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Macbeth, By William Shakespeare

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“I Had Most Need of Blessing, and ‘Amen’ Stuck in my Throat!”
Madness in Macbeth due to the Absence of Christianity In Shakespeare’s writing of Macbeth, the continued instances of madness in the protagonists can be contributed to the lack of a religious anchor to root the characters down and maintain sanity and morality. The breakdown of Christianity in Macbeth is linked to the religious turmoil going on in England under James I. Shakespearean literature was written under the assumption of scribal criticism, so religious commentaries are framed in a subdued manner. As Renaissance Englishmen struggled to grasp Christianity, “the plays of Shakespeare question… hegemony by identifying madness as produced by self-contradictions of the dominant ideology” (Salkeld 118). Like most Englishmen, the character of Macbeth cannot take control of his religious destiny, and “Macbeth is therefore trying to violate his own nature, the basis of human society, and the divine order in the stars” (Fergusson). By failing to embrace Christianity, both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth dictate their own destinies, as “Shakespeare’s characters may at times, reflecting their belief in medical or religious orthodoxy, allude to the humor’s determination of character” (Thiher 78). As Shakespeare’s protagonists delve further into insanity, the sphere of influence they hold increases. Similar to James I, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have profound impacts on their people, and their madness descends into both nature

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