Sunday 29 January 2017

How and why does Macbeth become disturbed?

Macbeth's unbridled ambition to become the King of Scotland leads to his profound inner disturbance and imminent downfall. Once he commits the unforgivable sin against Duncan, we witness the beginning of his descent into irrationality and death. Even before he commits the first murder and takes the throne, he is very insecure and fears somebody might plan to harm him in the same way he plans to harm Duncan:


We but teachBloody instructions, which,...

Macbeth's unbridled ambition to become the King of Scotland leads to his profound inner disturbance and imminent downfall. Once he commits the unforgivable sin against Duncan, we witness the beginning of his descent into irrationality and death. Even before he commits the first murder and takes the throne, he is very insecure and fears somebody might plan to harm him in the same way he plans to harm Duncan:



We but teach
Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return
To plague the inventor: this even-handed justice
Commends the ingredients of our poison'd chalice
To our own lips.



Once he becomes the king, he is tormented by his guilt-ridden conscience and assumes that many people would want to dethrone him, which gives him the excuse to get rid of anyone who potentially stands in his way. The murders he commits directly or indirectly accumulate, and we see that his inner world is thrown into chaos by various sights he beholds, which are the product of his guilty conscience. One example would certainly be the ghost of Banquo, who haunts him, which implies that Macbeth feels greatly disturbed by having ordered Banquo's execution.


Macbeth's distrust of others only increases and incites him to become a cold-blooded murderer, who, towards the end of the play, realizes how futile his life has become. The play suggests that his inner disturbance proves to be far more powerful than his seemingly calm and indifferent facade which he tried to maintain in vain.

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