Key Theme - Guilt Flashcards
Key ideas of Guilt
-In Macbeth’s tragedy, we witness how succumbing (giving in) to ambition, a temptation that defies divine order, unleashes a relentless amount of guilt that ultimately consumes the characters
-The play exemplifies the brutal war between ambition and divinely-sent guilt.
Remorse, a gift from God, offers a chance for reflection and redemption.
However, ambition acts as a toxic fuel, propelling characters toward heinous (evil) acts fueled by selfish desires
-In Macbeth, the stain of guilt proves eternal. A facade of bravery crumbles as it festers within the conscience, leading to a ghastly descent into madness
Shakespeares Intentions
-In Macbeth, Shakespeare paints a cautionary tale. Those who disrupt the cosmic order, defying the will of Heaven, face brutal consequences. The play suggests an ever-watchful eye, a divine force that punishes those who overstep their place in The Great Chain of Being.
-In Macbeth, Shakespeare crafts a cautionary tale through the ambitious couple. Their unbridled (uncontrolled) desire for power becomes a consuming fiend (demon), blinding them to both morality and religion. As ambition takes over, guilt consumes around their conscience, tightening its grip as their descent from grace unfolds
-As King James I was a patron to his plays, Shakespeare uses the play as a veiled (indirect) allegory (play intended to teach). He intertwines the act of regicide with tormenting guilt, a potent reminder of the potential consequences for those who disrupt the divinely ordained order. The audience, witnessing Macbeth’s descent into madness, is left with a chilling message: toppling a king, anointed by God, leads not to glory but to a tragic downfall.
Macbeth quote on Guilt (Act 2)
”I heard a voice cry ‘sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep” (Act 2)
analysis of ”I heard a voice cry ‘sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep” (Act 2)
-Motif of sleep: Throughout the play, there is a recurring motif that makes sleep synonymous (linked) innocence. Macbeth, troubled by guilt, experiences a disturbed sleep pattern, symbolising his departure from a state of innocence.
->This disintegration of innocence is a direct consequence of his deceitful actions in seizing the throne and committing regicide (killing of the king).
->Macbeth’s descent into madness is evident, as he no longer issues imperative commands like “stars hide your fires.” Instead, he reflects on the mental anguish and haunting “cries” that torment his troubled mind
-Exclamative sentence: The exclamative sentence “Sleep no more!” emphasises the enduring and irreversible nature of Macbeth’s loss of sleep and innocence.
->His disruption of the natural order through his wickedness, masked by a facade of moral piety (religiousness), has forever condemned his mind to the relentless torment of guilt.
->Sempiternally (forever), he will battle with moral restlessness, finding no redemption or salvation (being saved from sin) for the sins he has committed as a murderous tyrant who defied the innate moral order and natural order
Macbeth quote on Guilt (Act 3)
”I am in blood” (Act 3)
analysis of ”I am in blood” (Act 3)
-Motif of blood:Previously, the “blood” (which is a motif for the consequences of murder) was merely on his hands, yet now it has enrobed his entire body, and by extension his entire sense of being.
->Macbeth’s response to fear and guilt has transitioned from being horrified to indulging further in heinous acts, murder now becomes his means of self-preservation
Themes Macbeth & Guilt link to?
-Appearance vs reality: Macbeth’s spiralling guilt is inextricably tied to his shattered innocence. His ambition led him to twist the natural order and try to maintain being a valiant soldier yet in reality he was morphing into a self-serving tyrant.
-Ambition: Macbeth’s conscience, tormented by guilt, is a direct consequence of his insatiable ambition. His hubris, manifesting as an overwhelming desire for power, becomes the reason for his eventual physical and psychological downfall.
-Supernatural: Macbeth’s conscience becomes burdened by guilt as he succumbs to the self-fulfilling supernatural prophecies, transforming him into a tyrant. His ruthless and bloodthirsty rule ultimately reduces him to a mere semblance of his former self
Lady Macbeth quote on Guilt (Act 2)
”a little water clears us of this deed” (Act 2)
analysis of ”a little water clears us of this deed” (Act 2)
-Litotes (under-exaggeration): Lady Macbeth’s omnipotent (all-powerful) ambitions blind her to the profound mental turmoil Macbeth is experiencing
->Her callousness (cruelness) becomes apparent as she employs litotes, such as the understatement “a little,” not only to trivialise (make it seem less important) the act of murder but also to emasculate Macbeth, encouraging him further along his murderous path
-Euphemism: She employs euphemism (substituting a phrase or word with something less harsh or blunt) to characterise regicide as a mere “deed”
->This highlighting a paradoxical (conflicting) aspect of her character as despite her ambitions to shed feminine traits and embrace tyrannical brutality, she struggles to articulate the gravity (seriousness) of the heinous (evil) act
->This foreshadows her descent into a melodramatic state of insanity in Act 5, where she grapples with an inability to fully grasp the enormity of the sins committed.
