In Macbeth, ambition conspires with wicked forces to execute evil deeds which, in their turn, produce fear, guilt and still more horrible crimes. Above all, Macbeth is a character who responds to the psychological weight of his sins. In the course of the play, Macbeth repeatedly misinterprets the guilt that he suffers as being simply a matter of fear. Macbeth deals with his guilty conscience by taking impulsive actions that lead him to commit still more sinful acts, and this only causes him to …show more content…
In Act I, one can acknowledge Macbeth’s feelings of guilt. In this scene the word sleep becomes repetitive. This is Shakespeare's way of conveying the character's guilt, as when someone has a guilty conscience, such will deprive one from sleep. Shakespeare alludes to the story of Adam and Eve with the relationship of the character of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. The character of Lady Macbeth influences the character of Macbeth by demeaning his guilty conscious. In the scene which occurs immediately after Duncan's death, Lady Macbeth orders her husband to get some water "and wash this filthy witness from your hand" (II.i.43-44). He rejects her suggestion, crying out, "What hands are here. Ha! they pluck out mine eyes! / Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood / Clean from my hand?" (II.i.56-58). But she in