Guilt is the feeling of regret and responsibility after committing an act that does not align with the moral order of society. Shakespeare invites the audience to explore how Macbeth's guilt has conflicting ideologies behind ambition, which in Macbeth soon inherent ,intense exploration of guilt after the regicide of King Duncan and how Lady Macbeth's interference with the supernatural has led to her downfall and permanent guilt.
Firstly, Shakespeare presents guilt to be a conflicting idea with Macbeth's unchecked ambition and drive in the pursuit of power. For example, at the start of his soliloquy, Macbeth states the rhetorical "Is this a dagger which I see before me?" The hallucination of the dagger is a powerful manifestation of his unchecked ambition and his potential guilt. The dagger not only symbolising Duncan's impending doom, but Macbeth's descent into psychological and moral decay, as he is questioning whether to kill the king he was once loyal to. The dagger, which is an emblem of murder and betrayal, not only serves as a lure but a warning about the consequences their regicidal actions may have, foreshadowing his future guilt. The symbolism of the dagger foreshadows the eventual murder of Duncan, which as a result goes against the divine right of kings, which is the belief that the king is divinely appointed by God. Due to Macbeth's usurpation of the throne, the natural order has been broken, and as a result, chaos will ensue across Scotland. In addition, this soliloquy offers the audience an insight into Macbeth's state of mind, exposing a fragile psyche on the edge of becoming a 'carcass of insanity', conflicted over choosing his self-centered egotistical ambition or his morality and loyalty to his king. However, later in the same soliloquy, the Macbeth pronounces "the bell invites me" with the "bell" symbolizing the end of Duncan's life, concluding that Macbeth has chosen his ambition over morality.
Shakespeare constructs this soliloquy to unravel Macbeth's conflicted state of mind, before the use of ellision (omitting events off stage) in order to heighten the psychological impact of the scene, and letting the audience interpret Macbeth's state of mind, making them imagine the off-stage murder of Duncan.
Secondly, Shakespeare presents Macbeth temporary guilt after the regicide of Duncan as being temporary, but influential towards his character. For example, in Act 2 Scene 2, after Macbeth has committed the deed, he exclaims that "Macbeth does murder sleep". Macbeth's hysteria demonstrated here he emphasises the long lasting guilt he feels, as 'sleep' which is an emblem of innocence and care, has been taken advantage of in the pursuit of power and self-centered ambition. In addition, Macbeth says that "all great Neptune's ocean clean this of my hands." The rhetorical Macbeth uses here illustrates his uncertainty and psychological turmoil. With the hyperbole used here emphasizing how he believes nothing can cleanse him of his guilt. This obsessive guilt is strictly contrasted to Lady Macbeth, who says "a little water clears of this deed", which illustrates her change into a more androgynous persona, and has the gender roles of jacobean society reversed, defying the patriachy the audience would expect.
Shakespeare presents guilt to be a punishment to her interference with the supernatural, and her desire to become an androgynous individual. For example, in Act 5, Scene 1, when Lady Macbeth is in her state of sleepwalking, she exclaims the imperative "out damned spot out I say." The spot here is symbolic of her indelible guilt, with the blood on her hands representing her role in the regicide of Duncan, and how she is receiving the punishment for it. Her frantic attempt to wash away the blood conveys how she is haunted by the fact she cannot absolve herself of her sins, leaving not only a physical mark but causing her to be internalized with guilt. In addition, the repetition of 'out' represents her increasing despair and eventual loss of control over her mind, which Shakespeare uses to construct her as a tragic heroine,who transforms from Macbeth's tyrannical driving force to this fragile, carcass of insanity. Her futile attempt to rid herself of her sins emphasizes her unravelling state of mind. Lady Macbeth's obsessive guilt and this quote serves as a complete foil to Macbeth's emotional numbness, as the patriarchal roles are reversed back to normal, with Macbeth slowly gaining the decreasing moral corruption, strictly contrasting to Lady Macbeth's sudden fall into psychological turmoil. Morover , Lady Macbeth's speech has been impacted by her guilt , for example, in this exclamation she speaks in prose, which is typically associated with low status and inner turmoil, strictly juxtaposes to the rest of the play, where she spoke in verse, typically associated with honour and hierarchical status, further emphasizing her indelible guilt leading to her downfall.
Overall, guilt is presented in Macbeth as being a powerful, manipulative force that can lead to downfall and moral disillusionment, but cements Lady Macbeth's and Macbeth's positions as complete foils to each other and their constant opposite statuses will indefinitely lead to a fate of eventual downfall and death.
Practice This