Guilt Flashcards
how is the theme of guilt explored through the play
1 Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are powerful ruthless characters but neither can escape the guilt they feel for their crimes
2 Guilt eventually causes their down fall
what effect does guilt have on Macbeth
1 it causes him to lose his humanity - at the start of the play he is shown as an honourable sensitive man and the idea of killing the king horrifies him
2 he is tormented by the ghost of Banqo
3 he immediatly shows guilt after killing Duncan his response is to cover up the crime by murdering everyone who gets in the way
4 the more murders he commits the more brutal he becomes - to escape his actions by the end of the play he is a heartless tyrant
what effect does guilt have on Lady Macbeth
1 she shows no conscience at the beginning of the play
2 she shows no sign of outward guilt straight after the murders
3 over time her guilt begins to drive her mad - she walks and talks in her sleep seeing blood on her hands that can not be cleaned off
what is the context
1 Macbeth’s guilt helps the audience to see him as a sympathetic character before his downfall - it shows he knows his actions are wrong and he feels remorse
2 Macbeth’s guilt reflects the deeply religious society of the time - he knows he has committed a crime against God and he will face punishment in this lifetime and in the afterlife
3 Lady Macbeth can not cope with her guilt without losing her mind which would reflect societies attitude to women - seen as weaker sex mentally and physically
quotes and meanings
1 “will all great Neptune’s oceans wash this blood clean from my hand “ Macbeth can wash blood from his hands but his guilty conscience means he can always see it in his mind
2 “quit my sight, … the bones are marrowless thy blood is cold” - he is horrified by Banquo’s ghost and its gruesome appearance - it reminds him of the crimes he has committed
The ghost also haunts him at the banquet so his guilt actually stops him enjoying the power he committed the crimes to win
