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Symbolism Of Sleep In Macbeth

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The word “sleep” is used throughout Macbeth with various connotations. One of the ways to interpret Shakespeare's use of “sleep,” is as a symbol of innocence. This symbolism is used repeatedly in concerns to Duncan and his murder. When Lady Macbeth is unable to kill Duncan, she explains, “Had he not resembled / My father as he slept, I had done’t” (II.ii.15-17). Lady Macbeth sees her father, someone who is also an innocent in her mind, in sleeping Duncan, showing that she also sees Duncan’s innocence. This can also be taken as Lady Macbeth staying innocent by forcing Macbeth to kill Duncan opposed to her. The correlation between innocence and sleep can also be seen when describing the guards who are framed. They are described as both as “those …show more content…

Duncan is in his grave; / After life's fitful fever he sleeps well" (III.ii.22-26). “Ecstasy” in this circumstance can be take to meant a kind of insanity. This means that not only is Macbeth unable to have a moment of tranquility, he feels as though he is going crazy. All of this leads Macbeth to be jealous of Duncan and the fact that he “sleeps well,” or is dead. Essentially, Macbeth longs to embrace the truer sleep of death, because in life, he is unable to slumber or relax, and it is driving him to the brink of sanity. This point is further reinforced when Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth, “You lack the season of all natures, sleep” (III.v.173). She is basically saying that Macbeth is acting strange and should get some sleep. Without sleep, Macbeth is degrading and losing his ability to function as a person, not to mention a king. Clearly, the word sleep plays an important role throughout the play Macbeth. It is used as a symbol for innocence and death, while the absence of sleep denotes an absence of rest and the presence of guilt and paranoia. Without sleep and its connotation, Macbeth would lose the important meaning

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In Act 2, Scene 2, he declares, "Methought I heard a voice cry 'Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep'" (2.2.33-34). This haunting line demonstrates the profound impact of guilt on Macbeth's psyche. His troubled mind generates hallucinations and delusions as a manifestation of his tormented conscience. These psychological experiences are not indicative of schizophrenia but rather the consequences of his moral decay and the weight of his heinous

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Macbeth fears he can not live with himself for murdering Duncan and the servants. The word “night” is used to describe the terrible dreams he had throughout the night. Also, “night” is referred to something scary and dark and that was how Macbeth’s dreams were. In the beginning, Macbeth did not use the word “night” as often as Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth pressured Macbeth to kill Duncan in order to become king and gain more power for themselves.

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Now that the important murders have been committed by Macbeth, the word night starts to take a different in its usage and meaning. Though it maintains its meaning as to signify impending doom and negativity, the target of that doom and badness is now directed at Macbeth. Starting with Scene 1, the witches cast a spell in their cauldron to create apparitions that would deceive Macbeth. Though the usage of night in each separate quote has nothing of importance, in big picture, it is part of a spell to bring Macbeth down.

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For starters when Macbeth says, “In the affliction of these terrible dreams that shake us nightly: better be with the dead, whom we, to gain our peace, have sent to peace that on the torture of the mind to lie in restless ecstacy” it proves that the theme that the feeling of guilt can destroy one’s quality of life is true. This is because Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are now envious of Duncan because whilst dead he is finally at peace and they aren’t at peace even whilst having what they wanted in the fear of danger. Plus the quote shows how macbeth is being tormented by his actions (the murders more specifically) which brings the topics of morality(?), guilt and paranoia. Because of his increase of power Macbeth could be feeling more paranoid as he is being tormented by his mind so he could start to think that he is being targeted. Another example of metaphor is when he says “O, full of scorpions is my mind dear wife!”

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Macbeth is very rational at the beginning of the novel and makes decisions that he know’s would help other people plus himself, later on after the murder of Duncan his rationality decreases, his mind goes crazy and he kills people for no reason, this illustrates his good morals and values being destroyed. Before the killing of Duncan, Macbeth is very reasonable, and notices the good from the bad, the smart from the dumb, so every little detail catches the eye of him. Therefore, when the three witches come over to him he is amazed at there beauty and willfulness, “speak if you can. What are you”(1.3.50)? The way the witches praise and talk to Macbeth makes him feel powerful and almost as their leader.

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"Eat our meal in fear and sleep / In the affliction of these terrible dreams / That shake us nightly" (3.2.17-19). This depicts that Macbeth is fearful, paranoid, and plagued with nightmares that will eventually lead him towards insanity. Additionally, in Act 5 it says "Rise from her bed, throw her night-gown upon her, unlock her closet, take forth paper, fold it, write upon't, read it, afterwards seal it, and again return to bed; yet all this while in a most fast sleep" (5.1.5-7). The motif is also effective in the quote because Lady Macbeth is acting like she is awake when she is actually asleep.

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Macbeth begins to go insane after he murders King Duncan at the beginning of the play. Although he did it for a gain of power, he still feels very guilty. Macbeth starts saying weird things about what he heard, “Methought I heard a voice cry “Sleep no more!” to all the house. “Glamis hath murdered sleep, and therefore Cawdor Shall sleep no more.

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However, she and Macbeth actually intend to kill Duncan later that night while he is sleeping. Lady Macbeth’s aura of kindness makes King Duncan feel safe and secure in their home. Second, Macbeth acts as if he had no clue that King Duncan was killed in his sleep when Macduff emerges from the King’s room from trying to wake him the following morning because Macduff had been ordered to come wake Duncan. “Macduff: Confusion now hath made

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When Macbeth hears a voice cry “sleep no more”(Mac.2.2.33), it was the beginning of many of his illusions. He suffered from guilt after killing King Duncan and wasn’t able to sleep. Macbeth goes on to have more illusions throughout the story such as when he saw the bloody ghost of Banquo. Macbeth was the only one that could see Banquo, making him think that “the table’s full”(Mac.3.4.46) when they went to sit down for dinner. Macbeth continues to see the ghost of Banquo throughout dinner causing him to have sudden and unexplained outbursts.

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As the play progresses, Macbeth’s unchecked ambitions get progressively more out of hand, as his murders progress. He kills his close friend, Banquo to prevent the potential threat of Banquo’s heirs claiming the throne. Macbeth sees the ghost of Banquo and tells lady Macbeth that he’ll visit the witches again. Lady Macbeth says that he “[lacks]” “sleep” which is a necessity for “all nature” (3.4.173). He continues to lack sleep, showing that his guilt is continuous and that he’ll never be at peace as he’s unable to escape the actions that haunt him.

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Macbeth has apparitions of Duncan and Lady Macbeth witnesses nothing. Macbeth wanted to be king and would do anything to keep his power. They acted shocked when told about his death. Lady Macbeth pretends to faint. So she could draw attention away from Duncan’s death.

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Sleep is one of the purest forms of altered consciousness however, traumatic experiences can impede one’s unconscious thoughts. Macbeth returns after killing Duncan and the guards, grief stricken and afraid. He tells his wife that sleep itself has been murdered and that nobody is immune his treachery (5.1.44). Macbeth’s crime is intensified by the act of murder being done at night and to sleeping rather than awake guards. The moment of guilt that Macbeth felt for his actions represents the hidden innocence behind the crimes.

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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

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William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, sleep is used in every act, in both literal and figurative forms. Shakespeare had a tendency to use sleep in a figurative manner more often than his use of literal sleep. These examples can all illustrate the way sleep is discussed regarding the timeline of King Duncan’s life; before his death, during his death, and after his death when Macbeth becomes king. In scene 1 of act 2, Lady Macbeth discusses her plans to murder King Duncan.

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Macbeth is extremely paranoid and guilty. He doesn’t believe he will be able to sleep after committing this

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