Guilt in Macbeth by William Shakespeare

A person’s guilt will eventually manifest itself on its own terms. For most people, guilt is a hard psychological experience. Thus, the effects can be very diverse. In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the effects of guilt and having a guilty conscience is a recurring theme displayed throughout the text. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, the two characters Shakespeare reveal to be most evil, experience an abundance of guilt and its unwanted side effects. Through the characters’ dialogue and soliloquies, the reader can pinpoint exact moments where guilt is unmissable. Shakespeare’s Macbeth clearly demonstrates how guilt can affect one’s actions, and it uses the concept to develop one of the many themes of the play.

Macbeth’s character suffers from the effects of a guilty conscience in the play after he crudely obtains the throne of Scotland. As soon as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth kill Duncan, Macbeth starts to encounter auditory hallucinations. Macbeth says, “Methought I heard a voice cry ‘Sleep no more! / Macbeth does murder sleep’” (II.ii.35-36). Macbeth believes he hears a voice telling him he will never sleep again because he “murdered sleep”. At this point in time, Macbeth’s guilty conscience is starting to show itself and cause Macbeth confusion and despair. Later on, Macbeth starts to hear a knocking sound which scares him. In his terror, Macbeth says, “ To know my deed, ‘twere best not know myself.” (II.ii.73). Macbeth is saying that if he understands what he has done, he wants to remain in a daze. Macbeth begins to want to wake Duncan at this point, revealing his true remorse for his crime.

In Macbeth, Lady Macbeth holds a strong influence in Macbeth's actions and experiences her own share of guilt. Lady Macbeth appears in Act...

... middle of paper ...

...ht that I am,

Not for their own demerits but for mine

Fell slaughter on their souls. Heaven rest them now!

(IV.iii.222-227)

Macduff refers to himself in third person out loud, speaking to his own conscience. He says that they were not killed because they did something wrong, but were killed because of him. Moreover, Macduff expresses anger at God, which is common for man to do when guilty.

In conclusion, for most people, guilt is a hard psychological experience. In Macbeth by William Shakespeare, guilt is a recurring theme. Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, and Macduff all experience guilt in different ways. Macbeth encounters rage and hallucinations; Lady Macbeth encounters sleepwalking, and Macduff experiences simple grief and consequences. The play clearly demonstrates how guilt can affect one’s conscience-- a very practical, functional theme.