Theme Of Disturbed Emotions In Macbeth

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The play, ‘Macbeth’, is centered around the theme of ‘disturbed emotions’ which is usually caused by seeing or causing something traumatic and leaving an emotional scar on oneself. Some symptoms of disturbed emotions include hallucinations related to traumatising events, severe paranoia, extreme sensitivity to things relating to traumatising events and spacing out at odd times.
‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’, often shortened to ‘Macbeth’, was written by Shakespeare for James I, who has succeeded the throne after Queen Elizabeth had died in 1603. The play was written the year after the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. This is relevant to the play as they are both about betrayal towards the king and getting someone else onto the throne. This also links to the theme of disturbed emotions as Guy Fawkes is seen today as a symbol of modern day anarchism, which can stem from anger and hatred.

During the beginning of the play, Macbeth is called “Worthy Macbeth” by Banquo in Act 1.3, yet nearing the end of the play Young Siward comments on Macbeth’s name stating “The devil himself …show more content…

Macbeth questions“Is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle toward my hand?... I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.”. This could potentially represent the severed connection between Macbeth’s mind and reality. Shakespeare’s use of rhetorical questions implies Macbeth might be having second thoughts on killing King Duncan as he tries to grab the fake dagger, but fails in doing so probably representing his conscience and his reluctance to kill King Duncan. This links to the theme of disturbed emotions as hallucinations are one of the side effects of suffering from disturbed emotions, however Jacobean audiences didn’t understand mental illnesses so they wouldn’t have seen this scene the same way a Modern audience would. Instead they would have seen this as something caused by the

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