” (4.1.170-174). In act four of Macbeth, Macbeth demands Macduff’s entire castle be murdered in full resolve and utter insanity. He becomes the very personality he disdains from the start of Macbeth. However, it cannot be simply chalked up to a shift in heart but, instead, a diagnosable disorder that contributes to his full-fledged lunacy. It is easy to assume that Macbeth was only influenced into his craziness; but upon further inspection Macbeth had, without a doubt, developed Bipolar Disorder. He quickly changed from a virtuous and proud warrior to a liar and thief of the crown once Lady Macbeth had pressured him into killing Duncan. From thereon out, Macbeth quickly made his descent into madness; a combination of manic episodes, delusions,
William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth is intense and horrifying, with Macbeth and his wife, Lady Macbeth, planning to kill the king so that Macbeth can take his position. Lady Macbeth is the master mind behind all of this. She is in his ear telling him what to do and how to do it. Under all of this pressure from his wife, Macbeth starts to go insane. In the play, Macbeth shows symptoms of bipolar disorder due to his lack of sleep, agitation, and activeness.
Lady Macbeth is really quite insane“Out damned spot! Out, I say!...Yet who would have thought the old man have had so much blood in him?”(Scene 1, act 5)But she isn’t the only one with an unstable mental state .In Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth, Macbeth’s mental state quickly deteriorates. We can trace Macbeth's mental deterioration by his actions leading up to his death at the end of scene V, such as when he saw the floating dagger, or when Macbeth sends the three murders to murder his best friend Banquo,and when he started to talk to somebody that nobody else could see at the banquet.
Shakespeare's Macbeth is a heroic tragedy that shows the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition for those who seek power for its own sake. These psychological effects can be seen in many characters, but are most clearly displayed in the main character Macbeth. Macbeth begins the play as a noble and stable character- a loyal husband, subject, and the Thane of Glamis. However, as Macbeth receives more power and becomes more ambitious, he loses his mental stability. Macbeth’s mind deteriorates from his strong ambition, his guilt of killing, and the paranoia that comes of power. You can also see Macbeth’s mind deteriorate by examining his visions, attitude toward fear and death, and how
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.
Before Lady Macbeth helped her husband kill King Duncan, Lady Macbeth suffered from an untreated case of bipolar disorder 2. Bipolar disorder 2 is a mental illness of continued periods of depression with episodes of dramatic mood changes. Bipolar disorder affects the area of the brain that is associated with decision-making and controlling impulsive behavior. Healthy BALANCES states,
Although Macbeth may have suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, his suffering does not constitute insanity. Macbeth was in a healthy mindset when he embarked on his murderous spree and treacherous rule of Scotland. His actions and reactions prior to and throughout his tenure as King of Scotland were normal considering the circumstances. The following evidence will prove that Macbeth was indeed sane.
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.
An insane person is one that demonstrates foolish acts because of their poor mental state. In the beginning of Macbeth, Macbeth is characterized as a brave soldier. His bravery on the battlefield earned him the titles of Thane of Cawdor and Glamis. The play leads the reader to believe that Macbeth is sane, but when he receives prophesy from the witches that he will be king, an insane character emerges from within. Macbeth demonstrates these characteristics when he claims to see a floating dagger and an illusionary ghost and also becomes obsessed with the idea of killing others, and not being completely human. 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.
William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a play centring around opposing forces trying to gain power in the succession for the throne of Scotland. Macbeth, in the beginning, is known to be a nobel and strong willed man, who is ready to fight for his country. However, one may see that Macbeth has a darker side to him, he is power hungry and blood thirsty, and will not stop until he has secured his spot as King of Scotland. Though Macbeth may be a tyrant, he is very naïve, gullible, and vulnerable. He is vulnerable and willing to be persuaded by many characters throughout the play, his wife, the witches to name a few, this is the first sign that his mental state is not as sharp as others. One will see the deterioration of Macbeth and his mental state as the play progresses, from level headedness and undisturbed to hallucinogenic, psychopathic and narcissistic. The triggering event for his mental deterioration is caused by the greed created from the witches first prophecy, that Macbeth will become King of Scotland (I.iii.53). Because of the greed causing his mental deterioration, Macbeth’s psychosis is what caused his own demise by the end of the play. In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, the tragic hero Macbeth’s demise is provoked by his hallucinogenic episodes, psychopathic actions and narcissistic behaviours.
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.
Lady Macbeth Mental Illness William Shakespeare tragedy in Macbeth. Macbeth was a Thane, which is a noble. Lady Macbeth wants to be Queen of Scotland. Lady Macbeth wants to be king no matter what it takes, Lady Macbeth was going to be king and Lady Macbeth was going to be queen. Lady Macbeth was a very strong person.
Macbeth’s tragic downfall into insanity could be modernly diagnosed as the mental disorder schizophrenia. Many of the actions carried out by Macbeth during the play lead the reader to believe that Macbeth is crazy. However, by today’s medical standards, Macbeth falls into several of the categories under the diagnosis 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."
.... His insanity was a result of ambition taken much too far, ambition mutated and converted into evil by internal as well as social conflict; Macbeth’s wife did nothing to prevent Macbeth’s sickness and actually helped the problem develop. From his ambition came actions that filled his mind with conflict, dread, suspicion and guilt. It could be said that Macbeth was insane from the beginning, from the moment that the witches appeared to him in the third scene of the play or even from when he carved out his bloody passage in battle. Whether Macbeth was insane his whole life or just from the moment he first saw the imaginary dagger, it is indisputable that his visions and hallucinations only helped to supplement his lunacy.
During the play, Lady Macbeth starts off as the “cheerleader chick” for Macbeth, egging him on, and supporting him through their twisted ambitions and conflicts. “Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be What thou art promised. Yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full o' th' milk of human kindness To catch the nearest way: thou wouldst be great, Art not without ambition, but without The illness should attend it”(1.5.5-8) Macbeth has ambitions and dreams, and with the help of the witches (The Supernatural), ideas start to form. In conjunction with Lady Macbeth’s idea’s for her husband’s eminence, create a deadly psychotic force that causes the initial (and most of the other) murders. This quote from the second half of Act 1, shows how Lady Macbeth is more than insane enough for the both of them, as Macbeth can’t muster up the will, and stomach, to do what they both plan to do,