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Character analysis of macbeth and lady macbeth
Character of lady macbeth analysis
Character of lady macbeth analysis
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“Conscience betrays guilt” is a Latin Proverb that relates well with the story Macbeth by William Shakespeare. With its meaning being that your very conscience will never let you get over your guilt, it connects to the main character Macbeth, and his wife Lady Macbeth; who in their triumph for power never seem to get over their initial guilt, which results in them both going insane. Shakespeare’s intention in writing this play was to show how the natural order of things should be followed, and that if they were to be disturbed, it could very well destroy everything. In Macbeth, insanity is the result of a guilty conscience can be proved when Macbeth orders the killing of his friend Banquo and son Fleance, when Macbeth orders the killing of Macduff’s entire family, and when Lady Macbeth commits suicide.
Macbeth feels so guilty after killing the King that several references to the blood and his bloody hands were made. The first reference made was when he stated, he had “hangman’s hands.” This shows that he believed that his hands were bloody as if it was some sin. This is also important as it is the first time that the symbols of blood and hands are used together. He exaggerates his bloody hands, even more, when he states, “Will all great Neptune’s oceans wash this blood/Clean from my hand?”
Unfortunately, this is not the case for Lady Macbeth. She acts very irrationally after the murders occur which leads her to believe she has blood permanently stained on her hands. She speaks very absurdly as she exclaims “Out, damned spot! Out, I say!...
In this passage, Shakespeare explains how one event can ruin a life and how guilt has a strong hold over the human mind. Shakespeare explores how Macbeth's guilt over Duncan's death is weighing on him. In this passage, Macbeth is speaking about Duncan’s death, he says, “Had I but died an hour before this chance, I had lived a blessed time;” (II.iii. 107-108, Shakespeare). Macbeth is expressing how had he died before the news of Duncan had come out, he would have led a satisfying peaceful life, but now that Duncan is dead, he will have no happiness or peace.
Lady Macbeth’s guilty conscience is displayed near the end of the story when she is sleepwalking. She discusses her feelings, but mainly she reiterates her guilt. “The thane of Fife had a wife. Where is she now? What, will these hands ne’er be clean?
The play, Macbeth, has many real-world connections. For example, ambition today can drive people to do unethical things just as Macbeth is driven by his ambition to become king. Tyranny is another connection. Macbeth becomes a tyrant who kills anyone who threatens his power. Similarly, there are many tyrants in history and in the present who oppress and murder their people.
One. Two./... The thane of Fife had a wife. Where is/she now?-What, will these hands ne'er be clean?"(5.1.37-47) Lady Macbeth views the blood "spot" on her hands as a source of guilt and remorse; her hands will "ne'er be clean."
Bloodshed in William Shakespeare’s tragic play, Macbeth, causes strong guilt, mental instability, and eventually his downfall as shown by Beebe Stroud’s article, “Guilt: Definitions, Types, & Differences Versus Shame”. In the play, Lady Macbeth convinces Macbeth to murder the king to make himself king. Later, to maintain his position, he kills Banquo and Macduff’s family. Although he should be happy that his position is somewhat secure, the guilt as well as the feeling of blood on his hands creates paranoia and other mental issues that prevent him from keeping his position and lead him to his downfall.
From Macbeth feeling “drowned in blood”, to Lady Macbeth not being able to wash her hands, shows how guilt will always come from making bad decisions. One wrong choice can ruin a person's life
After being involved in a distressing situation, we always attempt to convince ourselves that we are not deserving of the consequences. However, feelings of discomfort always seem to accompany us, also known as guilt. In Shakespeare's play, Macbeth, Guilt is a major theme portrayed throughout. Lady Macbeth is driven by this guilt due to committing regicide and is propelled to suicide. I believe that Lady Macbeth is extremely deserving of this guilty conscience.
Here’s the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. Oh, Oh, Oh!” (Act 5, Scene 1) Though she continuously rubs her hands to get rid of the blood, Lady Macbeth can not washed away the guilt that stains her hands.
From the beginning of the play, Shakespeare emphasizes the importance of sleep as a natural healer of the mind. Through his portrayal of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth as they both have to face the weight of their own guilt, he underscores that their lack of sleep is a direct result of their guilty actions. Ultimately, Shakespeare’s depiction of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s mental deterioration as a result of their guilt alludes to the idea that only pure actions can allow one to prosper and be free from guilt. In contemporary society, where it is easy to give into wicked immoral temptations, it is essential for readers to understand that in order to live a healthy and peaceful life, it is necessary to refrain from giving into evil desires. Otherwise, suffering the same fate as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth could be a dangerous reality for many
One way we see the motif of hands used to develop the theme of guilt, being displayed when Macbeth states,
Guilt is a prevalent theme in William Shakespeare's tragic play, Macbeth. Through the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, Shakespeare masterfully portrays the profound and devastating effects of guilt on the human psyche. As the play progresses, guilt gnaws at their souls, leading them down a path of destruction, madness, and ultimately, death. Macbeth, a nobleman, and a respected warrior at the beginning of the play, becomes consumed by guilt after he murders King Duncan to fulfill the witches' prophecy of becoming king. Initially, Macbeth is plagued by his conscience, experiencing guilt-ridden hallucinations and vivid nightmares.
At first Lady Macbeth did not feel any guilt until things begin to get carried away. Sleepwalking, Lady Macbeth is heard saying, “Here's the smell of blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. ”(5:1:53-55) and“ Out damned spot, out, I say”(5.1.37). Lady Macbeth is saying these things because she is visualizing that there is blood still on her hands representing her extreme guilt because she knows what she did not was wrong.
