Macbeth, Darkness Essay, Research Paper
Late Night With Macbeth
In Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, darkness and night play a major role. Many deaths and other major events occur during this time. Macbeth is overwhelmed by power and feels he is unstoppable. There is something about the absence of light that makes people act different. Macbeth fell into this category and sees he is not the same man he usually is during the day. Macbeth is at his best and his worse during this time period. Dependent on darkness, guiltfull disorder and surrounding effects. The life of Macbeth and his wife revolved around darkness.
Macbeth depends heavily on darkness. Most of his actions occur during the night. Macbeth uses this time to cover his evil actions and intentions. He and Lady Macbeth plot and plan their evil deeds at night so heaven can not see their doings. The darkness it self also assists their planning. “Come thick night/ And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, / That my keen knife see not the wound it makes, / Nor heaven peep through the blanket of dark.” (1.5 48-51) The only way Lady Macbeth sees she can complete her deeds is with the help of hell and darkness. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth fell that if there were no darkness their plans would never arise.
Guilt is a felling of remorse when you have done something wrong and can not get it off your mind. It will haunt you until something is done about it, guilt may be the worst felling that can be felt by a person. Disorder is felt when you do not understand your surroundings, the most common items will seem confusing.
There are many examples of guilt and disorder in Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth. Macbeth and his wife are unable to sleep at night because of their felling of guilt. Macbeth says ‘I have murdered sleep’ meaning he has killed the king during his sleep and he will sleep no longer. We find out Lady Macbeth kills her self because her overwhelmed felling of guilt. This tragic death also occurs because of her disordered behavior of sleep walking.
Macbeth feels there should be a destruction of all moral laws that prevent him from doing evil. His guilt builds inside him which possesses him to continue his wrong doings. “Come seeling night/ Scaf up the tender eye of pitiful day, / And with thy bloody and invisible hand/ Cancel and tear the great bond/ Which keeps me pale” (3.2 46- 52) Macbeth begins to believe he can hide his murders from daylight. Macbeth is in so much disorder that he is unable to recognize Banquo’s ghost. He is unable to realize that his illusions really are a reflection of guilt.
Macbeth plays a major role on the effect of his surroundings. “Each new morn/ New windows howl, new orphans cry, new sorrows/ Strike heaven on the face, that it resounds/ As if it felt with Scotland” (4.3 4-7) Macduff’s comment reflects the overall felling of sorrow and remorse in Scotland. Macbeth has such a great impact that if the chaos is not caused personally others would follow his example. It is unknown to Macbeth how great of an impact he has on his people. During the night Macbeth wreaks havoc and when morning arose Scotland mourns a loss of a king.
Macbeth’s actions are unnatural and brutal like a wild animal. “Tis unnatural/ On Tuesday last/ A falcon towering in her pride of place/ Was by a mousing owl hawked at and killed.” (2.4 11-14) Macbeth, unable to sleep plans his evil intentions.
Macbeth relies and depends on darkness. As the play progresses Macbeth began to see night as a friend or guide. Most of his actions are planned during this time, sometimes with the help of Lady Macbeth. The guilt he bares is so much that he and Lady Macbeth are unable to sleep. He causes a major upset in Scotland but also many people fallow in his footsteps. His intent to be king snowballed into a massacre, which led to his killing. Shakespeare creates a dark play about murder and evil. He shows what a man consumed by darkness can do to an entire kingdom and himself.