Mental Disorder In Macbeth

William Shakespeare’s Macbeth offers little scope for pragmatic criticism, as from beginning to end the tragedy is loaded with mythological thought and supernatural powers. If such unearthly occurrences are not to be considered real, such as the appearance of the weird sisters and Banquo’s ghost at Macbeth’s dining hall, but instead as apparitions of Macbeth, like the Ghosts in Richard III,1 then these experiences seem to directly suggest the presence of a plethora of colorful characters that modern psychologists and psychiatrists could rather easily diagnose with some sort of mental disorder. While Shakespeare, throughout his various works, gives us perfect examples of such characters, the two leading characters of Macbeth have both been analyzed

Derek Davis asserts that as acclaimed as Macbeth is because of his success in battle, “[He was] unable to acclimate himself back into society” (pg. 210). Comparing Macbeth’s state to the state of Generals returning from World War II, Davis notes that many of those who rose to higher ranks in battle often ran into difficulty in their civilian lives. Trying to assert themselves in their civilian lives as they did on the battlefield, many individuals faced a demobilisation crisis.III Simon O. Lesser, an author and psychologist, argues that Macbeth’s ability to kill is only possible because of his shattered ego, a person’s sense of self-esteem or self-importance. Claiming that Macbeth only killed Duncan for the sole reason of attaining a role he was unable to attain naturally in hopes of making him feel better about himself, Lesser goes on to state that Macbeth was a very unhappy man when the play first opens. Freud argues that Macbeth’s state, middle-aged and childless, only increased his perception of solitude and lack of compassion. Attempting to fill a void within his life, just like his spouse, Lady Macbeth, Macbeth will try to do so by any means necessary, even if it means damning himself from ever attaining