Examples Of Ptsd In Macbeth

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that affects those who have been through a tremendous amount of pain or fear. PTSD is a serious medical condition where a person underwent or witnessed an event in which physical harm occurred. After witnessing a terrifying event, people can develop PTSD and continue to experience the feelings and fear they had when the event occurred (“Posttraumatic Stress Disorder”). Symptoms of PTSD can be organized into four parts. The first is “reliving” where the patient ‘sees’ the ordeal again through flashbacks and hallucinations. There is also “avoidance”, where situations that can remind one of the traumatic event are avoided. Finally, there is “increased arousal” which is an excessive showing

His PTSD may have been brought on by either his exploits on the battlefield, killing Duncan and Banquo, or both. Macbeth fits all four categories for symptoms of PTSD. First, he relieves his experiences again through seeing Banquo’s ghost in a hallucination. His response when he sees it is, “Avaunt and quit my sight! Let the / earth hide thee” (Macbeth 3.4,92-93). He is frightened by this apparition that only he can see. Also, Macbeth has an episode with his servant, Seyton, in which he instructs Seyton to “give me mine armor” and suddenly tells him to “pull ‘t off” before again changing his mind (5.3,36;54). Macbeth’s indecision in this moment shows that he felt he wasn’t ready to return to the battlefield, which is indication of avoidance. Macbeth also suffers from an increased showing of emotion as he becomes more angry and impulsive in his actions. His emotions are affected so much that he decides to “keep a servant fee’d” in Macbeth’s home (3.4,132). At this point, he is so paranoid and so filled with anger and suspicion that he spies on all his Lords. Lastly, after killing Duncan, Macbeth shows a great deal of grief and guilt. Immediately after Duncan’s murder, Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth to smear blood on the guards but he refuses, saying, “I’ll go no more. / I am afraid to think what I have done. / Look on ‘t again I dare not” (2.2,54-56). He is completely devoured by his own guilt, which gives