Macbeth’s Mental Deterioration Throughout Macbeth All people have mental and physical health, but mental health is not often analyzed among characters in literary texts. In The Tragedy of Macbeth, mental health is an extremely important part of understanding the tragic ending. Macbeth’s mental health is fantastic in the beginning, and he is often called “worthy” (I.ii.26). Though after only five acts of Macbeth, he is called a “tyrant” (V.viii.31). Macbeth’s mental deterioration is displayed throughout the play at the witches first appearance, the dinner party with Banquo’s ghost, and the moment he orders Macduff’s family to be killed.
Since the witches spark Macbeth’s ambition, it causes him to mentally deteriorate faster because ambition is his tragic flaw. When he is told by the witches that he “shalt be king hereafter,” he starts to have thoughts of murdering Duncan and his sons (I.iii.53). Macbeth’s ideas of murder heighten when he hears that Malcolm will be the heir to the throne. He starts to only think of Malcolm as a “step on which [he]
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He kills Macduff’s family, and none of them have committed a crime. Macduff’s wife and children have “done no harm” to Macbeth, and they are innocent (IV.ii.82). Macbeth orders the killing of a harmless family solely for revenge. Not only are they innocent, but they have no one to protect them. Macduff leaves “his wife, … his babes, his mansion and his titles,” to go and help Malcolm in England (IV.ii.8). Macduff’s family has no one to protect them, and they are attacked emptyhanded. Macduff is never able to say goodbye to his children and wife. This murder is different from the rest because none of the children have committed crimes against Macbeth. This assassination is the ultimate sign of mental deterioration. Macbeth’s act was cruel, and anyone with a decent mental health could never murder someone’s whole helpless