Examples Of A Guilty Conscience In Macbeth

A guilty conscience is a feeling of guilt experienced by someone who is aware of having done something wrong. In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth’s ambition over take them and continuously aspire for more power. Lady Macbeth wants Macbeth to be higher in power which leads to her experience guilt by the murders her and her husband have committed. Due to Macbeth’s insecurities he experiences guilt as well. He is aware that after these murders are committed he will be filled with lots of guilt but he does not care because he aspires for more and more power. Macduff ‘s goals are to ultimately keep Scotland safe after the death of King Duncan, but once Scotland begins to suffer after Macbeth becomes king, Macduff makes certain

Majority of the play Lady Macbeth does not feel much remorse, but we can see that this remorse catches up with her when she begins to sleep walk. Due to the fact that her conscience begins to catch up with her and she begins to feel guilty and very paranoid which caused her to begin losing sleep. Her mind is continuously provoking her and reminding her that she is unable to take away the wicked things that she and her husband have done. She also begins to writes confessions and puts them away in a locked box. One night the gentle woman calls the doctor to see if he can cure Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking but while he is evaluating her , and her being completely un aware of this she says “Here’s the smell of blood still; all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this hand” (5.1 46-47). She is going through an overwhelming amount of guilt. Her statement makes it evident how much she regrets what she has done. She is continuously washing her hands trying to get rid of the smell of blood on her hands but she is unable to because she feels guilty about the murder of Duncan and Banquo. Now, Lady Macbeth criticizes Macbeth and makes him feel un manly when he feels bad about the murder and he says “will all great Neptune’s ocean was this blood” (2.2 77). Macbeth realizes that this guilt he is beginning to feel will never go away. Lady Macbeth had lots to say to Macbeth when

Macduff was so angry after hearing this news he now wants to seek revenge on Macbeth. Macduff meets Macbeth face to face and Macbeth says “Of all men else I have avoided thee./But get thee back. My soul is too much charged/With blood of thine already” (5.8 4-6). Macbeth is explain that he has been avoiding Macduff because he feels guilty about murdering his family, but Macduff continues to say “I have no words/ my voice is my sword. Thou bloodier villain/than terms can give thee out” (5.8 7-9). Macduff is telling Macbeth that he has no words and that he sword will ultimately express his true emotions toward Macbeth because he is too evil for words. Macbeth continues to say “Let fall thy blade on vulnerable crests;/I bear a charmed life, which must not yield/To one of woman born” (5.8 11-13). Macbeth is explaining to Macduff about his third apparition which was of a bloody baby. He is saying to Macduff that he should go find someone else to fight because he cannot be harmed by anyone born of a woman. Once Macduff hears this he states “Macduff was from his mother’s womb/Untimely ripped” (5.8 15-16). Things now become even worse for Macbeth because now he shall fear because all the prophecies have come to pass. Due to built up guilt and anger, Macduff kills Macbeth by cutting off his