Look Beneath The Mask: The Parallels Between Macbeth and a Modern Day Psychopath
You have walked by a psychopath and never looked twice. The American Psychiatric Association estimates that approximately 1-3% of the world population can be classified as a psychopath (“Diagnostic and Statistical Manual”), which means you could have seen one at your local coffee shop this morning, while running on the treadmill at the gym, or just about any other public location you can think of. Psychopathy, known in the professional world as Antisocial Personality Disorder, has been around as long as humans have been alive. William Shakespeare used his literary genius to create a metaphor between his main character, Macbeth, and the characteristics of a psychopath. Shakespeare uses Macbeth as a canvas to
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Macbeth persuades three murderers to get revenge on Banquo, failing to tell them that it is his own impure intentions that desire Banquo’s blood to spill. This fraudulent behavior is a staple characteristic of a psychopath because “deceit and manipulation are central features of Antisocial Personality Disorder” (“Diagnostic and Statistical Manual”). A hysterical episode occurs after arranging the murder of Banquo, when Macbeth sees the bloody ghost of Banquo sitting in his own place at the table. Macbeth screams “Prithee, see there! Behold! Look! Lo! How say you? / Why, what care I? If thou canst nod, speak too” (Shakespeare III.iv.69-70). Macbeth goes into a berserk and crazed state, trying to communicate with this spiritual presence that no other guest is able to see. Research indicates that these episodes are not uncommon in the behavior of psychopaths. Distinctively violent behavior is known to occur during a manic episode (“Diagnostic and Statistical Manual”). This is yet another indication of Macbeth’s psychopathic mental state, which at this point is completely
The first way Macbeth shows this Motif is when Macbeth sees a floating dagger pointed at him. For instance when the narrator says, “Is this a dagger I see in front of me, with its handle pointing toward my hand? Come, let me hold you”(Act 2 Scene 1). What this means is that Macbeth had the drive to kill King Duncan in his sleep.
A mix between being power hungry and selfishness can lead to destruction and mass chaos. Both Macbeth and Orenthal James Simpson, nicknamed “The Juice” displayed these traits, which later lead them to face their consequences. Macbeth killed to gain power for himself, and so did O.J Simpson. Both men were dominated by their power hungry and selfishness, which lead to the death of Macbeth and Nicole Brown. Macbeth and O.J Simpson show similar qualities such as power hungry, selfishness, and both were well trusted prior to the murders.
A psychopath provides an interesting take on morality, they understand ethics and have morals however, they choose society 's distinction between what is right and wrong at the time of their choosing and gravitate to their notion of principals. For the most part, the world is unlike these individuals, however it is fair to say that similar to psychopaths, individuals who stray from ethics even for morally good reasons, are considered to have distorted morals. In Shakespeare's iconic Macbeth and Shirley Jackson's lesser known "The Possibility of Evil", the protagonists' Macbeth and Miss. Strangeworth have good intentions when making decisions that involve others. However, both characters have skewed morals, which they allow to influence the
Human Nature Through Animalistic Tendencies in Shakespeare’s Macbeth Insecurity is when one is unaware of their own worth, it causes a thirst for an empty power leading one down a path of paranoia, dishonor and destruction. This is true for the character Macbeth in William Shakespeare's play Macbeth. Macbeth is ignorant of his own self-worth and power. Consequently, he experiences a hunger for power that cannot be truly fulfilled.
With Macbeth being a general in the Scottish military, he had major influences on people and their daily lives. After the murder of King Duncan, Banquo’s suspicion of who committed the murders arose around a single suspect, Macbeth. Knowing that Banquo most likely knew the truth that Macbeth killed King Duncan, Macbeth went back to his evil ways with ease. Through his attendant, Macbeth summons three murderers. Shakespeare introduces the murders with stage direction “[Re-enter Attendant, with two Murderers]” (Shakespeare, 363), in which Macbeth he uses Banquo as bait in order to gain their graces and loyalty “That it was he in the times past which held you so under fortune, which you thought had been our innocent self: this I made good to you in our last conference, pass'd in probation with you, how you were borne in hand, how cross'd, the instruments, who wrought with them, and all things else that might, so half a soul and to a notion crazed, Say 'Thus did Banquo.'”
The Thane of King Duncan, Macbeth hears a prophecy that he himself will become king later on in the future after King Duncan. This then leads to Macbeth being overcome by greed. Since Macbeth greeds to be king so bad, he murders King Duncan and takes his place of the throne. Macbeth starts to live with so much guilt and fear that he commits even more murders to have his power safe. Macbeth is so confident in the prophecies that his life comes to a downfall and he gets killed by the people he did wrong.
The Transformation of Lady Macbeth Shakespeare’s Macbeth demonstrates how Lady Macbeth becomes less and less bloodthirsty after the murder of Duncan due to her humane qualities that allow her to feel guilt. Lady Macbeth transforms from a selfish murder-focused accomplice to a woman opposed to the murder of innocent people. Ultimately, she becomes a sleepwalker, consumed by her own guilt.
This is the ultimate reason why Macbeth is not culpable of his ruination and it is schizophrenia that killed him in the
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.
Is their ambition the reason of their downfall? Macbeth and Hitler are very similar characters because they both had similar rises of power. They were both murderers and they were both ambitious. Macbeth in the beginning of the play was originally a good man, a model solider who was loyal to his king. He was a described brave and true gentleman.
Stages 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).
His capricious and malicious acts prove how naive and vile he is as a person. Macbeth even attempts to kill Banquo to prevent any trace of his nature from making him, a “fruitless crown.” Macbeth states, “Must lave or honors in the flattering streams, and make our face vizards to our heart, disguising who we are,”(3.2.45). With such desperation, Macbeth is willing to include other people in his premeditated murder. By having Lady Macbeth be part of his plot to kill Banquo, Macbeth reveals two things about himself: That he does not value those around him, even if they are his loved ones, and that he places his personal success over all aspects of his life.
Then from there a lot more murder takes place and the guilt starts to take its toll on Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, as Macbeth “succumbs to insanity, while
The 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 title character imagines the results of his brutal act against Duncan but kills him nonetheless. Afterward, he expresses fresh guilt by simultaneously divulging and withholding the open secret of his deed. After murdering Banquo, the feast honoring him demonstrates Macbeth’s further derangement, but his gradual insanity does not excuse the subsequent cold-blooded massacre of an entire family. Lady Macbeth tries to save herself by masking her husband’s instability, but ultimately, her sleepwalking spell places her own mental illness on display. This goes to show that it is not always easy for people in a position of power - or anyone, for that matter - to face their weaknesses head-on and admit that at some point in their lives, they need