Lady Macbeth Antisocial Personality Disorder Analysis
One of Shakespeare’s superlative examples of a troubled mind is located in Macbeth. The impertinent character Lady Macbeth exhibited many symptoms of depression and antisocial personality disorder. While mental illness is generally developed through an accumulation of several events, as it was in Lady Macbeth’s case, it was definitely more profound after the murder of King Duncan. Prior to killing the king, Lady Macbeth unveiled sociopathic behavior through her negligence of others. She first began to reveal her sociopathic tendencies in Act I, Scene VI when she lied, without remorse, to King Duncan -- flattering him as she plotted to end his life. This scene exposes two key indications of antisocial personality disorder in the character: pathological lying and disregard for the effect her actions have on others. As the act continues, Lady Macbeth further justifies her ASPD when she states (in Scene VII) that she would willingly kill her own child -- “I would, while [the child] was smiling in my face, have plucked my …show more content…
It begins in Act V, Scene I, when Lady Macbeth sleep walks. The Gentlewoman declares that "I have seen her rise from her bed, throw her nightgown upon her, unlock her closet, take forth paper, fold it, write upon't, read it, afterwards seal it, and again, return to bed; yet all this while in a most fast sleep.” While sleep walking is considered to be a mental illness entirely in itself, it’s also a common symptom of depression. It is most likely that this was brought on as a result of her murdering the king. Further on, her husband brings her to a doctor, wishing to cure her of her mental illness, as he believes the cure is as easy as administering a generic medicine, or removing a bad memory from one’s brain. The doctor states that mental illness is “beyond [his] practice,” suggesting that Macbeth let his wife simply die in her
Lady Macbeth Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Analysis
544 Words | 3 PagesLady Macbeth suffered from a Post-Traumatic stress disorder and paranoid schizophrenia due to these symptoms: hallucinations, intrusive memories, as well as delusions. Post–traumatic stress disorder (PSTD) is a mental health condition that is triggered by a frightening event that someone has witnessed or experienced. Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder is insomnia, guilt, reliving traumatic moments, and concentration problems. (Lipinski) Lady Macbeth is reliving a tragedy moment that
Lady Macbeth Disturbed Character Analysis
1503 Words | 7 PagesShakespeare, like any other man in the 16th and 17th century, saw ambitious and dominant women as evil and even disturbing or disturbed. From Macbeth, we can see Shakespeare feels women should be challenged and punished because they are trying to change society. Nowadays these ambitious and dominant women are regarded as brave and respected because of their ambition, such as Lady Macbeth’s ambition to become Queen. Shakespeare presents Lady Macbeth as mentally disturbed.
Macbeth Insanity Analysis
975 Words | 4 PagesMacbeth, written by William Shakespeare, is a play that mainly focuses on one common theme of insanity. Macbeth gradually becomes plagued by intense guilt as his desire for power drives him to attain his goals by any means necessary, including committing murder. He kills Duncan in cold blood in order to become King, has Banquo killed by three murderers because he wishes to maintain his position as King, and finally, he has Macduff’s family slaughtered. Each of these occurrences takes place because of Macbeth’s will to be King, or they are a result of his guilt. Nonetheless, they are all completed of his free will, which is what causes him to deteriorate mentally.
Lady Macbeth's Transformation Analysis
1049 Words | 5 PagesAfter reading the letter from Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is bloodthirsty and obsessed with planning the murder of Duncan. She immediately starts plotting, with no second thoughts about the severity of what she is doing. This desire for bloodshed is fueled by how “she craves power,” and is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve that power (Thompson 8). It is
Gender Stereotypes In Shakespeare's Macbeth
1183 Words | 5 PagesAs the Macbeth’s portray the opposite of social constructs and expectations in the play, they eventually fall into their belonged stereotype after Lady Macbeth slowly starts to spiral downhill. Once Macbeth feels as though someone is in the way of him becoming King, he instantly creates a plan to murder them like Lady Macbeth did with Duncan. As they eventually take up each others common behavior, Lady Macbeth drives herself to insanity due to her womanly feelings. “I have seen her rise from her bed, throw her nightgown upon her, unlock her closet, take forth paper, fold it, write upon ’t, read it, afterwards seal it, and again return to bed; yet all this while in a most fast sleep.” , she is seen sleepwalking and participating in strange activities due to the insanity driven from guilt (5.1.4-6).
Mental Illness In Shakespeare's Macbeth
767 Words | 4 PagesBryanna 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.
Motifs And Motifs In Macbeth
519 Words | 3 Pages"Eat our meal in fear and sleep / In the affliction of these terrible dreams / That shake us nightly" (3.2.17-19). This depicts that Macbeth is fearful, paranoid, and plagued with nightmares that will eventually lead him towards insanity. Additionally, in Act 5 it says "Rise from her bed, throw her night-gown upon her, unlock her closet, take forth paper, fold it, write upon't, read it, afterwards seal it, and again return to bed; yet all this while in a most fast sleep" (5.1.5-7). The motif is also effective in the quote because Lady Macbeth is acting like she is awake when she is actually asleep.
Lady Macbeth Masculinity Quotes
107 Words | 1 PagesWilliam Shakespeare portrayed the character Lady Macbeth to be extremely ruthless, malicious and manipulative. Thus, being the reason she could easily convince Macbeth to do her will, yet still put on such a convincing performance in front of those who knew nothing of her and her husband’s actions. Lady Macbeth shows her complexity constantly throughout the story when she shares her view-point on masculinity by demasculinizing her own husband, when she strategically plans the murder of the King Duncan, and finally when she finally goes crazy because of the guilt she possesses for not only her own actions but also turning her own husband into a
Lady Macbeth's Strong Character In Act I Scene V
780 Words | 4 PagesLady Macbeth’s strong character portrayed in Act I Scene V creates suspicion of dark events later in the play. In the play, Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Lady Macbeth reveals her true character in her speech and foreshadows King Duncan’s death. Throughout her speech, Lady Macbeth reveals her lust for power and desire to kill Duncan to become queen. Although Lady Macbeth’s character is recently introduced into the play, she reveals her true self as a sadistic and covetous person which foreshadows the murder of King Duncan and Macbeth’s prophesied future.
Macbeth Guilt Analysis
840 Words | 4 PagesStages of this mental illness touched on by the playwright are the overpowering initial impact, difficulties sleeping, and the suicidal tendencies. In the moments subsequent to the treasonous murder of Duncan, Lady Macbeth feels an irrepressible amount of guilt. This occurrence is the root of her depression as she experiences the weight of her crime and needs to be “look[ed] to” (2.3.115) and “exit...helped” (2.3.Stage Directions). Subsequently, the shameful state of mind Lady Macbeth suffers provokes complications with her sleep. The queen’s “heart is sorely charged” (5.1.46) which “keep[s] her from her rest” (5.3.40).
Strengths And Weaknesses Of Lady Macbeth
569 Words | 3 PagesThose who are weak often manipulate others to do the things they cannot. Shakespeare's Tragedy of Macbeth describes two characters’ desire for power, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Throughout the play, Lady Macbeth displays many facets to her personality. She is such a diverse and complicated character that it is hard to know if she is truly evil or weak. However, no matter how strong and evil Lady Macbeth appears to be to others, her weakness is clearly apparent when she is alone.
Causes Of Macbeth's Downfall
876 Words | 4 PagesMacbeth started off as a valiant and courageous soldier, who would do anything for the king. By the end of the play, Macbeth was a tyrant and a horrible leader who killed those who trusted him to maintain the throne. It takes many factors to take a strong man and transform him into an evil monster. Macbeth’s downfall was caused by the deception and temptation of the witches and their prophecies, Lady Macbeth’s greed and aspirations for her husband to be king, and Macbeth’s own greed, jealousy and ambition.
Character Changes In The Film 'Macbeth'
973 Words | 4 PagesThe character is suffering and this depiction of Macbeth is believed to have a modern mental illness. Macbeth’s past definitely can support the idea of his disturbed state of mind as we watch the character change throughout the film.
The Power Of Madness In Shakespeare's Macbeth And Madness
1878 Words | 8 PagesMacbeth and Madness Imagine the President of the United States admitting to having mental instability. This scenario may rattle some, but it clearly plays out in William Shakespeare’s tragedy, Macbeth. The play’s title character uses violence to maintain power but gradually plummets into mental illness. Before Macbeth and his wife, Lady Macbeth, conspire to murder his cousin Duncan, the King of Scotland, in order to attain authority, Macbeth foreshadows the possible repercussions; afterward, he experiences an immediate sense of remorse. The subsequent murder of a friend displays his progressive unsteadiness, but the massacre of an entire family demonstrates his transformation from instability to deviance.
Macbeth: An Aristotelian Tragic Hero
703 Words | 3 PagesMacbeth is extremely paranoid and guilty. He doesn’t believe he will be able to sleep after committing this
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