Examples Of Paranoia In Macbeth

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Would you believe it if you were told that you would become the king of the country you fought for? If you were told that your best friend could be standing in the way of your crown, what measures would you take to ensure he wouldn’t over through you? Murder perhaps? The world-famous writer William Shakespeare’s book “Macbeth” tells about a Scottish general and his moral dilemma after he is told a prophecy by three witches that he will become king but his lifelong friend will be the father of many more kings after him. But to become king, he must murder a dear friend of his, King Duncan. And his paranoia leads to him fearing that his best friend Banquo and his sons will soon take his place. The story “Macbeth” allows the reader to dive into the psychological paranoia, and how it affected the outcome of the story and subsequently Macbeth's fate. Starting with the clever writing and foreshadowing that …show more content…

The witches greet Macbeth, calling him Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and the future King of Scotland (Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 3, lines 48-50). Macbeth is taken aback by the title of Thane of Cawdor because at the time he was only Thane of Glamis and had not known of the fate of the Thane of Cawdor and had yet to know King Duncans' intentions of declaring him as the new Thane of Cawdor. And he is extremely taken about by being called King. The witches then greet Banquo, saying “Lesser than Macbeth, and greater. Not so happy, yet much happier. Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none.” (Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 3, lines 65-67). At first, when reading this, you don’t think much of it. But if you take a closer look the witches are foreshadowing the fate of Banquo and Macbeth. We begin to see them think about what they were just told. Both of them don't really believe what they were just told but when King Duncan declares Macbeth as Thane of Cawdor, they begin to think that the prophecies may be