Macbeth Guilt Quotes Analysis

With every wrongdoing, guilt comes along as a consequence. Everlasting guilt weighing one down as if it were an anchor; on the prolonged journey, plummeting to the bottom of the sea of shame. In Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, the Thane of Cawdor and Glamis, was given a prophecy that he will become the king and that his suppressor would be the son of his ally and friend, Banquo. Macbeth believes strongly in this prophecy and will do anything to make his end of the bargain into a reality. After killing off anyone in his path including King Duncan and Banquo, Macbeth finds himself overtaken by guilt. Not only does his guilt impact his wellbeing, but it affects others close to him as well. Lady Macbeth, Macbeth’s wife, showed no signs of guilt in the early stages of her husband’s rule. Over an extended time Lady Macbeth begins to become suffocated in the

“Here’s the smell of the blood still: all the perfumes of Arabia would not sweeten this little hand. Oh! Oh! Oh!” (5.1.43-45). Within this quote Lady Macbeth shows that her courage has faded and she is now feeling guilt for what she has helped conspire. Lady Macbeth’s hands are covered in the blood of King Duncan. Originally when Duncan was murdered, she smeared his blood on servants and seemed normal right after “the deed was done” (2.2.53-55). Whilst Lady Macbeth is sleepwalking, she states “The Thane of Fife had a wife; where is she now” (5.1.37-38). This quote refers to Lord Macduff’s wife, Lady Macbeth felt remorse for what her husband did to Macduff’s family for one of the first times in this scene. Lady Macbeth was once calm and had herself emotionally connected around a group of people. In Macbeth’s dinner he hosted where he claimed to see a ghost, instead of getting scared, Lady Macbeth kept her composure and tried to calm down her husband (3.4.50-146), yet when her guilt surfaces she becomes overtaken by