Preview

The Cause Of Illness In Shakespeare's 'Macbeth'

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
154 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Cause Of Illness In Shakespeare's 'Macbeth'
Context: After Macbeth and Lady Macbeth kill King Duncan, they face various repercussions. Lady Macbeth cannot sleep soundly, but rather sleepwalks every night, worrying over her past crimes. A doctor is then called to diagnose and cure her illness. Later, the doctor updates Macbeth on Lady Macbeth’s incurable illness, but Macbeth is distracted by the threat of English forces coming to attack his castle. Hopeful, Macbeth asks the doctor to bestow his wisdom upon him:
Quotation: “What rhubarb, senna or purgative drug/Would scour these English hence?” (5.3.63-64)
Explanation: Here, Macbeth is plagued by the English army who would like to overthrow him. Macbeth searches for a cure to save him and protect his kingship. This also speaks to the severity
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Examples Of The Disintegration Of Lady Macbeth
    • 750 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Examples Of The Disintegration Of Lady Macbeth

    The disintegration in Macbeth's and Lady Macbeth's relationship often mirrors the state of Scotland. At the beginning of the play, the relationship is strong, trustworthy and stable. Scotland battled the Norwegians and come out victorious which in turn created order and stability. The gradual changes in the relationship are highlighted by key events, circling around power and this then amount to leaving the relationship, and Scotland, in ruins. As the downfall reaches it's end one of Shakespeare's greater themes become more obvious. By demonstrating the downfall of the relationship and enhancing this through the mirroring of Scotland's fall Shakespeare shows the tragic fall of a hero.…

    • 750 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Examples Of Blood Imagery In Macbeth
    • 1391 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Examples Of Blood Imagery In Macbeth

    Macbeth is one of William Shakespeare’s tragedies from the early 1600’s. Macbeth, once a nobleman who was the epitome of loyalty takes a turn and is overcome by ambition which can be attributed to the witches and Lady Macbeth. Macbeth rises to power but covered in blood. A major theme throughout the play of Macbeth is if a person commits an evil crime such as murder, he or she is incapable of fully escaping the sins and guilt that come with such actions. Throughout Macbeth, blood is a prominent image that enhances this theme throughout the play, ultimately demonstrating how a person can be stained from their sin and eventually their guilt.…

    • 1391 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Examples Of Masculinity In Macbeth
    • 554 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Examples Of Masculinity In Macbeth

    Macbeth is a Shakespearean tragedy, written between the years of 1599 and 1606. It tells the story of a Scottish general, known as Macbeth who receives a prophecy from three witches claiming that he will, someday, become king of Scotland. The play demonstrates two main themes through the desires of kingship and power Lady Macbeth has for Macbeth and the numerous murders committed by Macbeth in order to fulfill these and his own want for power. The two main themes of Macbeth include ‘the corrupting nature of unchecked ambition’ and ‘the relationship between cruelty and masculinity.’ The first and most common theme, ‘the corrupting nature of unchecked ambition,’ initially arises when Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth of his new title and how he is…

    • 554 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Motif Of Illness In Macbeth
    • 632 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Motif Of Illness In Macbeth

    Explanation: In asking the doctor for a cure for Scotland, Macbeth displays that he finally notices the consequences of his actions. However, he is not admitting to his own actions being the cause of his country’s “disease.” This is said just after Macbeth has been told of the army marching toward the castle, and of the desertion of his nobles, which illuminates that the real illness in the country is him, Macbeth. By asking the doctor to purge Scotland of her disease, Macbeth is really asking the doctor to cure Scotland by removing him.…

    • 632 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Causes Of Macbeth's Downfall
    • 825 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Causes Of Macbeth's Downfall

    According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, the definition of downfall is “a sudden loss of power, happiness, success, or something that causes failure”. Downfall is involved in William Shakespeare’s notorious play, The Tragedy of Macbeth. Despite the fact that it seems as though Lady Macbeth and the witches took a toll on Macbeth’s behaviour throughout the play, Macbeth’s personal decisions lead him to his own catastrophe. Firstly, Macbeth’s brave and courageous nature motivates him to commit a serious crime, in which he was not completely satisfied with; due to the fact that it made people believe that he did not attain the king of Scotland in a fair manner. Secondly, Macbeth is an obstinate character. Macbeth wants nothing to do with his conscience. He refuses to listen to his conscience. His conscience requests that he changes his ways and forgets about the terrible things he has done in the past, since it is directing him in the wrong direction. Additionally, being extremely pragmatic directed Macbeth to his downfall in reason of him trying to complete problems instead of relying on specific ideas. Lastly, Macbeth’s emotional disorder takes a toll on his behaviour throughout the novel. His emotional disorder leads him to do things that he does not mean. Succeeding the killing of king Duncan, Macbeth is concerned about the death and he also feels remorseful to the crime he has committed. Also, Macbeth’s insanity causes him to hallucinate Banquo’s ghost, who is a commander of Duncan’s army. Macbeth’s actions after hallucinating precisely shows that he feels guilty for the committing the crimes.…

    • 825 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Examples Of Mental Deterioration In Macbeth
    • 1876 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Examples Of Mental Deterioration In Macbeth

    All through the catastrophic play of Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the main character, Macbeth, makes countless poor choices. The three witches’, also referred to as the three weird sisters, prophecy is the event that tipped him over the edge and into mental deterioration. From Act 1 to the very ending of act 5, Macbeth suffers through the consequences of his actions and choices which are the ultimate cause of his mental deterioration and downfall, as well as the development of psychological disorders.…

    • 1876 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Macbeth's Downfall
    • 920 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Macbeth's Downfall

    If one has the firmness of killing another, will that person collapse to the forces of guilt and turn themselves in, or will that person suffer the effects of guilt and try to live through their troubles? Guilt can cause many people to turn themselves in or can make people succumb into a deep hole. In the play "Macbeth" by William Shakespeare, Shakespeare reveals that the effects of guilt can cause the downfall of one's status and more importantly, their inner being.…

    • 920 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Examples Of Mental Illness In Macbeth
    • 1290 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Examples Of Mental Illness In Macbeth

    Mental illness affects approximately 1 in 4 people, including Macbeth from Shakespeare’s famous play, The Tragedy of Macbeth. Illnesses like schizophrenia and psychopathy impact about one percent of the population. In the play, Macbeth expresses worrisome traits of both of these disorders. Schizophrenia and psychopathy are both extremely deteriorating to the mind and he very well could have suffered from not just one, but both of these illnesses. He has the tendencies to be a psychopath while also having the tendencies to be a schizophrenic, particularly because of the hallucinations and paranoia. With all of that, he also fit almost all of the criteria to be considered insane in a courtroom. Macbeth was an all around mentally ill and unstable…

    • 1290 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Macbeth Cause and Effect
    • 528 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Macbeth Cause and Effect

    Macbeth’s untimely death was due to his unfortunate, tragic downfall; and all because he wanted to be a King. The causes and the effects of Macbeth becoming king are not that of a well mannered, or righteous king. But surprisingly, Macbeth was once a well-mannered, righteous man of the king himself. He was a victorious fighter in battle and an honorable solider whom people looked up to. But isn’t it funny how someone can change in a split second? The causes of Macbeth becoming king were him being told by “witches” who foretold his future, and from that sprung the power hungry Macbeth. The effects of Macbeth becoming king were his tragic downfall and a heavy conscience that ultimately killed him.…

    • 528 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Theme Of Schizophrenia In Macbeth
    • 1362 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Theme Of Schizophrenia In Macbeth

    Throughout the work Macbeth, Macbeth shows symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia such as hallucinations, lack of sleep, paranoia, and bizarre erratic behavior. The disorder is primarily brought on by the guilt Macbeth feels due to the murders he commits. He begins to show signs before he assassinates Duncan, which begins with him envisioning the dagger (II I 40-69) before the murder of Duncan. Macbeth’s schizophrenia induced paranoia causes him to make decisions that put his country in jeopardy and causes his supporters to quickly turn against him and cause a rebellion which ultimately leads to his death.…

    • 1362 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Arrogance In Macbeth
    • 511 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Arrogance In Macbeth

    This shows that Lady Macbeth is more willing to kill to get what she wants. Also how Macbeth would rather let the prophecies take their own course rather than take shortcuts.…

    • 511 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Theme Of Power In Macbeth
    • 997 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Theme Of Power In Macbeth

    Macbeth, a dark and gruesome tragic play written by William Shakespeare primarily discusses the concept of greed for more authority. Emasculation and the Great Chain of Being are some core components of this play that are discussed through gothic poetry. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are the main characters in the play. Through Macbeth’s catalyst, his wife, he found the strength to kill King Duncan. Lady Macbeth was his agent in many of the scenes in the play. Their compatible pairing lead to many “successes”, but also to their own deaths. Shakespeare brilliantly uses garment metaphors throughout the play as well as the innocent flower and crafty serpent motif to express Macbeth’s mindset and tragedy.…

    • 997 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Theme Of Mental Illness In Macbeth
    • 871 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Theme Of Mental Illness In Macbeth

    A simple plot to overthrow King Duncan and secure the kingdom for themselves and their lineage turned into a mental race the Macbeths couldn’t win. Plagued from the start, the stresses and anxiety were too much for the couple to handle- falling down a steady slope into madness neither could escape the mental illnesses creeping into their lives and were oblivious to the reality of the situations and their reactions to them. The stress and fear of getting caught killing King Duncan was the first line of sanity to snap in Macbeth leading him into paranoid schizophrenia, whereas the guilt and weight of the king’s death lead Lady Macbeth into a fatal fight with PTSD.…

    • 871 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Who Is To Blame For Macbeth's Death
    • 249 Words
    • 1 Page

    Who Is To Blame For Macbeth's Death

    In my opinion I do not believe that Macbeth would have killed Duncan without him wife’s influence. His wife didn’t want to do it but she want him dead so that her husband could be king and she could be the queen.…

    • 249 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Blood Theme in Macbeth Essay Example
    • 597 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Blood Theme in Macbeth Essay Example

    Shakespeare’s classic play MacBeth is the story of a young and ambitious noble, MacBeth and his wife, Lady MacBeth living in 11th century Scotland. When MacBeth is told by three witches that he will become King of Scotland, his mind begins to wander. He considers killing the current king, Duncan, but he soon dismisses the thought from his mind. When Lady MacBeth hears of the witch’s prophecies, she urges him to take fate into his own hands and kill the king. With her help, he commits this treasonous act and becomes King. This one murder is only the beginning as the couple strives to protect their power and maintain their innocence. Both characters fail to take into account the vast guilt that comes with their sinful actions. Shakespeare manifests this guilt in the images of blood and disease.…

    • 597 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics