What do Macbeth, Tony Stark and Whoopi Goldberg all have in common? Well, it’s arguably PTSD. In Shakespeare 's Macbeth, Macbeth utilizes foul play and murder to rise up through the ranks and become the king of Scotland. There’s no doubt that this would have a profound effect on Macbeth’s mental state. Macbeth develops PTSD after murdering Duncan and the symptoms of that PTSD affect his choices and actions throughout the rest of the play. The first signs of Macbeth developing PTSD appear in act 2.1, right before almost while he murders Duncan. In fact, murdering Duncan in act 2.1 is the event that creates his PTSD. One can claim this for several reasons. First and foremost, according to the article Who Develops Posttraumatic Stress Disorder?, “Peritraumatic dissociation refers to unusual experiences during and immediately after the traumatic event, such as a sense that things are not real, the experience of time stretching out, and an altered sense of self. Feeling that one is watching oneself in a movie or play as the event unfolds is a common description of the experience of dissociation.” An example of this would be the dagger monologue Macbeth gives …show more content…
In scene one Macbeth seeks out the three witches in the hopes of knowledge that could make his kingship more secure. On page 125 the witches claim, “Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff! Beware the Thane of Fife!” For obvious reasons, this ignites Macbeth’s paranoia even further. When he returns to Lenox, Lenox informs him that Macduff has fled to England. Then, in scene two we find out that Macbeth hired assassins to murder Macduff’s wife and children. According to the article, Was Macbeth a Victim of Battle Fatigue?, “ He felt unsafe and was afraid of Banquo and Fleance. No sooner were they out of the way than his fears focused on Macduff.” The feelings of insecurity Macbeth experiences cause his PTSD to soar in