Lady Macbeth's Guilty Conscience
The mind can only hold off a guilty conscience for a short time before it becomes all consuming. Lady Macbeth is sleepwalking through her castle when a Doctor and a Gentlewoman see her. Lady Macbeth is seen washing her hands when she says “Out, damned spot! Out I say,” (5.1.37). This quote suggests that Lady Macbeth is attempting to wash out a blood stain on her hands that in reality is not there. While the actual murder is the fault of her husband, she knows her hunger for power and her influence made a lasting impact on his decision. Lady Macbeth was able to hold off a guilty conscience by placing the blame solely on Macbeth. This shows immense mental strength and stability. However, guilt will always find the most deserving party. The mental
break of Lady Macbeth is the night of her sleepwalking. Pre-mental breakdown, Lady Macbeth was able to deal with her guilt on a day to day basis. Lady Macbeth is then seen struggling with her guilt in her subconscious state. The only rest from the guilt Lady Macbeth was able to get was during her sleep. Once the guilt had invaded her subconscious there was no escape from her thoughts. The mental fatigue caused by never resting guilt would be overwhelming for any person, no matter how mentally strong they once were. The will to live after a mental breakdown such as this would have been very low. The thoughts going through Lady Macbeth's head were so overwhelming that all her mind could think about was rest. The acts Lady Macbeth had committed were irreversible, so the easiest way to get the needed mental rest was for the entire body to rest. On the verge of suicide, Lady Macbeth was juggling the ideas of being there for her husband and doing what was best for herself. Ultimately, Lady Macbeth made the decision to care for herself and her thoughts settled on suicide.
break of Lady Macbeth is the night of her sleepwalking. Pre-mental breakdown, Lady Macbeth was able to deal with her guilt on a day to day basis. Lady Macbeth is then seen struggling with her guilt in her subconscious state. The only rest from the guilt Lady Macbeth was able to get was during her sleep. Once the guilt had invaded her subconscious there was no escape from her thoughts. The mental fatigue caused by never resting guilt would be overwhelming for any person, no matter how mentally strong they once were. The will to live after a mental breakdown such as this would have been very low. The thoughts going through Lady Macbeth's head were so overwhelming that all her mind could think about was rest. The acts Lady Macbeth had committed were irreversible, so the easiest way to get the needed mental rest was for the entire body to rest. On the verge of suicide, Lady Macbeth was juggling the ideas of being there for her husband and doing what was best for herself. Ultimately, Lady Macbeth made the decision to care for herself and her thoughts settled on suicide.