Macbeth essay draft:
Miguel Fernandes
20/01/2020
English
Mr. Dave
Macbeth essay
Macbeth is one of the most famous plays by William Shakespeare and also, one of his
shortest tragedy. Set in Scotland, the play stages the effects created when evil is chosen to
achieve the ambition for power, (or in this case the throne). The play is believed to have been
written in the year 1606. The play is one of Shakespeare's darkest and most powerful tragedies.
Within the play there is a regular occurrence of hallucinations which play an especially important
role in its outcome. This essay deals with whether Macbeth’s hallucinations were a product of
remorse or his ambition to become king. Macbeth and his lady both had hallucinations
throughout this play. The essay will contribute to detailed knowledge on understanding the play
from the aspect of remorse, conscious and how the Macbeths dealt with them.
Throughout the play there is a somewhat surreal atmosphere. It does not only make
readers doubt what is foul and what is just. Hallucinations are ghostlike symbols of Macbeth and
Lady Macbeth’s guilt, and serve as a reminder of what they have committed or are to about to.
One of the most significant hallucinations that occur in Macbeth is the floating dagger (In Act 2,
scene 1), which accompanies Macbeth as he prepares to murder Duncan, King of Scotland. The
hallucination begins by Macbeth saying, “Is this a dagger which I see before me?” 1 This is also
a soliloquy and is not directly spoken to the audience. Macbeth does not believe that the floating
dagger is real, since he cannot touch it, yet he still sees it. Then he draws his own dagger proving
that in fact it was not real. Macbeth even suggests himself that it might be a hallucination: “Art
1
William Shakespeare. "Macbeth Quotes by William Shakespeare." Goodreads.com. n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2020.
Act 2, scene 1
thou not, fatal hallucination, sensible to feeling as to sight? Or art thou but A dagger of the mind,
a false creation, Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?”2
Macbeth recognizes that the dagger is not real, and accepts this. However, he decides to
follow it as it points to King Duncan’s chamber. This is his first step into his mental
instability. Macbeth soon admits, his mind is hectic 3 and full of fear as he understands that this
hallucination is worrying. His conflict was slowly but surely starting to develop, which caused
his ambition to drive him towards a path he subconsciously knew was not moral. It seems every
other step is only more cruel and terrible, but as the story follows. In Macbeths head, there is no
alternative option to make things right anymore, nor does he want to. His ambitions are so
misplaced he is no longer aware of his actions. The hallucinations show the dagger covered with
blood and is pointing like an arrow towards the king’s bedroom. It becomes quite clear that the
dagger signals that something wicked is about to happen and represents that it is point of no
return, since this section of the play is crucial to the whole story of whether Macbeth succeeds in
murdering Duncan or not. This can serve as a symbol as the dagger will reappear later in the
play. It is also important to mention that this situation is a start of disorder and chaos.
After Macbeth murders the king, the situation slowly unrolls quite badly for everyone.
This section makes the reader wonder if this murder was a stepping stone for Macbeth’s insanity.
It seems that Macbeth comforted himself by thinking that his erratic actions were not so bad,
which caused him to have no other opinion. Later, in the play, there is yet another very important
hallucination that appears. Macbeth sees Banquo’s ghost sitting in his chair at the big feast.
Macbeth is distrustful and concerned that he will eventually be found out. The hallucination of
Banquo’s ghost reminds him that he has murdered a former friend, which again ends up
reminding him of his guilt. As a result of guilt Macbeth is unable to sleep. Not only this, but it
represents Macbeth’s conscious guilt. As stated previously this is the path of no return that
caused Macbeth’s complete change and insanity. The fact that he murdered a close friend
without feeling much remorse shows this is not only ambition, it is a clear sign of an evil soul.
2
N.a. "SparkNotes: Macbeth Quotes: Ambition." Sparknotes.com. n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2020.
3
Fall of scorpions Act 3, scene 2
Macbeth knows that Banquo’s sons will be kings (As king Duncan had said that he
wanted his oldest son to be next in line), and in his conflicted state suspects that the murder of
Duncan was finished in vain. This makes Macbeth wonder if all the troubles he went through
was of no benefit to him. During the feast, Banquo’s bloody ghost seems to appear only in
Macbeths head and proceeds to take a seat at Macbeth’s dinner table. Macbeth begins to yell at
Banquo’s ghost, “Thou canst say I did it. Never shake/ Thy gory locks at me.”4 This is the point
of the play when Macbeth insanity reaches a peak. Although he is in front of his friends he is
unable to control himself. He threatens to fight the ghost with no regard to the rest of his
guests. None of the guests are able to see Banquo, this further proves Macbeth was experiencing
a hallucination.
Eventually, Lady Macbeth asks for the guests to leave at once, as she eventually notices
that her husband has sunk into complete madness and, in her own words, “displaced the mirth,
broke the good meeting/ with most admired disorder.”5 Although Macbeth is now clearly losing
his mind due to his guilt he still plans on going to see the witches again. He is still being driven
by his ambition to become ruler despite his collapse into insanity.
As Macbeth sets off to the witches he ends up experiencing his third hallucination, a
ghost that foretells his fate in an indefinite matter once again. Shakespeare placed this scene with
the witches for a reason. It is easy to assume that the witches are to blame for all of Macbeths
actions, but it is important to remember that he understood the Hallucinations. Macbeth is so
wrapped up in his insanity that he simply hallucinated the ghosts the way he wanted. After
having these horrible hallucinations, he knows what he needs to do. He must kill Macduff and
his family. This shows viewers Macbeths complete madness, as he is now is set on killing
children and woman because of his hallucinations. But, not only Macbeth is affected by what he
has done, Lady Macbeth has been impacted as well, she eventually gives in to hallucinations.
She regularly begins to sleepwalk.6 One of her hallucinations was she believes that here hands ae
covered in blood. Lady Macbeth slowly started to break down from a strong character that kept a
cool head, to who she was now (a woman filled with guilt and regret).
4
Act 3, Scene 4
5
Act 3, scene 4
6
Act 5, scene 1
Macbeth’s hallucinations play a role in foreshadowing future events in the play, which
contributed to the development of Macbeth's greed. He uses the witch’s predictions as
justification and support to becoming king. Then, he acts upon his understanding of what the
predications mean to continue with the murder. The hallucinations and contribute to the
Macbeth's downfall. The use of them in the play is a particularly good stage technique which
allows the audience an insight into what the character is thinking. A good example could be, with
Lady Macbeth's troubled mind as a result of the hallucination of blood on her hands. Macbeths
hallucinations show how temptations drove him to commit the ultimate sin, and how it toyed
with his mind.
In conclusion, Macbeth’s hallucinations play an important role in the development of his
character. It is important to understand that his hallucinations did not play a major role in his
insanity. His insanity was a result of his ambition taken too far. Lady Macbeth did nothing to
help prevent Macbeths sickness, in fact she helped contribute to Macbeth’s insanity. It is highly
possible that Macbeth would not have done all the things if Lady Macbeth had not insisted,
pushed and provoke him. Macbeths ambitions filled his mind with conflict, hatred suspicion and
guilt. Whether Macbeth was insane his whole life or just from the first hallucination he saw, it is
certain that his hallucinations only helped to feed his insanity.
