Essay on Macbeth’s Deteriorating Mental State - 1636 Words

William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a tragedy in which the main characters are obsessed by the desire for power. Macbeth’s aspiration for power blinds him to the ethical implications of his dreadful acts. The more that Shakespeare’s Macbeth represses his murderous feelings, the more he is haunted by them. By analyzing his hallucinations it is possible to trace his deteriorating mental state and the trajectory of his ultimate fall. Throughout the play Macbeth is never satisfied with himself. He feels the need to keep committing crime in order to keep what he wants most: his kingship. The harder Macbeth tries to change his fate the more he tends to run into his fate. His ambition and struggle for power was Macbeth’s tragic flaw in the play.†¦show more content†¦It is known that, the King is God chosen, and Macbeth was not the chosen one to be king. Macbeth’s ambition dominated the great chain of being, so that he could get what he wanted. When Macbeth sinfully disrupted the great chain of being, nature’s natural flow was also disturbed. One can argue that all of the mischief in the play is caused my Lady Macbeth. The person who is the most influential is Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth feels she is too feminine to assist in the murder of the king, but feels that deep inside she is manlier than her husband. So, she tries to put her femininity aside when she says, â€Å"Come, you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full Of direst cruelty!† (1.5.40-43) Lady Macbeth is the one who instigates most of the mischief in the play. Near the start of the play, we know that Lady Macbeth wants to be queen, and it is evident that her ambition for her husband to become queen is the reason she persuaded her husband to commit all of the terrible crimes. It is obvious that Lady Macbeth is going to manipulate Macbeth when she says, â€Å"That I may pour my spirits in thine ear†. (1.5.26) Lady Macbeth baits Macbeth to kill the king. She questions his manhood, and calls him a coward. Lady Macbeth tries to make Macbeth feel guilty by saying, â€Å"I have given suck, and know How tender tis to love the babe that milks me: I would, while it was smiling in myShow MoreRelatedRelative Influences on Macbeth to Kill his King in Shakespeares Macbeth1505 Words   |  7 Pagesthat influenced Macbeths decision whether to assassinate King Duncan or not. Each of these arguments worked for or against Macbeths better judgement of the situation. Eventually, a combination of all these factors broke down his conscience through his mental weakness; this led to an unwise decision to kill the King. The consequences of this were fairly disastrous because Macbeth began to regret his actions just moments after the deed was done. 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