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Similarities Between Macbeth And A Modern Day Psychopath

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Look Beneath The Mask: The Parallels Between Macbeth and a Modern Day Psychopath
You have walked by a psychopath and never looked twice. The American Psychiatric Association estimates that approximately 1-3% of the world population can be classified as a psychopath (“Diagnostic and Statistical Manual”), which means you could have seen one at your local coffee shop this morning, while running on the treadmill at the gym, or just about any other public location you can think of. Psychopathy, known in the professional world as Antisocial Personality Disorder, has been around as long as humans have been alive. William Shakespeare used his literary genius to create a metaphor between his main character, Macbeth, and the characteristics of a psychopath. Shakespeare uses Macbeth as a canvas to …show more content…

Macbeth persuades three murderers to get revenge on Banquo, failing to tell them that it is his own impure intentions that desire Banquo’s blood to spill. This fraudulent behavior is a staple characteristic of a psychopath because “deceit and manipulation are central features of Antisocial Personality Disorder” (“Diagnostic and Statistical Manual”). A hysterical episode occurs after arranging the murder of Banquo, when Macbeth sees the bloody ghost of Banquo sitting in his own place at the table. Macbeth screams “Prithee, see there! Behold! Look! Lo! How say you? / Why, what care I? If thou canst nod, speak too” (Shakespeare III.iv.69-70). Macbeth goes into a berserk and crazed state, trying to communicate with this spiritual presence that no other guest is able to see. Research indicates that these episodes are not uncommon in the behavior of psychopaths. Distinctively violent behavior is known to occur during a manic episode (“Diagnostic and Statistical Manual”). This is yet another indication of Macbeth’s psychopathic mental state, which at this point is completely

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A mix between being power hungry and selfishness can lead to destruction and mass chaos. Both Macbeth and Orenthal James Simpson, nicknamed “The Juice” displayed these traits, which later lead them to face their consequences. Macbeth killed to gain power for himself, and so did O.J Simpson. Both men were dominated by their power hungry and selfishness, which lead to the death of Macbeth and Nicole Brown. Macbeth and O.J Simpson show similar qualities such as power hungry, selfishness, and both were well trusted prior to the murders.

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With Macbeth being a general in the Scottish military, he had major influences on people and their daily lives. After the murder of King Duncan, Banquo’s suspicion of who committed the murders arose around a single suspect, Macbeth. Knowing that Banquo most likely knew the truth that Macbeth killed King Duncan, Macbeth went back to his evil ways with ease. Through his attendant, Macbeth summons three murderers. Shakespeare introduces the murders with stage direction “[Re-enter Attendant, with two Murderers]” (Shakespeare, 363), in which Macbeth he uses Banquo as bait in order to gain their graces and loyalty “That it was he in the times past which held you so under fortune, which you thought had been our innocent self: this I made good to you in our last conference, pass'd in probation with you, how you were borne in hand, how cross'd, the instruments, who wrought with them, and all things else that might, so half a soul and to a notion crazed, Say 'Thus did Banquo.'”

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Examples Of Motifs In Macbeth

298 Words | 2 Pages

The first way Macbeth shows this Motif is when Macbeth sees a floating dagger pointed at him. For instance when the narrator says, “Is this a dagger I see in front of me, with its handle pointing toward my hand? Come, let me hold you”(Act 2 Scene 1). What this means is that Macbeth had the drive to kill King Duncan in his sleep.

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Psychopaths In Macbeth

1132 Words | 5 Pages

A psychopath provides an interesting take on morality, they understand ethics and have morals however, they choose society 's distinction between what is right and wrong at the time of their choosing and gravitate to their notion of principals. For the most part, the world is unlike these individuals, however it is fair to say that similar to psychopaths, individuals who stray from ethics even for morally good reasons, are considered to have distorted morals. In Shakespeare's iconic Macbeth and Shirley Jackson's lesser known "The Possibility of Evil", the protagonists' Macbeth and Miss. Strangeworth have good intentions when making decisions that involve others. However, both characters have skewed morals, which they allow to influence the

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Character Changes In The Film 'Macbeth'

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The character is suffering and this depiction of Macbeth is believed to have a modern mental illness. Macbeth’s past definitely can support the idea of his disturbed state of mind as we watch the character change throughout the film.

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Mental Illness In Shakespeare's Macbeth

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Bryanna E. McCool Mrs. Dean British Literature 25 January 2018 Mental Illness in Shakespeare’s Macbeth The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare, a play wrought with prophecies, deception, guilt, and death, brings light to the symptoms of mental illnesses and their effects on the human brain’s ability to reason, trust, and act in times of pressure. Both Macbeth and his lady are plagued by mental illness, and the effects of their illness only grow as the play evolves. Macbeth’s symptoms of schizophrenia and anxiety, as well as Lady Macbeth’s anxiety as well as hallucinations that eventually push her to suicide prove that not only can mental illness alter the way a person sees a situation, but it can also drive them to harm others and themselves.

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The Thane of King Duncan, Macbeth hears a prophecy that he himself will become king later on in the future after King Duncan. This then leads to Macbeth being overcome by greed. Since Macbeth greeds to be king so bad, he murders King Duncan and takes his place of the throne. Macbeth starts to live with so much guilt and fear that he commits even more murders to have his power safe. Macbeth is so confident in the prophecies that his life comes to a downfall and he gets killed by the people he did wrong.

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736 Words | 3 Pages

His capricious and malicious acts prove how naive and vile he is as a person. Macbeth even attempts to kill Banquo to prevent any trace of his nature from making him, a “fruitless crown.” Macbeth states, “Must lave or honors in the flattering streams, and make our face vizards to our heart, disguising who we are,”(3.2.45). With such desperation, Macbeth is willing to include other people in his premeditated murder. By having Lady Macbeth be part of his plot to kill Banquo, Macbeth reveals two things about himself: That he does not value those around him, even if they are his loved ones, and that he places his personal success over all aspects of his life.

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Is their ambition the reason of their downfall? Macbeth and Hitler are very similar characters because they both had similar rises of power. They were both murderers and they were both ambitious. Macbeth in the beginning of the play was originally a good man, a model solider who was loyal to his king. He was a described brave and true gentleman.

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Macbeth Insanity Analysis

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After each of these events, Macbeth’s sanity takes a hit and he begins to hallucinate

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Macbeth Guilt Analysis

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Stages of this mental illness touched on by the playwright are the overpowering initial impact, difficulties sleeping, and the suicidal tendencies. In the moments subsequent to the treasonous murder of Duncan, Lady Macbeth feels an irrepressible amount of guilt. This occurrence is the root of her depression as she experiences the weight of her crime and needs to be “look[ed] to” (2.3.115) and “exit...helped” (2.3.Stage Directions). Subsequently, the shameful state of mind Lady Macbeth suffers provokes complications with her sleep. The queen’s “heart is sorely charged” (5.1.46) which “keep[s] her from her rest” (5.3.40).

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1134 Words | 5 Pages

Then from there a lot more murder takes place and the guilt starts to take its toll on Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, as Macbeth “succumbs to insanity, while

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The Power Of Madness In Shakespeare's Macbeth And Madness

1878 Words | 8 Pages

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Pity And Fear In Macbeth's Tragedy

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After killing Banquo Macbeth evokes fear from the audience. Yet at a banquet thrown in honor of Macbeth’s new title of King, Macbeth begins hallucinating about the ghost of Banquo haunting him, this not only ruins the evening, but causes the audience to question the mental deterioration of Macbeth. Yes he is to be feared for his actions taken against Banquo, but the audience is left to question if Macbeth’s actions are not still reactions from the prophecies the witches gave him. They played on his ambitious tendencies and clearly manipulated him, which draws pity, although Macbeth is acting on his own, not under the constructs of any direction which causes fear of what he is capable of. In this moment with the apparition of Banquo the audience has to question the confounds of Macbeth’s sanity, it is easy to fear Macbeth because of what he is doing, but circumstances such as these and the encounters with the Weird Sisters make it difficult for the audience to despise Macbeth, instead they take pity on what they view as a delusional mind.

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Lady Macbeth's Transformation Analysis

1049 Words | 5 Pages

The Transformation of Lady Macbeth Shakespeare’s Macbeth demonstrates how Lady Macbeth becomes less and less bloodthirsty after the murder of Duncan due to her humane qualities that allow her to feel guilt. Lady Macbeth transforms from a selfish murder-focused accomplice to a woman opposed to the murder of innocent people. Ultimately, she becomes a sleepwalker, consumed by her own guilt.

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