Macbeth essay plans
Guilt
Thesis: archetypal play, guilt as a severe consequence of challenging the great chain of being
and divine right of kings → cautionary tale for ambitious nobles. Also cautionary tale for women
of the time → LM challenges societal norms. Witches = no guilt = pure evil
Event 1: Auditory hallucinations bc of murder “me thought I heard a voice cry…” → bc of guilt.
Cautionary tale → nobles → descent into madness regicide mirrors gunpowder plotters
The auditory hallucinations Macbeth experiences, such as 'Me thought I heard a voice cry,'
illustrate his internal conflict. His guilt manifests physically, not just in his thoughts but in his
sensory experience, signaling that he cannot escape the consequences of his regicide. This
psychological breakdown reflects the play’s broader theme of spiritual damnation, as the guilt
Macbeth faces is not only internal but also divine, condemning him to eternal punishment."
Event 2: guilt as result of regicide = rejection of christian god → “will all great neptunes oceans
wash this blood clean from my hand” . “neptune” → greek /primitive god → rejection of christian
god and therefore leads to eternity in hell → divine punishment is turning away from god.
Oceans→ vastness→ severity of guilt
Macbeth’s invocation of Neptune—a pagan god—serves as a stark rejection of Christian
values and the Divine Right of Kings. By dismissing the possibility of purification through
Christian means (‘Will all great Neptune’s oceans wash this blood clean from my hand?’),
Macbeth’s plea reveals his separation from divine mercy, thus securing his spiritual
damnation. Shakespeare emphasizes that regicide is not only a political crime but a cosmic
violation, one that defies both the religious and societal order established by God
Event 3: “ I shame to wear a heart so white” + “unsex me here” → mocks macbeth (white =
cowardice ) → challenging patriarchy / goodness → foreshadows descent into madness aswell
alongside befitting end offstage as divine punishment → caution against women challenging
societal norms and proves shakespeare’s desire for patronage alongside proving women are
inherently evil ( serpent).
Lady Macbeth’s desire to be ‘unsexed’ not only challenges the patriarchal gender roles of her
time but also suggests that psychological disintegration is the price of such transgression. In
a society where women were expected to be passive, her aggressive masculinity marks her
as a dangerous anomaly. Shakespeare's portrayal of her madness, therefore, highlights the
divine punishment for stepping outside prescribed societal roles, suggesting that women’s
defiance against the natural order leads to spiritual and mental chaos
Event 4: result of banquo's deaths is more meaningful to macbeth : (“thou canst not say i did it
never shake thy gory locks at me”) → more touching death bc of closeness to banquo so guilt is
greater → caution to nobles bc as they will fall into a cycle of murder as a result of regicide.
“Gory” links to blood→ nobles will be infatuated with blood following regicide as guilt / divine
punishment. ( blood will have blood)
Guilt
Thesis: archetypal play, guilt as a severe consequence of challenging the great chain of being
and divine right of kings → cautionary tale for ambitious nobles. Also cautionary tale for women
of the time → LM challenges societal norms. Witches = no guilt = pure evil
Event 1: Auditory hallucinations bc of murder “me thought I heard a voice cry…” → bc of guilt.
Cautionary tale → nobles → descent into madness regicide mirrors gunpowder plotters
The auditory hallucinations Macbeth experiences, such as 'Me thought I heard a voice cry,'
illustrate his internal conflict. His guilt manifests physically, not just in his thoughts but in his
sensory experience, signaling that he cannot escape the consequences of his regicide. This
psychological breakdown reflects the play’s broader theme of spiritual damnation, as the guilt
Macbeth faces is not only internal but also divine, condemning him to eternal punishment."
Event 2: guilt as result of regicide = rejection of christian god → “will all great neptunes oceans
wash this blood clean from my hand” . “neptune” → greek /primitive god → rejection of christian
god and therefore leads to eternity in hell → divine punishment is turning away from god.
Oceans→ vastness→ severity of guilt
Macbeth’s invocation of Neptune—a pagan god—serves as a stark rejection of Christian
values and the Divine Right of Kings. By dismissing the possibility of purification through
Christian means (‘Will all great Neptune’s oceans wash this blood clean from my hand?’),
Macbeth’s plea reveals his separation from divine mercy, thus securing his spiritual
damnation. Shakespeare emphasizes that regicide is not only a political crime but a cosmic
violation, one that defies both the religious and societal order established by God
Event 3: “ I shame to wear a heart so white” + “unsex me here” → mocks macbeth (white =
cowardice ) → challenging patriarchy / goodness → foreshadows descent into madness aswell
alongside befitting end offstage as divine punishment → caution against women challenging
societal norms and proves shakespeare’s desire for patronage alongside proving women are
inherently evil ( serpent).
Lady Macbeth’s desire to be ‘unsexed’ not only challenges the patriarchal gender roles of her
time but also suggests that psychological disintegration is the price of such transgression. In
a society where women were expected to be passive, her aggressive masculinity marks her
as a dangerous anomaly. Shakespeare's portrayal of her madness, therefore, highlights the
divine punishment for stepping outside prescribed societal roles, suggesting that women’s
defiance against the natural order leads to spiritual and mental chaos
Event 4: result of banquo's deaths is more meaningful to macbeth : (“thou canst not say i did it
never shake thy gory locks at me”) → more touching death bc of closeness to banquo so guilt is
greater → caution to nobles bc as they will fall into a cycle of murder as a result of regicide.
“Gory” links to blood→ nobles will be infatuated with blood following regicide as guilt / divine
punishment. ( blood will have blood)
