Examples Of Paranoia In Macbeth

The definition of paranoia is a mental condition characterized by delusions of persecution, unwarranted jealousy, or exaggerated self-importance, typically elaborated into an organized system. The tragic play Macbeth, is written by William Shakespeare, and portrays the murders committed by a power hungry warrior. The three witches inform Macbeth that if Duncan dies then he will become King. Lady Macbeth convinces her husband, Macbeth, to kill the king, Duncan, for his throne. This starts out as one killing, but then more become inevitable, and Macbeth begins to feel unbearable guilt for the killings. The deaths of Duncan, Banquo, and Macduff’s family are significant to the tragedy as Macbeth’s mental state progressively declines to a state of paranoia.

He fought bravely for his king and his country, and soon after fighting Macbeth encounters the three witches.The witches give Macbeth prophecies on how he will be king and how Banquo’s descendants will be kings.The moment Macbeth learns he will be king he ponders over committing regicide to take the throne for himself. He wavers on the line to kill King Duncan but in the end decides to go along with the plan to kill the king. He immediately regrets his decision and after a while though that regret gets suppressed deep down inside and he begins to feel nothing when he kills the king. Professor Stanley Rachman states that, “The effects of betrayal include shock, loss and grief, morbid pre-occupation, damaged self-esteem, self-doubting, anger.”(Stanley Rachman), when Macbeth commits an act of betrayal against the king Duncan, he turns to a violent individual with no regard for his actions and displays all of the previous qualities that professor Rachman had stated. Macbeth even goes as far as to feel nothing when he kills innocent women and children. This contrasts his earlier ways of murdering people and regretting his actions to him being cold hearted to these matters. When hearing of an opportunity to gain power, Macbeth loses his previous morals and resorts to acting in barbarous manners to try and seize the huge amount of power at stake. Another example of this theme occurs when Macbeth’s friendship with Banquo is shattered. At first in the play, Macbeth and Banquo are showcased as best friends, they fight alongside each other for the glory of their country and people. Banquo even betrays his own ethics for his friendship with Macbeth, but that is a topic that will be brought up later in the text. Macbeth hires assassins to murder his best friend and this is all because the Witches foretold that Banquo’s descendants will be kings. Out of fear of losing the throne Macbeth betrays his friendship

Complexity of Fear - Macbeth Fear, a quality that can motivate one to success as well as to downfall and provides the incentive to act upon matters. In Macbeth by William Shakespeare, fear plays as an influencing factor of Macbeth’s actions throughout the play. It all starts when Macbeth is told of his prophecies by the Witches, the future that he awaits emerge into an intense desire for power; leading to fear that someone else will eventually take that power away. Macbeth exclaims in his soliloquy, “...Our fears in Banquo/Stick deep, and in his royalty of nature/ Reigns that which would be feared” (Shakespeare 3.1.53-55).

He talks of the ‘barren staff’ he was given, in reference to his infertility, and his disdain blooms into murderous intent. Macbeth shows a clear resentment and jealousy of Banquo for having the royal bloodline, rather than Macbeth himself. Jealousy is one of Macbeth's most intriguing emotions. After the initial murder, Macbeth acted out of extreme paranoia. Following the assassination, realization of his actions crashed upon the head of Macbeth and he began having delusions.

First of all, manliness creates the mood paranoid because. Macbeth feels guilty about what he done to Duncan. Like they said in the upcoming quote that Macbeth can't sleep at all it's like a curse to him. The quote says Macbeth this murder sleep. This kinda sad that he can't sleep after what he has done “Methought I heard a voice cry “Sleep no more!/ Macbeth does murder sleep”—the innocent sleep,/ Sleep that knits up the raveled sleave of care,/ The death of each day’s life, sore labor’s bath,/ Balm of hurt minds, great nature’s second course,/ Chief nourisher in life’s feast”(2.2.47-52).For example when he heard a voice cry.

followed by “MURDERERS,” (4.2.82). This act shows how Macbeth’s desire for power leads him to commit terrible deeds, ultimately ruining his life. In summary, the tragedy of Macbeth is a cautionary tale about the destructive nature of ambition. The murder of Duncan, Banquo, and Macduff's family stands as a dominant example of how Macbeth's insatiable desire for power ultimately led to his downfall. As he ruthlessly eliminates any perceived threats to his rule, or even inflicting pain on others just because, he seals his fate, spiraling further into darkness, despair, and ultimately,

Macbeth was widely seen and treated as a man of virtue, valiance, and nobility. However, now at a position of such high standing, he starts to act like Lady Macbeth. Like his wife, Macbeth began to hold a very single-minded train of thought and manipulated others to his benefit. For a secure spot on his throne, Macbeth resorted to planning the murder of Banquo, for “He hath a wisdom that doth guide his valor / To act in safety. There is none but he /

Macbeth is telling the two murderers to assassinate Banquo because Banquo is the “enemy” of Scotland. Since the witches say that Banquo's’ son will become the King of Scotland, Macbeth thinks that his position is at risk as long as Banquo is alive. Therefore, he decides to murder his own friend. At this point, Macbeth’s desire for power has already blinded him and he can no longer identify the right from wrong. He accepts murder as a valid, efficient way to approach his problems, and he continues with this method.

first seen when he decided to kill Duncan in order to become King. Soon, his ambition is seen more frequently. Macbeth, afraid of Banquo due to the prophecy stating that Banquo’s sons will become kings, hires three murderers to kill Banquo. Stating “that every minute of his being thrusts against my near’st of life”, that his very presence threatens his ambitious plans to rule uninterrupted (pg 85, lines 129-130). Macbeth is so protective over himself and his plans that he will murder anyone who stands in his way.

The story of Macbeth, written by famous English playwright William Shakespeare, depicts the tale of our main character Macbeth and his accumulation of power after taking the throne of the previous king. Initially the play introduces us to Macbeth as being a vicious soldier in the war in Scotland, serving directly under the king Duncan, but as the play progresses Macbeth learns of his future prophecy to be king from three witches; and this drives him crazy enough to give into his wifes plan and kill the king to ascend up to the throne immediately. As Macbeth possesses the throne we see that the murder of king Duncan had taken a massive toll on his mental health as now he believes that everyone is trying to figure out what actually happened to

Lady Macbeth is consumed with her lust for power and that lust eventually feeds into Macbeth as he becomes even more confident and even arrogant at times. An example of Macbeth’s transformation from being hesitant to becoming king, to plotting the death of his friend, Banquo can be seen when he says to the murderers, “Know Banquo was your enemy”(III.i.115) and “So is he mine, and in such bloody distance/That every minute of his being thrusts/Against my near’st of life”(III.i.116-118). These quotes show Macbeth

the current king and with whom he has a good relationship. Later in the play he sends murders to kill Banquo, his best friend. Throughout the tragedy Macbeth also sends people to slaughter anyone that he suspects to know about his treachery. Macbeth does all of this so he can stay king and therefore stay in power. Macbeth’s ambition leads him down a dark path filled with murder, betrayal, and deception. Furthermore, Macbeth’s guilt affects the play and Macbeth's transformation into a tragic hero (Shakespeare).

In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Lady Macbeth’s desire for power prompts her poor decision making. She loses control which later results in her tragedy. Lady Macbeth desires to become queen at any cost including her husbands morality. While she is preparing for Macbeth to murder King Duncan, she says, “This night’s great business into my dispatch, which shall to all our nights and days to come give solely sovereign sway and masterdom” (1.5.70)

My fear of the Banquo runs deep. It’s his natural nobility that’s so threatening.” This statement accentuates that it is Macbeth’s individual ambition and desire to maintain power. On top of that, his fear of Banquo’s natural nobility reflects his growing paranoia in regard to potential threats to his position of power. Despite Banquo’s loyalty, Macbeth is challenged by his friend’s nobility, perceiving it as a challenge to his own authority and hence leads Macbeth to plot Banquo’s murder.

Because of his fears and paranoia that a close friend, Banquo, knows the truth about the murder, he has him killed. This pivotal event shows that Macbeth is becoming more savage as his lust for power corrupts him, in fact becoming corrupt enough to murder his friend. The final misdeed that Macbeth commits cements his fate as a tragic character, corrupted by power. When he finds that Macduff, a character that could expose his murders, has fled to England, Macbeth orders the slaughter of Macduff’s defenseless family. His murders have become sicker and more depraved throughout the play, building to this heartless act.