Guilt and Instability in Macbeth Essay

Guilt and Instability

Lady Macbeth is a very disturbing character within Shakespeares Macbeth from her call to scheming spirits to unsex her, to Lady Macbeths slow decline of mental stability in the constant rubbing to get out, damn spot! this decline can only be the guilt of the murder she persuaded, planned and covered of an innocent king coming up to haunt her.

Her mental state first is seen with the letter Macbeth sends her. She reads aloud a letter from Macbeth seeming almost human at first but as soon as she calls you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe topful of direst cruelty one knows that her mental state is already shaking and the letter from her husband has made her go past the point of no return. With the thought of getting the crown of Scotland she seems consumed and that nothing can stop her and that even to her beloved husband Macbeth she becomes hostile the sleeping and the dead are but as pictures. Tis the eye of childhood that fears a painted devil. With this dramatic change of character one can see that Lady Macbeths mental stability is starting to fail.

Later on, when she begins sleepwalking which is the first sign thats physically shown on her mental state. An eased mind will have no trouble going to rest but one of guilt, such as Lady Macbeths will never be at ease without insanity right at the heels. Then later with in her sleep walks talks of how she still sees the spot of blood on her hands and vigorously rubs at her hands ranting yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him this is a sign of her guilt coming through. She first made a joke of Macbeth and it seems as if the joke is on her and all of the guilt between them both. Her mental state is worsened yet with her talk of how all the perfumes of Arabia can not sweeten my horrible hands if this is not the words of a guilty conscious over coming an already weak mind then there is no other example to be thought of. In the end her guilt and conscience overwhelms her and the only way it seems her mind can be rid of this guilt and torment she commits suicide.

She is picture perfect example of an unstable individual being over come by guilt and greed. From her first weak minded rant to her final words Lady Macbeth was an ill woman with nothing but a weak mind and a guilty conscience to blame for her down fall.