Macbeth

Isaac Bashevis Singer once stated, “When you betray someone else, you also betray yourself.” This quote gives the (1) implication that when a person betrays someone else, they are also harming themselves because they would be haunted with regret after committing such a (2) reprehensible act. When an individual breaks the trust of someone that is close to them, it is inevitable that they will experience strong feelings of guilt that will destroy their own happiness. A guilty conscience is sure to arise following the betrayal of a close friend or ally. One may feel that betraying someone to protect their own interests would be a positive outcome, but in the long run, the guilt will only be harmful to themselves. This concept is (3) conspicuously demonstrated through viewpoints in many different works of literature. An analysis of literary terms in William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth demonstrates the idea that a person would be taken over by a guilty conscience after betraying someone else by the way Macbeth’s betrayal of Duncan and Banquo led to his remorse and emotional downfall.

After hearing about the witches’ prophecy, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth were completely (4) enthralled by what was in store for their future and devised an (5) elaborate plan to kill Duncan while somehow placing the blame on his guards. They decide that the best time to do this would be the night when Duncan stays over at their house while Macbeth and Lady Macbeth hide under the (6) pretense of being (7) benevolent hosts. Macbeth murders Duncan so that he could take over his power and become the new king but he does not feel satisfied or content with performing this deed. Soon after he commits this (8) ghastly crime, he begins to feel extremely (9) contrit...

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...es be mentally and emotionally debilitating as seen through Macbeth’s downfall. This concept was clearly demonstrated in an ABC news article by Jim Suhr titled, “Father Kills Family, then Shoots Self.” This article covers an incident in which a man shot his wife and children and then proceeded to shoot himself. His intentions for killing himself were unclear but many suspect that the regret and guilt shooters have after murdering someone cause them to take their own lives. Since this man betrayed his family, he was overcome with remorse which led to his own demise. This article once again proves that the (20) upshot of a guilty conscience is that it can completely take over one’s mind. It is important to realize that the remorse that results from the betrayal of a close friend will prevent one from fully enjoying their gains and eventually lead to their downfall.