Impact of Guilt on MacBeth :: essays papers

touch on of Guilt on MacBethWhat is guilty conscience and what major impact does it have in the play Macbeth by WilliamShakespeare? Guilt is defined as the fact or state of having offended someone or something. Guilt may condition a person to have trouble sleeping and difficulty in relationships with others. The effects of guilt tie into Macbeth with the theme of nightand immorality. Guilt causes the briny characters consciences to over play along them mentallyand physically causing their downfalls. In the tragedy Macbeth by William Shakespeare,the recurring theme of night and darkness is used to symbolize guilt and conscience suchas when Macbeth and Lady Macbeth want the darkness to wait their evil deeds and inthe end, when Lady Macbeth is afraid of the darkness and nighttime. In Act I, after King Duncan names Malcolm the Prince of Cumberland, Macbethis already plotting to kill Duncan. He asks the darkness to get along and hide his evil deedsso no one would see the terrible th ing he was about to do. He says Stars, hide your fires let not light see my black and chummy desires The eye wink at the hand yet let that be which the eye fears, when it is done, to see (Act I, scene iv, ll.50-53). This is demonstrated again after the maul of Banquo when Macbeth says to Lady MacbethCome, seeling night, scarf up the tender eye of pitiful day, and with thy spread over andinvisible hand cancel and tear to pieces that great bond which keeps me brainsick(Act III,scene ii, ll.46-50). This quote from the play also shows the importance of night anddarkness to Macbeths plot of killing Banquo. He is asking the night to come and hideand cover up the things he has done to Banquo. These examples from Macbeth show that passim the play, Macbeth wants the darkness to conceal his evil deeds. Lady Macbeth also asks the night to come upon her and hide her by the darkestsmoke of hell. She doesnt want to be seen as she and Macbeth commit their terribledeeds. She wants the night to hide her thoughts and actions about killing Duncan dateshe is reading Macbeths letter. She says Come, thick night, and pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, that my intense knife see not the wound it makes, not heaven peek through the blanket of the dark, to cry Hold, hold (Act I, scene v, ll.50-54). She is already homework the murder of Duncan long before her husbands return.