Macbeth Motif Essay Lack of sleep can make a man go mad. This happens in Shakespeare’s, Macbeth, the three witches give a loyal soldier, Macbeth, the false prophecy that he will be king. The thought of being King of Scotland triggers Macbeth’s tremendous ambition that makes him spiral into a malicious tyrant, who murders anyone in his way. He is forced by his wife, Lady Macbeth, to become a murderer if that means she would get to be Queen of Scotland. Shakespeare refers to sleep in various ways throughout Macbeth. He pairs the motif of sleep with the guilt theme that is a key component in Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s lives. Shakespeare uses sleep throughout Macbeth to demonstrate Macbeth's and Lady Macbeth’s abrupt descent into madness due to
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Like Macbeth, she endures turbulent nights, but much later in the play. In scene 5, her servant notices a habit of sleepwalking that she has developed. Her worried servant tells the Doctor, “I / Have seen her rise from her bed, throw her night- / gown upon her; unlock her closet, take forth paper; / fold it, write upon’t it, read it, afterwards seal it, and / again return to bed; yet all this while in a most fast asleep” (5.1.4–9). Lady Macbeth’s sleep is interrupted by the recurring nightmare that she can not remove all the blood from her hands. In the beginning of Macbeth, her demeanor implies that actions do not affect her. She does not understand why Macbeth can not sleep. But, as the play goes on her guilt slowly becomes apparent and consumes her. She eventually becomes mentally ill from the cumbersome burden she carries in her subconscious. The Doctor alerts Macbeth of her state saying that she is, “Not so sick, my lord, / As she is troubled with thick-coming fancies / That keep her from her rest” (5.3.46–48). The Doctor shares this with Macbeth, but he pays little to no attention to it for he is gearing up for battle against the English. The pain and lack of sleep soon becomes so unbearable that Lady Macbeth takes her life “By self and violent hands” (5.8.83). Shakespeare carries the motif of sleep throughout …show more content…
He uses to this motif to strengthen the play and truly show his audiences the power of guilt. In the beginning of the play, Shakespeare displays Macbeth aspects of being a quality young man. As soon as Macbeth commits his first murder, he is tortured by not being able to sleep due to his own guilt. He continues to let his unchecked ambition overpower him, making him an unruly tyrant. Even Lady Macbeth is afflicted by uneasy nights of sleep walking, becoming more and more ill. Shakespeare shows the two power strong characters reach a climax and then fall from their reign. Sleep is the force behind their fall from grace. The recurring nights spent awake are what led them to their own demise. Shakespeare implies that, for the innocent, sleep is a holy luxury for those in the grace of God, and those who are not will suffer in the
Like Macbeth, she endures turbulent nights, but much later in the play. In scene 5, her servant notices a habit of sleepwalking that she has developed. Her worried servant tells the Doctor, “I / Have seen her rise from her bed, throw her night- / gown upon her; unlock her closet, take forth paper; / fold it, write upon’t it, read it, afterwards seal it, and / again return to bed; yet all this while in a most fast asleep” (5.1.4–9). Lady Macbeth’s sleep is interrupted by the recurring nightmare that she can not remove all the blood from her hands. In the beginning of Macbeth, her demeanor implies that actions do not affect her. She does not understand why Macbeth can not sleep. But, as the play goes on her guilt slowly becomes apparent and consumes her. She eventually becomes mentally ill from the cumbersome burden she carries in her subconscious. The Doctor alerts Macbeth of her state saying that she is, “Not so sick, my lord, / As she is troubled with thick-coming fancies / That keep her from her rest” (5.3.46–48). The Doctor shares this with Macbeth, but he pays little to no attention to it for he is gearing up for battle against the English. The pain and lack of sleep soon becomes so unbearable that Lady Macbeth takes her life “By self and violent hands” (5.8.83). Shakespeare carries the motif of sleep throughout …show more content…
He uses to this motif to strengthen the play and truly show his audiences the power of guilt. In the beginning of the play, Shakespeare displays Macbeth aspects of being a quality young man. As soon as Macbeth commits his first murder, he is tortured by not being able to sleep due to his own guilt. He continues to let his unchecked ambition overpower him, making him an unruly tyrant. Even Lady Macbeth is afflicted by uneasy nights of sleep walking, becoming more and more ill. Shakespeare shows the two power strong characters reach a climax and then fall from their reign. Sleep is the force behind their fall from grace. The recurring nights spent awake are what led them to their own demise. Shakespeare implies that, for the innocent, sleep is a holy luxury for those in the grace of God, and those who are not will suffer in the