English Literature (Macbeth)

MACBETH THEMES, MOTIFS AND SYMBOLS

Guilt

One of Shakespeare's reasons for writing the play was to illustrate the terrible consequences of murdering a king. The play was first performed in 1605, the year of the Gunpowder Plot, and this theme would be very politically acceptable.

The idea of guilt first appears in Act 1 Scene 3, when Banquo shows his surprise at Macbeth's reaction to the witches' promises: "Why do you start and seem to fear The word 'start', meaning to jump with shock, is always associated with a guilty reaction. Later, Macbeth's guilt takes visual form when he hallucinates that a blood-covered dagger is leading him to murder Duncan.

In the murder scene, we again see Macbeth tormented by guilt. Macbeth is terrified by his own sense of sin, as he could not say 'Amen' when he heard someone praying. He imagines his guilty conscience will never let him sleep peacefully again:  “Sleep no more”". References to sleeplessness recur later in the play, as when Lady Macbeth says, "You lack the season of all natures, sleep". Even when he does sleep he will be tormented by his guilt in the "terrible dreams that shake us nightly".

One of most striking images in the play equates guilt with the idea of blood-stained hands. Macbeth refers to his own hands as "hangman's hands", which would be covered in blood from disembowelling victims of execution. When Lady Macbeth urges him to wash the blood off, he realises the impossibility of washing away his guilt. His crime is so wicked that the blood will be "Making the green one red".

After arranging Banquo's murder, Macbeth is tortured by guilt even more. Again this takes visual form, as he imagines the ghost of Banquo returned to accuse him: "Thou canst not say I did it. Never shake thy gory locks at me"!

 She is also seen constantly washing her hands, as her guilt has made the stains seem impossible to get rid of to her: "Out damned spot!…'All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand". Her reassurance to Macbeth in Act 3"What's done is done" is ironic because in act 5 she is seen saying: "What's done cannot be undone".

Order and disorder

The play begins with disorder as a battle is raging between the Scots and the Norwegians. this could reflect to the disorder later to come as Macbeth disrupts the royal bloodline.

Order and disorder are clearly illustrated at Macbeth's banquet. When his guests arrive, he greets them with the words, "You know your own degrees, sit down". This is ironic, in that he has ignored his own 'degree' or station in life, and tried to take a higher place. With the appearance of the ghost and Macbeth's loss of control, the banquet breaks up in disorder, with Lady Macbeth confirming this with her words, 'Stand not upon the order of your going, but go at once'.

False appearence

 "when the battle's lost and…