Motif Of Eyes And Sight In Macbeth

In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the motif of eyes and sight is used to convey that while one can hide their sins from others, they can never truly deceive themselves. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth receives a prophecy that he will be king. As the current King, King Duncan, is thanking Macbeth for his service, Macbeth begins to conspire against him, believing this is the only way for him to become King. As he thinks, he remarks: “The eye wink at the hand, yet let that be /Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see” (1.4.59-60). When Macbeth says: “the eye wink at the hand,” he is insinuating that a person can “wink” and close their eyes while doing something questionable, such as murder. However, right after, he contradicts himself by implying that guilt

Even though no one will see him murder King Duncan, he will never be rid of the act because it will still be on his conscience. Later in the play, after Macbeth returns from killing King Duncan, Lady Macbeth commands him to bring the dagger he still had back to the murder scene to frame the gaurds. Macbeth responds, “I’ll go no more. / I am afraid to think what I have done. / Look on ’t again I dare not” (2.2.65-67). Macbeth says he is afraid to even think about what he has done by killing King Duncan, let alone go back to the muder scene. Macbeth attempts to deceive himself by putting his actions and sins out of his brain, but it does not work because the guilt and murder are still on his conscience. As Macbeth and Lady Macbeth discuss the situation with Banquo, Macbeth does not confide in Lady Macbeth but instead turns to the night. Macbeth exclaims, “Come, seeling night, / Scarf up the tender eye of pitiful day / And with thy bloody and invisible hand / Cancel and tear to pieces that great bond / Which keeps me pale”