Macbeth’s Sanity and guilt

1) In Act 1, Scene 3 Macbeth is told by the three witches that he will be thane of Cawdor and the King of Scotland and Macbeth does’nt understand how because the thane of Cawdor and the king are both alive disagreeing with what the witches saying this is a key event as to why Macbeth starts to loose his mind.

After Macbeth is told this he starts to wonder if he will be a king

” My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical,

Shakes so my single state of man

That function is smothered in surmise,

And nothing is but what is not.”(Macbeth Act 1, Scene 3)

2) After Macbeth is told that he will be king of scotland he and his wife embark on a journey make him king by killing the current king Macbeth starts to loose his mind and sees an invisible dagger or “Dagger of the mind”.Macbeth realises that he is hollucinating because he is under pressure to kill duncan “heat-opressed brain.”

” Is this a dagger which I see before me,

The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee.

I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.

Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible

To feeling as to sight? Or art thou but

A dagger of the mind, a false creation,

Proceeding from the heat-oppressèd brain?”(Macbeth act 2,scene1)

3)In Act 1 scene 4, Macbeth finds out that Malcom is now the prince of cuberland and Macbeth now wants to be above him since the witches told him their prophecy he has become power hungry and dazed.

”  The prince of Cumberland! That is a step

On which I must fall down, or else o’erleap,

For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires;

Let not light see my black and deep desires.

The eye wink at the hand, yet let that be

Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see.”(Macbeth act 1,Scene 4)

4) Macbeth has been persuaded by his wife Lady Macbeth to kill his dear friend and king,Duncan. Macbeth is willing to do it.

” If it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere well

It were done quickly. If the assassination

Could trammel up the consequence, and catch

With his surcease success; that but this blow

Might be the be-all and the end-all here.”(Macbeth Act 1,scene 7).

5)After Macbeth kills duncan and his two guards he feels the guilt attached to his deed.

(looking at his hands) This is a sorry sight (Act 2 scene 2,line 20)

There’s one did laugh in ’s sleep, and one cried. “Murder!”

That they did wake each other. I stood and heard them.

But they did say their prayers, and addressed them

Again to sleep.(Act 2 scene 2,line 25)

One cried, “God bless us!” and “Amen” the other,

As they had seen me with these hangman’s hands.

List’ning their fear I could not say “Amen,” (Act 2 scene 2 line 30)