macbeth visions and hallucinations essay

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The Significance of Hallucinations in Macbeth

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The first hallucination, macbeth's paranoia, lady macbeth's despair, significance of hallucination motif.

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Macbeth - Visions and Hallucinations

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Role of Visions and Hallucinations in Macbeth Essay Sample

The novel Macbeth is about a man who kills for power and the consequences that lead to his downfall. After Murdering Duncan and Banquo Macbeth goes through visions and hallucinations. The visions and hallucinations foreshadow Macbeth's fall from greatness as we repeatedly see evil taking place. Throughout Macbeth, William Shakespeare uses the theme "actions always have consequences" through the various repercussions Macbeth faces in light of his maneuvers.

Macbeth murders Duncan and starts to have visions, hallucinations, and claims to hear people talking. Macbeth is thinking of the murder which makes him feel guilty, and causes him to see the bloody daggers which are hallucinations. The bloody dagger is pointing towards Duncan and the handle is pointed towards Macbeth. According to Act II of Macbeth it states, “A dagger of the mind, a false creation, Proceeding from the heat-oppressèd brain?”(Shakespeare 2.1. 39-40). Macbeth wonders if the dagger is real or if his conscience is playing tricks on him. The hallucination happens because he is thinking about the murder he is going to commit. Macbeth feels guilt because he knows that what he is doing is wrong, but he feels pressured by Lady Macbeth. According to Act 2 of  Macbeth it states, “Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep”—the innocent sleep, Sleep that knits up the raveled sleave of care ” (Shakespeare 2.2. 35-37). Macbeth claims to have heard someone say that he murdered sleep, but Lady Macbeth did not hear anything. Therefore, the voice and the daggers Macbeth sees are caused by the guilt he feels about murdering King Duncan and Banquo.

Macbeth sees Banquo’s ghost at the banquet in his chair which shows that Macbeth seems happy that he would still have his power but in reality he is troubled with it. Macbeth  sent two murders to kill Banquo on the ride with his son. According to Act III of  Macbeth  it states, “Prithee, see there! Behold! Look! Lo! How say you?”(Shakespeare 3.4. 72). Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth to look over at the ghost of Banquo but no one can see it. The ghost of Banquo makes Macbeth look crazy in front of the guests. Lady Macbeth claims that her husband has an illness and all his close friends know about it. The ghost of Banquo is a representation of Macbeth’s guilt for murdering Banquo. Macbeth feels guilt because he murders his friend for power. The guilt that Macbeth feels is a consequence of his action that he does on his free will.

The witches show Macbeth three apparitions that represent his downfall. The first apparition tells Macbeth to beware of Macduff; and the second apparition tells Macbeth that he can not be defeated by anyone born from a woman. The apparitions foreshadow Macbeth's fall from power. During the war, Macbeth kills young Siward and does not fear him because he is born from a woman. However, when Macbeth faces Macduff, he learns that Macduff was born from a C-Section. Macbeth feels guilty about fighting Macduff because he already killed Macduff's family. Macbeth is then beheaded by Macduff and his head is taken as a trophy. Macbeth killed Duncan, Banquo, and Macduff’s family, for which he paid with his own life.

Ultimately, William Shakespeare uses the theme "actions always have consequences" because of the things he has to face due to his actions.Macbeth goes after Macduff’s family, Duncan, and Banquo to get puwer. However everything he has done led to his downfall at the hands of Macduff. Macbeth believed he was safe because the witches' prophecies gave him courage but it was proved to not be true.

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Macbeth Hallucinations

Author: Angel Bell

“Macbeth” by Shakespeare: Visions and Hallucinations

In the tragic story of Macbeth, written by Shakespeare, the development of the main character and the change to evil were accompanied by a series of visions. These hallucinations were essential for the narrative, and they started with the dagger, which he saw before murdering King Duncan (Shakespeare 139). In this scene, Macbeth could only see it and could not touch it, and this vision indicated the beginning of this character’s obsession.

This hallucination was followed by the ghost of Banquo, and this episode contributed to the others’ understanding of Macbeth’s insanity. The king saw Banquo sitting in his place and started talking to him as if he was alone in the room (Shakespeare 177). It was the first case of him losing consciousness in public, but his reputation was not saved by the intervention of Lady Macbeth (Shakespeare 178). No one believed it was a momentary fit, and the guests were sure the king was sick.

The final vision of Macbeth happened when he decided to visit the witches, whose prophecy he followed. The first apparition he saw warned him to beware Macduff, and the second said, “None of woman born shall harm Macbeth” (Shakespeare 194). The third apparition claimed there was a threat from Great Birnam Wood, and it was followed by a parade of kings descended from Banquo (Shakespeare 195). These hallucinations marked the ultimate madness of Macbeth and his tragic end.

In conclusion, the significance of visions in Macbeth was conditional upon their connection to his emerging insanity and subsequent deeds. They depicted the way of the main character from a soldier to a murderer and played a significant role in his further decisions. The progression of visions, in turn, was presented in such a way that the vagueness of prophecy underpinned the ambitions of a sick man.

Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Edited by A.R. Braunmuller, Cambridge University Press, 1997.

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