Macbeth- Guilt and Madness

Macbeth

The characters in Macbeth feel a great deal of guilt, which eventually leads to madness. Neither of these would occur if it weren’t for their murderous actions towards both friend and foe. Without guilt there can be no madness. This essay will cover the guilt of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, how one murder can mark the beginning of their decent into guilt, paranoia, psychological disturbance and tyranny.

Guilt first comes into play at Macbeth’s first thought of killing Duncan. He has considered the murder as a good scheme to land him a place on the throne, but as he thinks about it the more he comes to realise the guilt that he would feel. As he sleeps, he dreams of a blood-stained dragger, and his own hand reaching out to grasp it. He sees it as a symbol of his potential murderous transgression, as he moves to kill Duncan. “ Is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle toward my hand? ….Art thou but a dagger of the mind, a false creation…”
When Macbeth no...