Shakespeare's Macbeth-The Truth Behind Mental Ilnesses
The Truth Behind Mental Ilnesses
The 16th and 17th century understanding of mental ilnesses was far less compared to the modern understanding here in 2017. Back then the lack of knowkledge on this topic led to not so great ways to “cure” them. Shakespeare shows this in his play Macbeth and others as well. His focus was on Guilt, Hallucinations, and Madness. Medicine, Spirituality, and Philosophy also played a big role in how the 16th and 17th century people looked at the mentally ill. Shakespeare utilised these all of these throughout Macbeth. Some are harder to find than others. Depending on how much the reader pays attention they can either scrape the surface of these meanings or they can dig deeper and see better meanings. In 16th and 17th century England there was not a real difference in the understanding of guilt. …show more content…
However guilt is a common thing in Macbeth and is seen throughout this play.
One of the first signs of guilt would be in Act 1 Scene 4 when Macbeth says. “For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires: Let not see my black and deep desires. The eye winkat the hand, yet let that be Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see.” (1.4, 52-55) This quote from Macbeth talks about how Malcolm was just announced Prince of Cumberland and Macbeths horrible desires. He thinks that now he should give up or step over him somehow. He feels guilty with this horrible desire he has. In Act 1 Scene 7, Macbeth has an aside and gives himself a “pep talk” in a sense. The quote “If it were done when ‘tis done, then ‘twere well It were done quickly. If the assassination Could trammel up the consequences, and catch. With his sucease success; that but this blow Might be the be-all and the end-all here,…. And
falls on th’ other.” (1.7, 1-28) Although I did not put the full quote he lists the pros and cons of killing Duncan. He feels guilty for even having to weigh the pros and cons of killing his friend/boss/giver. The character Macbeth is not the only one who experiences these guilty thoughts. Lady Macbeth is also filled with guilt as shown in Act 5 Scene 1 while she was sleepwalking. “Out, damned spot! Out, I say! --One, two. Why,then, ‘tis time to do’t. Hell is murky...Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him.” (5.1, 25-28) Lady Macbeth is “sleepwalking” at this point in front of a doctor blurting out what is on her mind.She complains about the blood on her hands which in this quote are about King Duncan.
Works Cited Page:
“History of Mental Illness.” History Of Mental Illness Timeline. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2017.
“Macbeth And Insanity William Shakespeare English Literature Essay.” UKEssays. N.p., 23
Mar. 2015. Web. 29 Mar. 2017.
“Mental Illness in the 16th and 17th Centuries.” Mental Illness in the 16th and 17th Centuries / Historic England. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2017.
Shakespeare, William. “Macbeth.” Prentice Hall Literature. Comp. Prentice Hall. Vol. 1.
Upper Saddle River: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005. 301-88 Print. The British Tradition.
The 16th and 17th century understanding of mental ilnesses was far less compared to the modern understanding here in 2017. Back then the lack of knowkledge on this topic led to not so great ways to “cure” them. Shakespeare shows this in his play Macbeth and others as well. His focus was on Guilt, Hallucinations, and Madness. Medicine, Spirituality, and Philosophy also played a big role in how the 16th and 17th century people looked at the mentally ill. Shakespeare utilised these all of these throughout Macbeth. Some are harder to find than others. Depending on how much the reader pays attention they can either scrape the surface of these meanings or they can dig deeper and see better meanings. In 16th and 17th century England there was not a real difference in the understanding of guilt. …show more content…
However guilt is a common thing in Macbeth and is seen throughout this play.
One of the first signs of guilt would be in Act 1 Scene 4 when Macbeth says. “For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires: Let not see my black and deep desires. The eye winkat the hand, yet let that be Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see.” (1.4, 52-55) This quote from Macbeth talks about how Malcolm was just announced Prince of Cumberland and Macbeths horrible desires. He thinks that now he should give up or step over him somehow. He feels guilty with this horrible desire he has. In Act 1 Scene 7, Macbeth has an aside and gives himself a “pep talk” in a sense. The quote “If it were done when ‘tis done, then ‘twere well It were done quickly. If the assassination Could trammel up the consequences, and catch. With his sucease success; that but this blow Might be the be-all and the end-all here,…. And
falls on th’ other.” (1.7, 1-28) Although I did not put the full quote he lists the pros and cons of killing Duncan. He feels guilty for even having to weigh the pros and cons of killing his friend/boss/giver. The character Macbeth is not the only one who experiences these guilty thoughts. Lady Macbeth is also filled with guilt as shown in Act 5 Scene 1 while she was sleepwalking. “Out, damned spot! Out, I say! --One, two. Why,then, ‘tis time to do’t. Hell is murky...Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him.” (5.1, 25-28) Lady Macbeth is “sleepwalking” at this point in front of a doctor blurting out what is on her mind.She complains about the blood on her hands which in this quote are about King Duncan.
Works Cited Page:
“History of Mental Illness.” History Of Mental Illness Timeline. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2017.
“Macbeth And Insanity William Shakespeare English Literature Essay.” UKEssays. N.p., 23
Mar. 2015. Web. 29 Mar. 2017.
“Mental Illness in the 16th and 17th Centuries.” Mental Illness in the 16th and 17th Centuries / Historic England. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2017.
Shakespeare, William. “Macbeth.” Prentice Hall Literature. Comp. Prentice Hall. Vol. 1.
Upper Saddle River: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005. 301-88 Print. The British Tradition.