In the fictional play Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, Lady Macbeth and
Macbeth experience traumatic visions that inevitably trigger intense emotions of paranoia and guilt for the two. Although the couple switches roles essentially in their characters by the end of the play, they both demonstrate significant similarities in their own mental destruction through the actions they make, and supernatural influences. The motif of hallucinations is utilized by characters; Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, to enhance the indirect characterization of experiencing extensive paranoia and guilt, as well as an internal conflict, highlighting the theme of corruption of one’s mind. Paranoia affected the character, Macbeth, into fulfilling his desires for
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After committing the act of regicide on Duncan, Macbeth expresses hearing voices calling: "Macbeth shall sleep no more!" (Shakespeare 2.2.42). Calling upon himself in the third person, Macbeth is communicating to himself that his guilt for betraying a man who only did good for him. A sleep motif is incorporated with the hallucination motif to convey that Macbeth will no longer be able to sleep out of pure guilt from his unreasonable actions, leading to the assumption that his paranoia might have stemmed from lack of sleep. Enhancing and progressing the plot, the audience begins to see the start of Macbeth falling apart mentally through guilt. A foil to Macbeth, Banquo is seen entering the banquet as a ghost, ”[Enter the Ghost of Banquo and sits in Macbeth’s place]” (Shakespeare 3.4.36). Inflicting an individual vs. supernatural and self conflict, Banquo’s apparition is apart of a dramatic irony. Macbeth is fed up with guilt as he realizes that his actions have consequences; Banquo’s presence indicates that he would have been in Macbeth’s position if it weren’t for Macbeth himself that killed him. Guilt has been introduced into Macbeth’s brain as a consequence of his murderous behavior by visions, therefore affecting his character by means of corruption and fueling an