Motif Of Sleep In Macbeth

A bloodied throne and kingdom under an illicit hand cause sleepless nights. William Shakespeare’s play, The Tragedy of Macbeth, demonstrates this fact as the protagonist, Macbeth, a loyal and dutiful Thane, finds out that he will be king through the three weird sisters’ prophecy. Upon hearing their prediction, The Thane's wife, Lady Macbeth, convinces Macbeth to commit regicide to become king. This only turns him into a brutal tyrant who orders the murder of several innocent people, including his close friend Banquo to maintain his kingship. Eventually, the tyrant and his wife meet their demise, as Macbeth is assassinated at the hands of Macduff, his former comrade, and Lady Macbeth commits suicide. Throughout the play, the eponymous character’s

After an encounter with the three witches and their prophecy of becoming the new king, the idea of wanting more tempts Macbeth and his wife and they commit a regicide. Then, The Thane, shocked at his behavior, realizes that he will “Sleep no more” and lack a “Chief nourisher in [life]” ( Shakespeare 2.2.47, 52). Shakespeare uses the motif of sleep to represent healing and nourishment, so sleep is an essential part of a human’s survival. Since Macbeth committed a murder, an immoral act, he will no longer experience this vital activity, as a result, Macbeth has to suffer the harsh consequences rather than experience what is essential to human life. Soon after, the new king orders the murder of Banquo and his son, to maintain his title as the king. He then has a conversation with his wife saying that his “Sleep [is] in the affliction of [his] terrible dreams” (3.2.20-21). The author uses the motif of sleep to represent peace. This time Macbeth’s sleep is disturbed by terrible dreams, meaning that his peace is disrupted by the results of his actions. He even goes as far as to say that Duncan in his grave “sleeps well,” meaning that death is more peaceful than Macbeth’s life (3.2.25-26). Therefore, the author’s usage of the motif of sleep shows that one who is guilty of an immoral act will suffer consequences

As Lady Macbeth’s gentlewoman consults a doctor, they observe her diminishing mental state as she hallucinates that “hands [will] [never] be clean,” and that “the smell of the blood” will not be “[sweetened]” by any perfume (5.1.45, 53-54 ). Here, the author uses the motif of blood to represent guilt. Lady Macbeth’s struggle to remove the blood on her hands shows her undying guilt which she cannot erase despite countless trials. This is further proven when she says the smell of blood lingers and cannot be sweetened, meaning that her action cannot be forgiven by her guilt. Her mental state weakens due to this reason and is shown to be tormented by her hallucinations rather than being content with her desired queenship. This mental torture is an example of when a man commits immoral deeds not only he will experience the consequences but also will take over the mind and will make achieving the goal pointless. Similarly, before the battle with Macduff, Macbeth states “my soul is charged…with blood” before being slain by his former comrade (5.8.6-7). Shakespeare utilizes the motif of blood to show Macbeth is guilty of the many violent acts he has committed. He does not want to fight Macduff, because that will only add to his remorse. Therefore, the king’s unwillingness to fight equates to his unwillingness to protect his throne and is