Guilt Flashcards
Shakespeares purpose of guilt?
he presents consequences of going against natural order
both LM and M feel guilt over evil actions
M suffers from guilt immediately
LM represses guilt and leads to suicide
shows guilt as the consequence of bad evil actions that go against natural order and divine rights of kings as a reminder for Jacobeans
transgression
“horrid image doth unfix my hair”
“make my seated heart knock against my ribs” A1S3
thought of murder invokes guilt, creates an unnatural physical reaction
horrid - adjective, conveys the shock and and the distress caused by the act of murder
unfix my hair - hair is dishevelled, disarray,, vivid verb and negative prefix, UNfix, implying a sort of undoing, Macbeth will eventually be undone . subconsciously knows that murder will cause chaos and negatively interact with the natural order
seated heart - his heart at normal pace
knock - verb, powerful and unsteady, unsettled him enough to cause a constant, physical sense of guilt, it dislodges
knock against my ribs - creates a sense that his heart is trying to escape from these guilty thoughts, or could be the adrenaline from the thought of killing creating anticipation
“I had most need of a blessing and ‘Amen’ stuck in my throat”
“Macbeth does murder sleep”
A2S2
macbeth connot say amen due to nature of the sacrilegious act
need - noun, immediate and desperate wanting, a necessity for macbeth after commiting such treason
blessing - noun, undeserved mercy from god, a gift given to people to give them strength, courage, forgiveness etc, macbeth is denied this, fundamentally his body knows he has forsaken himself to hell
stuck - verb, his physical body knows he has done wrong, guilt manifests as the rejection of anything holy and merciful
whole phrase a metaphor, not inly does he murder natural king but he murders sleep, a natural, revitalising thing
guilt is so prominent macbeth immediately knows his inability to sleep after such event. he is denied the care and natural healing of sleep. he will never feel peace again.
sleep - noun, hinted at being female, sleep cares for and looks after macbeth, macbeth has murdered his female self, becoming wracked sith guilt
“A little water clears us of this deed.” A2S2
little - adjective, small amount, minimal thought towards any feelings of guilt, a quick and easy process, simple and just a small stepping stone to achieve ambition
water - noun, cleansing and pure, used for baptisms, washing away sins, but sacrilegious act renders water useless and water is tainted, gods gift of forgiveness will not act upon those who commit treason
“In the affliction of these terrible dreams that shake us nightly. Better be with the dead” A3S2
guilt is overwhelming macbeth. he is inflicted with nightmares and begins to envy Duncan - although he is dead, he is at least at peace.
affliction - noun, a disease, an illness. macbeth is suffering, guilt has caused physical disruptions to his body
terrible - adjective, dreams incite fear and guilt and despair, macbeth is tormented by guilt whilst he is awake and whilst unconscious
shake us - verb phrase, collective of us, although LM does not admit it, she does not deny it either. both are troubled and involuntarily shake with guilt of their actions
nightly - adverb, happens every night, a common occurrence, guilt is constant and ever present
“Hell is murky”
“Out, out damned spot!” A5S1
hell - noun, subconsciously knows she will go to hell
murky - adjective, unclear, dark, absence of good and God
guilt leads to troubled minds and suicide, LMs repressed guilt has built uo and has eventually been released in her sleep
