During the second and third acts of Shakespeare’s play Macbeth’s psyche begins to display an inability to heal after he performed the deed of murdering Duncan. It seems that Macbeth has suffered a severe psychological break as he is no longer able to restrain his darker thoughts from materializing into actions. In his lust for power, Macbeth has traded the simplest joys of his former life for those of a haunted man. As time progresses, Macbeth seems more and more willing to sacrifice servants, friends, or even those he considered family in order to secure or increase his status. This leads the audience to the forlorn conclusion that Macbeth has reached a level of madness that surpasses even the sociopathic desires of his wife. Macbeth’s delusion begins far before he kills Duncan. Right before he commits the murder he experiences a vivid hallucination of a dagger floating through the mist towards him, he then proceeds to state, “Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible to feeling as to sight? or art thou but a dagger of the mind, a false creation, proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain? I see thee yet, in form as palpable as this which now I draw.” (Shakespeare: Act 2-Scene 1). At this point, it is clearly …show more content…
This is proven in his monologue before he orders the murder of Banquo: “Our fears in Banquo stick deep; and in his royalty of nature reigns that which would be fear 'd: 'tis much he dares; and, to that dauntless temper of his mind, he hath a wisdom that doth guide his valour to act in safety.” (Shakespeare: Act 3-Scene 1). This is a distinct change in how Macbeth approaches the act of murder. Instead of hallucinating himself into the deed, he actually manages to coax himself into putting out the order for Banquo’s death. This is a very noticeable signal that his active mind has begun to desensitize the immorality behind these acts thus contributing to the argument that he is now completely