Lady Macbeth Bipolar Disorder Analysis

William Shakespeare was a popular Renaissance writer. He wrote the famous drama The Tragedy of Macbeth. Macbeth was a respected and well thought of noble thane of Scotland until he met the witches. The witches gave him a prophecy that he would be king. Macbeth, being a loving husband, promised his wife the crown. Lady Macbeth being a supportive and loving wife, then gave Macbeth the plan to kill King Duncan. She began to feel guilty over the killing spree she had began. The guilt began to cloud her judgment and her mental health began to decline causing her to become mentally ill. Through her thoughts and actions, Lady Macbeth clearly suffered from untreated cases of bipolar disorder 2 and schizophrenia. Before Lady Macbeth helped her husband kill King Duncan, Lady Macbeth suffered from an untreated case of bipolar disorder 2. Bipolar disorder 2 is a mental illness of continued periods of depression with episodes of dramatic mood changes. Bipolar disorder affects the area of the brain that is associated with decision-making and controlling impulsive behavior. Healthy BALANCES states,

The doctor states “ This disease is beyond my practice; yet I have known those which have walk’d in their sleep who have died holily in their beds.” (5.1.48) He is stating that her treatment is beyond his power and he cannot heal her. In this time period they did not have the medication we have today. Today, some of the most common drugs used for bipolar disorder are lithium, antidepressants, antipsychotics and anti-seizure medications. Most of these medications have side effects such as; weight gain, drowsiness, seizures, and sometimes-even death. Doctor William Walsh claims that natural treatments work also. These include; meditation, a healthy no sugar diet, getting enough omega-3 fatty acids, and even something as simple as gathering a bouquet of