Examples Of Hallucinations In Macbeth

Hallucinations contribute immensely in the development of a character, shaping the outlook on the whole plot. Hallucinations have the ability to either portray the good in a character or, on the other hand, the bad. Most of time, contrary to belief, hallucinations are inflicted on oneself by some sort of trauma causing the aftermath of guilt. This idea is exemplified in William Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth, in which Macbeth, a tragic hero, suffers from harsh hallucinations triggered by guilt. The repetitive occurrence of the motif hallucinations displays the darker themes used in the play, revealing that Macbeth’s murders’ ultimately cause the hallucinations demonstrating a sense of guilt portrayed throughout the play. Macbeth’s inability to come to terms with his illness is depicted upon several situations including when Macbeth hallucinates the dagger, the aftermath of …show more content…
Immediately after the murder of Duncan, Macbeth’s guilt hits an all time high and he goes insane. With his fear of getting caught, his senses are heightened and he starts jumping at every little noise, which hints he is not in a rightset of mind. Since his mindset is so far off after the murder, he mistakenly brings the murder weapons with him. Lady Macbeth immediately orders them out of the room but Macbeth states he will “go no more...I am afraid to think about what I’ve done” (2.2 65-66). Macbeth’s guilt is also overwhelming when he feels as though there is so much blood on his hands it will fill a red sea. Lady Macbeth is affected by the guilt of Duncan’s murder too. She hallucinates in her sleep that there is blood on her hands, despite her obsessive washing, much like Macbeth when the blood also triggers his hallucinations. Blood is also used as a symbol for guilt. When trying to wash the invisible blood off her hands, Lady Macbeth is really trying to rid herself away for being supportive of the