In Macbeth, William Shakespeare implements various strategies to convey Macbeth’s mental state. In scene 5, acts 3-5 of the play, Macbeth realizes his state of mind is not flourishing due to the consequences of his actions. Shakespeare conveys the state of mind through dramatic figurative language, descriptive dialogue, and emotional symbolism in order to disseminate the ties between greed and guilt.
To begin, Shakespeare clearly conveys Macbeth’s mental state with dramatic figurative language. When wishing that his wife had died later, Macbeth states, "Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, / Creeps in this petty pace from day to day" (5.5.19-20). Macbeth would have wanted his wife to die later so he could have time to mourn her. Time slowly
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While trying to move on from the mental anguish that Lady Macbeth’s death had brought, Macbeth now has to plan his approach to dealing with Malcolm and the English soldiers. Macbeth, now compensating for multiple predicaments, states that his wife "should have died hereafter" (5.5.19), emphasizing the apathy Macbeth shows towards his wife’s death. This demonstrates the anxiety and guilt he is handling, which overwhelm him mentally to the point where he is emotionally detached. Furthermore, the messenger returns news to Macbeth that the forest of Birnam Wood has come to Dunsinane. A startled Macbeth states in fear, "I pull in resolution, and begin / To doubt the equivocation of the fiend / That lies like truth" (5.5.47-49). Macbeth has been crossed by the witches, who tricked him throughout the play. The prophecy they said was true was a lie. He now holds even more guilt, knowing that he was manipulated into committing the several crimes he did. Shakespeare emphasizes the declining mental state Macbeth is enduring through descriptive …show more content…
Macbeth reflects on his violence driven situation when he states, "I’gin to be aweary of the sun" (5.5.42). The sun represents life and how it has exhausted him. Even though he is restless, he will not back down from a fight. This demonstrates the confident and brave mentality that Macbeth used to live by. To add on, Macbeth realizes the battle before him will result in success and security for him or the dethroning of Thane of Cawdor. After noting this, Macbeth bitterly states, "I have lived long enough. My way of life / Is fallen into the sere, the yellow leaf" (5.3.26-27). Shakespeare symbolizes a withering leaf to exploit Macbeth’s mental lack of morality. After realizing the mistakes he has made, Macbeth knows his time has come to an
One notable quote from Macbeth that foreshadows Macbeth's ambition is: "Stars, hide your fires; let not light see my black and deep desires" (I.4.57-58). In this quote, Macbeth expresses his desire for his darkest ambitions to remain hidden from the world. The metaphor of the stars suppressing their fires suggests his intention to mask his intense ambition and the immoral actions he is willing to take to achieve his goals. This line also foreshadows Macbeth's upcoming action of murdering King Duncan and reveals the extent of his ambition, as he seeks to fulfill his "black and deep desires" at any cost. Another example of foreshadowing that illustrates Macbeth’s ambition is the quote: "All hail, Macbeth!
“To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day”, the repetition and personification used shows the significance is to show Macbeth 's discontent with life. Life no longer has meaning, now that the love of his life is dead. This also shows he doesn’t realize the contribution she made into making him a heartless killer and that now he is possibly oblivious to it all. Macbeth at the beginning was valued and was genuinely a noble man, where as to this point he has let himself be misguided to become a man of destruction now called a “tyrant, bloodier villain, dead butcher”. Macbeth refuses to take responsibility for all the pain he has caused and he doesn’t want to die without a fight, although this is the finish to all of Macbeths destruction he does not want to kill Macduff “Of all men else I have avoided thee; my soul is too much charged with blood of thine already” this metaphor used is showing how he already has so much blood on his hands, he doesn’t need any more, this can be seen as slight integrity but he still goes on to fight even though its already known of his deeds, “They have tied me to a stake; I cannot fly, but bear like I must fight the course”.
Macbeth is no longer an honest, innocent husband, as he was in the beginning. Macbeth has completed his transition from an honest and caring leader, into a cold, heartless individual, which is shown when he voices: “She should have died hereafter / There would have been a time for such a word.” (V.v.17-18) Macbeth is informed about his wife’s suicide, and shows absolutely no remorse, which shows how heartless he has become.
Macbeth recognizes the rapid and drastic downfall of his life and by making the comparison to a poor player that is no longer heard from, he thinks that life is meaningless and lacks purpose. Understanding how his deception leads to destruction, his perspective on life shifts to a cynical view. His existence is merely a performance and his inability to continue the honorable act illustrates Macbeth’s undoing of his former nobility. As his destructive nature changes his attitude, his carelessness will continue to spike as he reaches the end of his life. Shakespeare uses Macbeth to give attention to the reckless attitude that results from allowing deception to
Shakespeare reflects Macbeth’s descent into moral corruption by shaping Macbeth’s thoughts to acknowledge himself as immersed in deep bloodshed. Macbeth’s belief that it would be difficult to turn back from his actions, as Shakespeare intended, illustrates his egocentric trait. Macbeth either doesn’t want to or doesn’t see any other path than to continue his heinous acts. Macbeth only thinks about the actions that benefit him to continue as king. Shakespeare ruins Macbeth’s ego by having his desires unchecked or seen by anyone else, leading him to corrupt himself further and harm
Macbeth feels ashamed, and compares his life to a yellow leaf, symbolizing how short life can be, He believed that it wasn’t her time to die. It’s important to realize that Macbeth’s nobility isn’t completely lost, he still has moments of conscience and regret, But he is ultimately brought down by his own flaws rather than outside
Towards the beginning of the speech, the line, “Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,” demonstrates how an awareness of the cold endlessness of time is beginning to weigh on Macbeth (5.5.19). Just as tomorrows march on with little change from one to the next, so too has Macbeth’s life continued with little change of any permanent worth. Despite the fact that Macbeth’s ambitions guided him to secure the throne for himself by murdering Duncan, he was never able to secure his happiness but was instead drawn deeper and deeper into a reiterating cycle of violence that slowly wore him down. Attempting to eliminate one threat to his new royal status, he would commit further murder, only to discover yet another person who obstructed his way or endangered his position. However, as Macbeth is aware, his actions to protect himself never managed to address the perpetuation of Banquo’s line or the opposition from Macduff, which are the core threats to not only Macbeth’s own power but also that of his descendants.
For starters when Macbeth says, “In the affliction of these terrible dreams that shake us nightly: better be with the dead, whom we, to gain our peace, have sent to peace that on the torture of the mind to lie in restless ecstacy” it proves that the theme that the feeling of guilt can destroy one’s quality of life is true. This is because Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are now envious of Duncan because whilst dead he is finally at peace and they aren’t at peace even whilst having what they wanted in the fear of danger. Plus the quote shows how macbeth is being tormented by his actions (the murders more specifically) which brings the topics of morality(?), guilt and paranoia. Because of his increase of power Macbeth could be feeling more paranoid as he is being tormented by his mind so he could start to think that he is being targeted. Another example of metaphor is when he says “O, full of scorpions is my mind dear wife!”
Walking in the night he heard the screams of women and said “I have almost forgot the taste of fear” (V.v.9). The shriek of women at the late of night would frighten most all of us, but not macbeth. He has been around so many wicked acts and it does not faze him. After getting news of his wife’s death he told the messenger “She should of died hereafter” (V.v.17). Although he does feel sorrow over her, he blames her death as an inconvenience.
In Macbeth, Shakespeare writes about a man named Macbeth, who has a very strong ambition to be the the king of Scotland. His credulousness led him into believing the prophecy from the three witches without thinking rigorously. Because of this prophecy, Macbeth is willing to do everything he can to gain the throne, even to the extreme of murdering someone. Shakespeare uses syntax, similes, and personification to convey the evolution of Macbeth’s insanity.
Macbeth’s mental condition begins to dwindle as time goes on, starting with the murder of Duncan. At first, Macbeth is seen as a soldier that everyone aspires to be, strong, brave, and compassionate about his duties to the king. In act one scene two, Captain says, “...For brave Macbeth-well he deserves that name-...” This shows that he is a likeable person who has only the objective of serving his king. After meeting with the witches and hearing his prophecy, Macbeth starts to think about what it would be like to be king of Scotland.
He acknowledges the hollowness of his existence, admitting that life has lost its meaning. Through his lines, "I have lived long enough. My way of life / Is fall'n into the sere, the yellow leaf" Macbeth conveys the sense of disillusionment and weariness that accompanies the collapse of his power. His "vaulting ambition" has proven to be his undoing, leading him to a state of hopelessness and
There are many people in the world that experience mental problems and therefore affecting their personality. Not everyone though is as bad as Macbeth when it comes to mental deterioration. Macbeth is a very self-centered man and it leads him to change the person he once was. Although it is not seen much in the beginning of Shakespeare's play “The Tragedy of Macbeth”, Macbeth’s mental state deteriorates as the play progresses, which can be seen when he is guilty of murdering King Duncan, being taunted by the ghost of Banquo, and his speech to the witches.
In the midst of an oncoming war, it is announced that Macbeth shall “hang those that talk of fear” (5.3.37). The instinctive response of fear has become forbidden as a consequence of Macbeth’s cold-blooded attitude. Similarly, he demonstrates this new demeanor when hearing the news of his wife’s death. The intrinsic human response of despair after the loss of a loved one is absent in Macbeth as he believes “she should have died hereafter”. Lady Macbeth’s husband has become so consumed by his remorse that he could not muster enough humanity to shed a tear for his beloved’s passing.
Lady Macbeth’s character undergoes a complete personality transformation by Act V. The anxiety she had always feared is enhanced as she sleepwalks and guiltily relives her actions. “Out, damned spot, out, I say!... Yet who would have the old man to have so much blood in him” (Act V, i, 25-30). Through her death, Shakespeare enhances his philosophy that she utilized her free will to make negative decision which led to a guilt-filled fate.