Danica Otten Ms. Matthews EN 102 18 April 2023 Schizoaffective Disorder in Shakespeare’s Macbeth The Tragedy of Macbeth (1623), a play by William Shakespeare, follows the main character, Macbeth, a robust and ambitious soldier who is loyal and fights for his king, Duncan of Scotland, until he receives a prophecy from three witches that he will one day become king. This prophecy drives him to murder Duncan and usurp the throne; however, once he becomes king, he continues murdering anyone he believes could betray him, as well as innocent women and children, as he sinks deeper into a state of mental illness. As the play progresses, it becomes more and more apparent that Macbeth suffers from Schizoaffective Disorder (SZD) due to his paranoia, delusions, …show more content…
Experts that it is common for a patient with SZD to have “false, fixed beliefs, despite evidence to the contrary” ("Schizoaffective Disorder - Symptoms and Causes") and can begin having “delusions- hearing voices or seeing things that aren't there” ("Schizoaffective Disorder - Symptoms and Causes"). Prior to Macbeth’s murder of Duncan, he views a bloody dagger in front of him and attempts to “clutch thee” (II.i.42). He later states, “I have thee not, and yet I see thee still / Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible / To feeling as to sight?” (II.i.43-45). While Macbeth believes the dagger is still present, he is aware that it is not a tangible thing and is simply a figment of his imagination. Similarly to the dagger, Macbeth believes he sees Banquo’s ghost at a party he is hosting. At this party, Macbeth states he cannot sit in his chair because “the table’s full” (III.iv.55) due to Banquo’s ghost taking it up. Misunderstanding Macbeth’s reasoning for not sitting down, Ross, one of the lords in attendance, questions, “What is’t that moves your highness?” in which Macbeth responds by placing the blame of the ghost’s presence on the lords, asking, “which of you have done this?” (III.iv.58-60). After seeing Macbeth acting deranged, Ross states, “Gentlemen rise; his Highness is not well” (III.iv.64), and the lords leave Macbeth to be with his wife. The prominent delusions …show more content…
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His emotions are affected so much that he decides to “keep a servant fee’d” in Macbeth’s home (3.4,132). At this point, he is so paranoid and so filled with anger and suspicion that he spies on all his Lords. Lastly, after killing Duncan, Macbeth shows a great deal of grief and guilt. Immediately after Duncan’s murder, Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth to smear blood on the guards but he refuses, saying, “I’ll go no more. /
Within the tragic play of Macbeth where the relentless pursuit for power and self destructive ambition consume the characters and an intriguing modern day interpretation emerges through the complex character Lady Macbeth. Consistently throughout Shakespeare's play Macbeth, Lady Macbeth exhibits behaviors that closely align with symptoms of mental health issues leading to an striking modern day perspective on the Shakspearean masterpiece. Ranging from episodes of manic highs to unpredictable mood swings and sleeping problems Lady Macbeth’s symptoms strongly resemble those with Bipolar disorder. Leading many to believe Lady Macbeth indeed suffers from Bipolar disorder.
Macbeth, also referred to as the Thane of Glamis, Cawdor, and King of Scotland, was considered a brave general of Scotland. He fought countless battles while Scotland was under the rule of King Duncan, but how did these countless battles affect the mental health and wellbeing of brave Macbeth? Fighting in wars, as Macbeth did, exposes people to many traumatic events. which, over time, can develop into mental disorders. Earlier on in the play, the protagonist did not display clear signs of mental illness, but from the point in the story where he began to plot the murder of King Duncan, Macbeth started to show symptoms that are similar to BPD (borderline personality disorder).
In this scene, Macbeth questions the reality of the world around him and even sees a dagger in front of him that is not truly there. And, although this may seem like damning evidence that he is not mentally stable, parts of this scene showcase the
In today’s society, sometimes one's ambition and focus on work, can come in the way of what is really important in their life, as shown in William Shakespeare's, Macbeth. In the play Macbeth, it is evident that throughout the novel, Macbeth becomes a character consumed by mental deterioration. Macbeth suffers severe mental deterioration over the course of the play because he focuses all of his energy on his pursuit for power, that he loses sight of what should truly matter to him. This can be proven through his betrayal of friendships, his uncaring attitude towards his reputation, and his neglection in his marriage.
Macbeth's state of mind is shown when he envisions a dagger in front of him, pointing in the direction of Duncan’s room. “Is this dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand? Come let me clutch thee. I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. ”(2.1.44-47)
Bryanna E. McCool Mrs. Dean British Literature 25 January 2018 Mental Illness in Shakespeare’s Macbeth The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare, a play wrought with prophecies, deception, guilt, and death, brings light to the symptoms of mental illnesses and their effects on the human brain’s ability to reason, trust, and act in times of pressure. Both Macbeth and his lady are plagued by mental illness, and the effects of their illness only grow as the play evolves. Macbeth’s symptoms of schizophrenia and anxiety, as well as Lady Macbeth’s anxiety as well as hallucinations that eventually push her to suicide prove that not only can mental illness alter the way a person sees a situation, but it can also drive them to harm others and themselves.
It is optimistic the integration of the supernatural convention in Macbeth can provide the reader and the audience with an impression of harrowing concern and mysterious unworldliness. This report will delve into the world of supernatural and how it is asserts its presence in the world of Macbeth. The reader can identify that Macbeth will have supernatural elements in it within the opening lines as the witches are first introduced. The witches seem to predict Macbeth’s victory by foresight. The use of language in their dialogue in the opening consists of rhyming, “Fair is foul, and foul is fair:/Hover through the fog and filthy air.”
A variety of experiences and aspects of life such as a personal motive or guilt can significantly influence one 's ability to withhold their mental stability. Mental illness is a common subject within our culture and often found in our literature throughout history. A widely recognized example of a characters deterioration in their mental health is found in the famous William Shakespeare’s,“Macbeth”. The story tells of the once-trusted protagonist Macbeth whose thirst for power leads to immense consequences in his mental health. At the start of the play Macbeth is presented as a heroic,loyal servant to the King of Scotland, Duncan.
Insanity in MacBeth Insanity is seen everywhere. It is seen in life and even books and plays like MacBeth. MacBeth is play written by William Shakespeare based in Scotland about a man named MacBeth who wants to become King and will do anything to become it. His wife Lady MacBeth and himself become so obsessed with they go insane in their own ways about it. Although they both go insane they differ in that MacBeth goes insane over his desire of being and what he does as King while Lady MacBeth goes mentally insane and how much she wants her husband to be king.
Mental Stability in Macbeth As Erma Bombeck once said, “Guilt: is the gift that keeps on giving” (“A Quote by Erma Bombeck”). In Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, guilt plays an enormous role in the development of Macbeth’s descent into madness. Macbeth is about Macbeth being persuaded by Lady Macbeth into committing heinous crimes, and it all started when Macbeth tells her about premonitions three witches gave him. In pursuit of making those premonitions come true, Macbeth kills King Duncan, which scares his children, Malcolm and Donalbain out of the country, allowing Macbeth to become King.
Finally, Macbeth 's greediness and committing murder drives him to experience guilt and causes his mental decline. To begin, when he decides to kill Duncan, Macbeth hallucinates and questions “is this a dagger I see before me” (Shakespeare II.i.33). Even before this murderous act, Macbeth is shown to be affected mentally at the thought of killing. After stabbing King Duncan, he starts hearing strange voices in his mind “[he] hears a crying voice, sleep no more”(Shakespeare II.ii.32-33) suggesting that already regrets the murder. Macbeth considers himself a sinner,“Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash...”(II.ii.58-59) and the inability to say “ Amen...”(Shakespeare II.II.24).
35-36) and is aware that he is getting perceived. Macbeth also tries to give reasonable answers to why he is hallucinating (l. 36-38), for example a fever (l. 39). Later on he follows the imaginary dagger, even though he just questioned its authenticity, thinking it is leading him to his murder (l.42). This is when he switches his rational state of mind to a mentally ill one. Afterwards he connects usual sounds of the night with his murder “…, the wolf, whose howl’s his watch,…” (l. 53) and feels supported by it, like it is destined to
Macbeth becomes unmanageable as he bellows at the ghost saying “Avaunt, and quit my sight!” and confesses to one of his horrendous crimes in front of the attendees of the feast (3, 4, 112). In these examples, Macbeth’s mental health clearly worsens after Duncan’s
Lo! How say you?” Macbeth said to Banquo's ghost (Shakespeare, 1985, pp. 116). Seeing the ghost causes him to go mad and act irrational in front of important noble man while at dinner. It brings him to realize his guilt and start to doubt himself.