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What Does Sleep Symbolize In Macbeth

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People need sleep. People crave sleep. When a person lacks sleep, health problems occur. Hallucinations also transpire. Often, psychological problems keep the brain from resting. Shakespeare understands the concept well. In the play Macbeth, Shakespeare uses sleep to symbolize innocence. A lack of sleep symbolizes guilt and loss of innocence.
Symbolism shapes significance. Shakespeare embedded numerous symbols in this timeless play. Blood symbolizes guilt. Light symbolizes good. Darkness symbolizes evil. Water symbolizes purification. The author uses sleep, the most noticeable symbol, on several occasions. The three witches use a lack of sleep as the ultimate form of punishment. The “Sleep shall neither night nor day / Hang Upon his penthouse lid” (I, iii, 19-20). The witches punish a woman by taking away sleep from her sailing husband. Even the deranged crones understand the value of sleep. As the ultimate form of rest and relaxation, sleep determines a person's state of mind and body. …show more content…

Poor decisions result in no sleep. Decent actions result in peaceful sleep. The mind needs sleep. While sleeping the mind can relax. Lady Macbeth sleepwalks, and nightmares haunt Macbeth. By killing Duncan, Macbeth destroyed his ability to sleep. Only the innocent can enjoy sleep. “Methought I heard a voice cry ‘Sleep no more! / Macbeth does murder sleep’-the innocent sleep” (II, ii, 35-40). Macbeth’s subconscious warns him of the consequence through hallucinations. He knows deep down that he sleep will not come because of his terrible actions. Lady Macbeth also suffers. She sleepwalks and talks of her wrongdoings. The doctor dubs it a “great perturbation in nature” and unnatural (V, i, 9-10). He hints at her ugly deeds. Unable to handle her punishment, Lady Macbeth takes her own life and receives the final sleep she desperately desired. Some characters lose sleep but, not on their own accord. They suffer from others

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Macbeth, through his lack of sleep, displays his deteriorating sanity. Sleep itself is a calm and rejuvenating experience, a time for peace and rest of the mind. Lady Macbeth describes sleep as “the season

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Throughout the first two acts of Macbeth, the motif of sleep is portrayed through several opposing perspectives. We are first introduced to this recurring idea in the first scene, when the witches elect to meet Macbeth on the heath during the battle’s aftermath. The First Witch says that she will punish a woman by preventing her husband from sleeping on his voyage, declaring that “I will drain him dry as hay: Sleep shall neither night nor day Hang upon his pent-house lid;” (I.ii.18-20). The phenomenon in this scene is presented as an basic item that is to always be taken for granted, like clean water and shelter. If someone were to be denied the right to sleep, it would constitute torture.

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The Symbol of Sleep in Macbeth In life, most things are not what they seem to be. In the play Macbeth this is no different. Most things in life have a surface and a deeper meaning. Take sleep for example, it can represent rest on a surface level or something like renewal on a deeper level.

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She mentions the night of Duncan’s murder when she says, “will these hands ne’er be clean [of blood]” (5.1.39). Her heart contains the guilt of all the evil deeds she has done, and her body is paying by not letting her sleep properly. The doctor says “Unnatural deeds do breed unnatural troubles” (5.1.65-65) referring to the trouble of sleeplessness Lady Macbeth faces from the unnatural deed of murdering many people. She is damned due to the feeling of guilt, which eats her up inside and causes her to lose sleep. This guilt is caused by all of the evil she does, and sees her husband do; ultimately, her sleeplessness is caused by the evil inside of her and around her.

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Also, the source will help show the larger implications of sleep disorders on individual and societal well-being, highlighting the importance of addressing sleep-related issues in both personal and public health contexts. As the article states, "adequate sleep is essential for memory consolidation and overall cognitive health, impacting both individual performance and societal well-being (Walker, Page 1)." Taylor Ehrhart [...] “A Real Brain Drain: Sleep Deprivation and Its Effects on The Brain” by Sleep Center of Middle Tennessee, last updated December 12, 2024. In this comprehensive article authored by the Sleep Center of Middle Tennessee, the concept of sleep deprivation is clearly explained for the general public readers, offering a thorough understanding of its definition and significance as a prevalent concern in today’s society. Through detailed exploration, the piece guides readers in recognizing the symptoms of sleep deprivation, empowering them to discern its presence and comprehend the potential adverse effects it poses on overall well-being.

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When the idea of the first murder enters Macbeth’s mind, things begin to go wrong. He no longer has the natural healthy, normal sleep. His sleep is made up of hallucinations and nightmares. “Glamis hath murder’d sleep’, and therefore Cawdor... Shall sleep no more: Macbeth shall sleep no more.”

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While earlier in the play Lady Macbeth was the tougher or more assertive of the Macbeths, she too has started to have bizarre or strange episodes due to her guilty consciousness. And despite Lady Macbeth’s attempts to “play it cool” if you will, her body has betrayed her. I think that Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking reveals the distress and unhappiness she can’t express emotionally while she’s awake. And that the yelling, the washing of hands, and the hair pulling, all show the very real her, neither the other characters nor the audience can see during the

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Macbeth shall sleep no more.” ” It seems that Macbeth just hears things that aren’t actually there. This implies, Macbeth is undergoing a mental state from his guilt. It is clear by his actions that he is starting to become very crazy.

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Lady Macbeth encourages Macbeth to kill Duncan, being more heartless than Macbeth. Macbeth kills Duncan to become king and is consumed with guilt. Shortly after the killing, he claims that he heard a voice tell him to "sleep no more” and that he "[murders]" "innocent sleep" (2.2.47-48). Macbeth is having internal struggles, not being able to sleep because of the guilty voices that engulf his mind. The innocence that he once had is gone, making him unable to sleep.

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“The thane of Fife had a wife. Where is she now?—What, will these hands ne'er be clean?—No more o' that, my lord, no more o' that. You mar all with this starting.” (v.i.xxx) Macbeth, a play written by William Shakespeare, uses many symbols throughout.

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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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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”

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