Guilt Quotes In Macbeth

The Detrimental Effects of Guilt on the Mind: Shame, paranoia, sleepwalking, hallucinations. Whatever is done in the dark soon comes to the light in guilt. Although, how the guilt emerges can vary vastly, regardless, guilt has a negative impact and Shakespeare's play Macbeth exemplifies that. An example of this from the play is Macbeth and his wife. In the 11th century, while Scotland is under attack from Norway, Macbeth, a captain in the Scottish army, and his right hand man Banquo are visited by the weird sisters. The sisters foretell that Macbeth will be the king and that Banquo’s heirs will also become kings. This prophecy galvanized Macbeth and with some encouragement from his wife, Lady Macbeth, he kills the king and secures the crown. Macbeth’s regicide sends

This venting we see is a result of her pent up guilt from all the murders she took part in to become the queen. We see this when the doctor says; “infected minds/To their deaf pillows will discharge their secrets./More needs of the divine than the physician”(5.1.65-66). This quote demonstrates how mentally ill she is and that something abnormal is going on. The mental illness that the doctor is referring to comes from her guilt, and is the cause of the sleep-walking. Her lack of addressing this guilt is also what would eventually lead to her suicide. Perhaps the most notable way that Shakespeare depicts the harmful effects of guilt in Macbeth is through Macbeth’s increasing paranoia and subsequent demise throughout the play. Due to Macbeth’s means of achieving power, he knows his rule is fragile and fears what he did to others may soon happen to him. Additionally, the guilt he feels for his many murders is the reason for his paranoia. Eventually, this guilt he experiences becomes so bad that he grows numb to almost everything. Even when learning about his wife’s suicide, he did not