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Sigmund Freud's Mental Health Of Lady Macbeth

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The Truth Behind Lady Macbeth

If Sigmund Freud (a well known neurologist) had been alive at the time of the play

Macbeth, he would have most likely diagnosed Lady Macbeth with Post Traumatic Stress

Disorder, or PTSD. PTSD is developed after a traumatic or terrifying ordeal occurs that involves

physical or mental harm. It is believed that Lady Macbeth had PTSD for many reasons.

Shakespeare’s understanding of the human psyche, before the word psyche was even imagined,

is obvious in the character of Lady Macbeth as she suffers from classic symptoms of PTSD

including her feelings of strong guilt, her delusions, and her depression.

When Lady Macbeth receives the letter from her husband that states the opportunity for

him to be king, she immediately jumps on board to kill the current king. After the cold-blooded …show more content…

In fact, Macbeth himself is the one feeling

more guilty about the dreadful deed out of the two. He even imagines that he hears the guards

talking in their sleep. “There's one did laugh in's sleep, and one cried, “Murder!” That they did

wake each other: I stood and heard them: But they did say their prayers and address’d them

Again to sleep.” (Act 2, Scene II). However, as the story progresses, Lady Macbeth is the one

who takes over the guilt of the two. In Act V, her guilt comes back to haunt her. “Here’s the

smell of the blood still: all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. Oh, oh, oh!”

(Act 5, Scene I). The guilt she is feeling not only comes from the guilt of the murder of

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