Macbeth Essay
In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, Macbeth undergoes many psychological tribulations. There is no doubt that he is insane, but the specifics of his conditions help explain the peculiarities of the play. Macbeth’s character was perhaps the culmination of all the psychological disorders known at Shakespeare’s day. He experienced disorders such as split personality, schizophrenia, and post traumatic stress. These disorders could be caused by stress on the battlefield and a poor spousal relationship. After Macbeth is diagnosed with said conditions the existence of Banquo, the witches, the murderers, and Fleance are called into question.
A thorough analysis of the beginning of the play shows that Banquo is never mentioned without Macbeth’s name right next to his “Dismayed not this our captains, Macbeth and / Banquo?” (1.2.37-8). Therefore Banquo is actually the other part of Macbeth’s personality. Macbeth experiences the disorder known as dissociative identity disorder in the beginning scene of this play “Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is a mental illness that involves the sufferer experiencing at least two clear identities or personality states, each of which has a fairly consistent way of viewing and relating to the world”(Dissociative Identity Disorder). No character in the play has interactions with Banquo besides Macbeth. In fact when Macbeth is plotting the murder of Banquo none of the main characters know of it, including his wife Lady Macbeth. He meets with the murderers in private causing their reality to be questioned too. After Macbeth murderers Banquo he states “That, when the brains were out, the man would die, / And there an end. But now they rise again” (3.4.95-6). Macbeth is the only character that...
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...post-traumatic stress, schizophrenia, and dissociative identity disorder. These psychological issues cause Macbeth to imagine Banquo, Fleance, the witches, and the murderers. Macbeth is insane, there is no question about it, he is paralyzed by his delusions. This all explains his lack of success and eventual downfall.
Works Cited
"Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) Causes, Symptoms, Signs, Diagnosis and Treatment by MedicineNet.com." Web. 28 Mar. 2010. .
Mowat, Barbara A., and Paul Werstine, eds. Macbeth. Washington D.C.: Folger Shakespeare Library. Print.
"NIMH." NIMH. Web. 28 Mar. 2010.
"Schizophrenia." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 28 Mar. 2010.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes macbeth's psychological tribulations, including split personality, schizophrenia, and post traumatic stress, which are caused by stress on the battlefield and a poor spousal relationship.
- Analyzes how macbeth experiences dissociative identity disorder, which is a mental illness that involves the sufferer experiencing at least two clear identities or personality states.
- Explains that macbeth must have schizophrenia to explain the nonexistence of the witches and murderers. schizophrenia manifests as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking.
- Explains that macbeth's sanity is in question throughout the play. many people who have gone to war have experienced post-traumatic stress disorder.
- Explains that macbeth's insanity is due to his poor spousal relationship and his unable to have children.
- Explains that macbeth is diagnosed with post-traumatic stress, schizophrenia, and dissociative identity disorder, which causes him to imagine banquo, fleance, the witches and the murderers. he is paralyzed by his delusions.
- Describes the causes, symptoms, signs, diagnosis, and treatment of dissociative identity disorder (did) by medicinenet.com.
Related
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In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how shakespeare's macbeth shows signs of having a psychological problem. schizophrenia is mental disorder where individuals may hear, see, or feel people, animals, and or objects that are not truly there.
- Explains that macbeth's schizophrenia may stem from oppressive guilt, although there is no exact known cause for schizophrenia.
- Analyzes how schizophrenics withdraw emotionally, physically, and emotionally. macbeth's wife, lady, is the driving force in this play of events.
- Concludes that macbeth and his wife were likely schizophrenics in shakespeare's mac betrayal of reality and fantasy.
- States nordqvist, christian, "what is schizophrenia?" medical news today. medilexicon, inc., 20 oct. 2013.
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In this essay, the author
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- Analyzes how schizophrenia can terrify people and make them withdrawn or agitated. macbeth becomes increasingly violent when he murders macduff's family.
- Explains that the most common type of hallucination in schizophrenia is voice. they describe how macbeth hallucinates in the banquet scene and in act 1.
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In this essay, the author
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- Analyzes how the witches beguile macbeth so that women can be blamed for his controversial actions.
- Analyzes how shakespeare is trying to prove that women are weak. he has lady macbeth go mad and kill herself to show how women cannot deal with the effects of their own crimes.
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- Analyzes how lady macbeth is persuaded by her to accept assassinating the king for power.
- Analyzes how macbeth's last verbal agreement is the most important in this scene because they are saying that they must hide their true emotions and start a huge lie to everyone about this murder.
- Analyzes how macbeth becomes selfish and hungry for power after the dinner of the thanes. he had banquo killed because he was scared that his sons would take the throne from him.
- Analyzes how macbeth abandoned his morals, was easily persuaded, and became too hungry for power, which led to his own demise.
- Analyzes how lady macbeth came up with a plan of murdering king duncan, and framing the guards.
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In this essay, the author
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- Analyzes how the dagger scene foreshadows the internal struggles that both macbeth and his wife will have to wrestle with.
- Analyzes how macbeth's ranting reveals his precarious state of mental health after the deadly means he took to become and ensure his rights as king of scotland.
- Analyzes how lady macbeth's subconscious rambling reveals how sharply she feels the size of her wrongdoings after the murders of so many people.
- Illustrates the compunction the two macbeths are equally afflicted with after they preside over the murders of their king, a close friend, and an innocent family.
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In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how shakespeare wrote timeless literature pieces, set in the elizabethan era. his stories relate to conventional views of renaissance culture while maintaining a realistic, morphable view concerning issues, such as gender roles.
- Analyzes how ideal elizabethan women are portrayed as gentle, empathetic, tender, caring, and sensitive. lady macbeth shows prominent contrast to ideal assets.
- Analyzes how renaissance men aspired to become dominant figures with right to rule; women subsist as uneducated and inferior with no rights; their jobs, bear children, care for the home until their husbands returned from battles.
- Analyzes how shakespeare's allusion to greek mythology supports a questionable relationship between cruelty and masculinity. lady macbeth and the sisters beseech goddess hecate.
- Analyzes how shakespeare's relatable literature questions elizabethan hierarchy and morals while respecting society’s parameters. macbeth exhibits a prime example exploring social issues like relativity between cruel behavior and masculinity.
648 wordsRead More - Macbeth essayanalytical essayThis essay earned a 89/100. it was a lot of work considering the lines from macbeth for textual support.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how macbeth proves himself of a tragic hero by showing supreme pride, and capacity for suffering.
- Analyzes how macbeth shows a supreme pride because he knows that banquo is an obstacle in his way of ruling. he states that it is his duty to kill him, but not let anyone see his crime.
- Analyzes how macbeth's capacity for suffering leads him to be a tragic hero.
- Analyzes how macbeth shows a sense of commitment when he reviews in his mind about the murder of duncan.
- Analyzes how macbeth's vigorous protest adds to him being a tragic hero. he cries out against god and his own weaknesses.
- Analyzes how macbeth's impact on other people verifies that he is a tragic hero. he loves killing and loves to torture people.
- Concludes that macbeth was a tragic hero. he showed supreme pride when he thought about the murders of banquo and duncan.
1269 wordsRead More