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Lady Macbeth Mental Analysis

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Throughout this chaotic time in Scotland, many characters within act III of Macbeth occur to be experiencing mental battles about distressing problems. Two of these characters include Lady Macbeth and even the main character, Macbeth. Lady Macbeth’s mental battle encompasses dealing with Macbeth’s grief and obvious loss of sanity. Throughout this play, she is able to witness her husband’s dramatic transformation from a strong, noble man to one that is weak and unconfident in his abilities which can especially be seen in act III. Within act III, scene ii, Lady Macbeth advises Macbeth that “tis safer to be that which we destroy / Than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy,” and continues on to say that he “must leave this” regret and killing behind (8-9,37). In this situation, she is trying to comfort Macbeth after he still feels deep regret for murdering Duncan by admitting how it would be an improvement to be dead rather than to be …show more content…

The first of which involves his hallucination with Banquo’s ghost at a dinner party after ordering his death to be carried out. After discerning that the ghost was Banquo, he exclaims, “Take any shape but that, and my firm nerves / Shall never tremble” (III.iv. 102-103). By this statement, it is clearly seen that Macbeth is paranoid, apprehensive, and uneasy to see Banquo due to the fact that he is undergoing deep regrets for his actions and sees a dead man’s ghosts. Throughout this scene, Macbeth is constantly enduring a mental battle with himself as a result of his mental deterioration from a lack of sleep and guilt from his past actions which seem to be altering his mental consciousness. Thus, he is experiencing an inner battle with his sane self along with a guilty and mentally unstable part of himself which takes form as a symbol of Banquo’s ghost. Mental battles continue throughout this act for Macbeth, unfortunately, and involves a relative of Banquo’s named

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