guilt Flashcards
(12 cards)
intro
- Shakespeare presents guilt as a corrosive, inescapable force that destroys the characters’ (particularly Macbeth and Lady Macbeth) peace of mind and moral integrity
- through vivid imagery, dramatic irony and psychological exploration, guilt emerges as both an internal torment and a manifestation of the disrupted order
- Shakespeare projects guilt onto the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth
- key moments, such as the aftermath of the regicide and Lady Macbeth sleepwalking, highlight the effects of guilt
- guild acts as a catalyst for Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s downfall and eventual death
paragraph 1 quotations
‘will all great Neptune’s oceans wash this blood clean from my hands?’
‘all perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand’
‘will all great Neptune’s oceans wash this blood clean from my hands?’ analysis
→ illustrates that guilt cannot be washed away; rather, it becomes an ever-present stain on his soul
→ ‘Neptune’s ocean’ → hyperbolic, mythical language exemplifies the depth of his guilt as he feels not even a God can save him
→ the ‘blood’ imagery not only symbolises the physical act of murder, but also encapsulates the moral corruption that now irrevocably mars his conscience
→ furthermore, ‘blood’ is a recurring motif that represents the repercussions of tyranny and violence
→ Shakespeare uses ‘blood’ to symbolise guilt and water to symbolise purity - the metaphor of ‘Neptune’s oceans’ suggests that no amount of water will ever remove the sacrilegious stain of regicide
→ water washes away sins (baptism) so represents purity and spiritual cleansing, which juxtaposes with the blood which represents the guilt from committing regicide
→ hypophora highlights Macbeth’s desperation as he is trying to find solutions to his problem
→ emphasises how the damage to his conscience is irreversible and emphasises the consequences of his hamartia
→ the hand is a recurring motif of Macbeth’s actions
→ audience may feel sympathy for Macbeth as the rhetorical question highlights his paranoia and desperation due to the fact that he is aware what he has done is immoral, so he is begging for spiritual cleansing and forgiveness
→ however, the audience may also feel a hostility towards Macbeth as he chose to go through with the murder so he should have to live with the repercussions that follow it
‘all perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand’ analysis
→ ‘perfumes of Arabia’ evokes an image of something rich, exotic and overwhelmingly powerful (hyperbole)
→ perfumes are typically used to mask up unpleasant odours, suggesting Lady Macbeth seeks to cover up the stain of her guilt
→ however, by choosing the perfumes of ‘Arabia’, Shakespeare emphasises that even the most luxurious and potent substances are inadequate to cleanse her soul
→ her realisation that nothing can solve her wrongdoing reflects the inescapable nature of guilt - a force that not only marks one physically but also leaves and indelible scar on the conscience
→ her words suggests that some actions are so deeply wrong that no external remedies, no matter how extravagant, can cleanse her of her guilt
→ furthermore, the use of ‘will not’ imparts a tone of inevitability as Lady Macbeth recognises that her guilt is permanent, indicating her internal collapse and the ultimate failure of her earlier attempts to suppress her conscience
paragraph 1
- Shakespeare presents guilt as all consuming as Macbeth’s inner turmoil over his regicidal ambition is palpable
- in his soliloquy after committing Duncan’s murder, he is haunted by the indelible image of blood
- ‘will all great Neptune’s oceans wash this blood clean from my hands?’
→ illustrates that guilt cannot be washed away; rather, it becomes an ever-present stain on his soul
→ ‘Neptune’s ocean’ → hyperbolic, mythical language exemplifies the depth of his guilt as he feels not even a God can save him
→ the ‘blood’ imagery not only symbolises the physical act of murder, but also encapsulates the moral corruption that now irrevocably mars his conscience
→ furthermore, ‘blood’ is a recurring motif that represents the repercussions of tyranny and violence
→ Shakespeare uses ‘blood’ to symbolise guilt and water to symbolise purity - the metaphor of ‘Neptune’s oceans’ suggests that no amount of water will ever remove the sacrilegious stain of regicide
→ water washes away sins (baptism) so represents purity and spiritual cleansing, which juxtaposes with the blood which represents the guilt from committing regicide
→ hypophora highlights Macbeth’s desperation as he is trying to find solutions to his problem
→ emphasises how the damage to his conscience is irreversible and emphasises the consequences of his hamartia
→ the hand is a recurring motif of Macbeth’s actions
→ audience may feel sympathy for Macbeth as the rhetorical question highlights his paranoia and desperation due to the fact that he is aware what he has done is immoral, so he is begging for spiritual cleansing and forgiveness
→ however, the audience may also feel a hostility towards Macbeth as he chose to go through with the murder so he should have to live with the repercussions that follow it
- this is later mirrored by Lady Macbeth when she says ‘all perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand’
→ ‘perfumes of Arabia’ evokes an image of something rich, exotic and overwhelmingly powerful (hyperbole)
→ perfumes are typically used to mask up unpleasant odours, suggesting Lady Macbeth seeks to cover up the stain of her guilt
→ however, by choosing the perfumes of ‘Arabia’, Shakespeare emphasises that even the most luxurious and potent substances are inadequate to cleanse her soul
→ her realisation that nothing can solve her wrongdoing reflects the inescapable nature of guilt - a force that not only marks one physically but also leaves and indelible scar on the conscience
→ her words suggests that some actions are so deeply wrong that no external remedies, no matter how extravagant, can cleanse her of her guilt
→ furthermore, the use of ‘will not’ imparts a tone of inevitability as Lady Macbeth recognises that her guilt is permanent, indicating her internal collapse and the ultimate failure of her earlier attempts to suppress her conscience
paragraph 2 quotation
‘thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold’
‘thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold’ analysis
→ the adjective ‘marrowless’ - bones normally contain marrow, which is symbolic of life, strength and inner substance. By declaring Banquo’s bones as ‘marrowless’, Macbeth suggests that whilst he once had vitality, he is now hollow and depleted. This lack of inner essence can be seen as a physical representation of the moral and psychological emptiness that guilt carries as Macbeth stole the life from Banquo’s to feed his ambition, which is ultimately his hamartia
→ throughout the play, ‘blood’ is a motif for the repercussions of tyranny, and is a manifestation of guilt. The act of killing Banquo stained Macbeth’s conscience with guilt
→ ‘blood’ is traditionally associated with warmth, life and passion. By describing the blood as ‘cold’, Shakespeare conveys a sense of lifelessness and emotional detachment. The coldness implies not only a physical death but also the death of natural human warmth and empathy, which would heighten Macbeth’s guilt
→ this description reflected the impact of guilt on the human spirit. Macbeth, tormented by the bloodshed he has caused, uses these harsh images to describe the transformation guilt brings about. In the play, guilt is not merely an emotion; it’s a destructive power that degrades both the body and the mind
→ although Macbeth is talking about Banquo, Shakespeare’s choice of words reveals Macbeth’s own inner decay. The imagery of lifeless bones and cold decay mirrors the emptiness he feels within, as his conscience is gradually eroded by his heinous actions
→ his vision of a lifeless, decaying body is an external manifestation of the inner torment and moral disintegration that guilt has wrought in him
paragraph 2
- Shakespeare presents guilt as a force that depletes a pers
- he uses vivid, unsettling imagery to express how guilt and moral decay strip a person of life and humanity as Macbeth, upon seeing Banquo’s ghost says: ‘thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold’
→ the adjective ‘marrowless’ - bones normally contain marrow, which is symbolic of life, strength and inner substance. By declaring Banquo’s bones as ‘marrowless’, Macbeth suggests that whilst he once had vitality, he is now hollow and depleted. This lack of inner essence can be seen as a physical representation of the moral and psychological emptiness that guilt carries as Macbeth stole the life from Banquo’s to feed his ambition, which is ultimately his hamartia
→ throughout the play, ‘blood’ is a motif for the repercussions of tyranny, and is a manifestation of guilt. The act of killing Banquo stained Macbeth’s conscience with guilt
→ ‘blood’ is traditionally associated with warmth, life and passion. By describing the blood as ‘cold’, Shakespeare conveys a sense of lifelessness and emotional detachment. The coldness implies not only a physical death but also the death of natural human warmth and empathy, which would heighten Macbeth’s guilt
→ this description reflected the impact of guilt on the human spirit. Macbeth, tormented by the bloodshed he has caused, uses these harsh images to describe the transformation guilt brings about. In the play, guilt is not merely an emotion; it’s a destructive power that degrades both the body and the mind
→ although Macbeth is talking about Banquo, Shakespeare’s choice of words reveals Macbeth’s own inner decay. The imagery of lifeless bones and cold decay mirrors the emptiness he feels within, as his conscience is gradually eroded by his heinous actions
→ his vision of a lifeless, decaying body is an external manifestation of the inner torment and moral disintegration that guilt has wrought in him
paragraph 3 quotations
‘Out, damned spot!’
‘Out, damned spot!’ analysis
→ unlike Macbeth’s overt paranoia, Lady Macbeth’s guilt festers internally, gradually eroding her sanity until it culminates in a tragic breakdown
→ the use of imperative language of ‘out’ highlights her desperate desire to expel the stain of guilt she cannot physically remove. It suggests her conscience is in revolt, trying to force the guilt away
→ the ‘spot’ refers to the imagines bloodstain on her hands. Blood, a recurring motif in the play, represents both the act of murder and the lasting burden of guilt
→ the word ‘damned’ intensifies the negativity of the spot. It suggests condemnation and an irreversible state of being cursed
→ the choice of word highlights that her guilt is not just a simple feeling of remorse; it’s a damning force that has tainted her entire being, pushing her towards madness
paragraph 3
- Shakespeare presents guilt as an overwhelming, destructive force
- Lady Macbeth, who initially appeared untroubled by the murderous plan, ultimately succumbs to the weight of guilt in a profoundly different manner
- her earlier determination and cold pragmatism give way to obsessive compulsions, most notably her famous sleepwalking scene where she desperately tries to cleanse her hands of imagined bloodstains
- her anguished cry, ‘Out, damned spot!’ reveals that despite her earlier dismissal of remorse, the guilt associated with her complicity in Duncan’s murder has fragmented her psyche
→ unlike Macbeth’s overt paranoia, Lady Macbeth’s guilt festers internally, gradually eroding her sanity until it culminates in a tragic breakdown
→ the use of imperative language of ‘out’ highlights her desperate desire to expel the stain of guilt she cannot physically remove. It suggests her conscience is in revolt, trying to force the guilt away
→ the ‘spot’ refers to the imagines bloodstain on her hands. Blood, a recurring motif in the play, represents both the act of murder and the lasting burden of guilt
→ the word ‘damned’ intensifies the negativity of the spot. It suggests condemnation and an irreversible state of being cursed
→ the choice of word highlights that her guilt is not just a simple feeling of remorse; it’s a damning force that has tainted her entire being, pushing her towards madness
- Shakespeare presents guilt as a psychological burden that manifests physically. Lady Macbeth’s repeated attempts to cleanse her hands symbolically implies that no amount of washing or effort can rid her of her inner torment
- this scene also marks a dramatic contrast in her character. Earlier in the play she was the one who urged Macbeth to commit murder without remorse but now, overwhelmed by the consequences, she is consumed by the very guilt she helped create
conclusion
- Shakespeare portrays guilt in ‘Macbeth’ not merely as a fleeting emotion but as a profound psychological force
- it is an inescapable consequence of moral transgression that destroys the individual from within
- Macbeth’s overt expressions of dread and Lady Macbeth’s covert unravelling both serve as powerful demonstrations of how guilt, once incurred, cannot be easily banished, but instead, gradually erodes ones sanity and humanity
- this multifaceted portrayal of guilt ultimately underscores the plays moral message: the violation of ethical boundaries exacts a heavy, irreversible toll on the human soul
