An Example Of Insomnia In Macbeth By William Shakespeare

Improved Essays
Insomnia is not good for anything. For example, if I, the essay writer, were to pull an all-nighter, then write this essay at six in the morning the day it is due, I understandably would either not make a coherent argument or make an essay so marred with grammatical errors. Macbeth’s mind works in the exactly same way, he is deprived of sleep, and as a result he and his wife have very little room for error. Macbeth is the perfect example of what trivial mistakes can cost you.
The story begins with three witches telling Macbeth that he will become king of Scotland, after being promoted to Thane of Cawdor. After the original Thane of Cawdor is executed for fighting for the Norwegians, Macbeth is promoted to Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth realizes that the witch’s prophesy is coming true, and thinks that he should speed along the visions of the witches. Macbeth thinks about
…show more content…
As he summons Macduff’s wrath, Macbeth runs out of wiggle room. Macduff hears his family’s murder and is enraged, he then gathers an army and rides to Macbeth’s castle at Dunsinane. Lady Macbeth realizes that there is no chance of escape, becomes depressed and kills herself. News of this sends her husband into a deep depression. Macbeth realizes that at this point there is no going back. This shows the original thesis, there is no room for error when you are a king. Macduff and his army come to Dunsinane and break into Macbeth’s castle. Macbeth slays one of Macduff’s knight’s before facing him, further enraging Macduff. Macduff tells Macbeth that he was not of women born, allowing Macbeth to be killed by him. “Tell thee, Macduff was from his mother’s womb/Untimely ripped” (Act V, Scene 8, lines 15-16). Macbeth realizes his blunder, battles with Macduff, and is killed. Macbeth tried to escape his fate, but he made so many mistakes when he had almost no room for error, resulting in his inevitable

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    False Security In Macbeth

    • 1033 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Even though Macbeth believes himself to be invincible through the foresight of the witches, in reality he was far from it. Macbeth gets tricked by the witches into believing he can only be killed under extreme consequences, all of which seem very unlikely. Because he feels so assured, he enters the final battle without fear or restraint, believing he is unable to be harmed. When he meets Macduff, he is very confident and arrogant knowing he cannot be killed by any man woman born; assuming Macduff was born of a woman like most other men. Macduff tells Macbeth he was ripped from his mother’s womb, meaning he was removed through a c-section procedure and then kills Macbeth.…

    • 1033 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    As a man seeking vengeance and justice for his country, Macduff presents himself as Macbeth’s ultimate foil and greatest adversary. As someone who shares so many similarities and polar qualities, it is no wonder that Macduff would be Macbeth’s greatest foe. As one of the first people to notice the transparency of Macbeth’s innocence in the killing of King Duncan, Macduff presents himself as a determined, loyal, and brilliant noblemen of Scotland who will eventually defend his country against tyranny. By calling for the help of England to overthrow Macbeth, Macduff gives “faithful homage and… free honors” to the men of Scotland as he proves his loyalty to the homeland (3.6.36). Macduff even is presented as a spiritual foil of Macbeth when the…

    • 324 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Sleep Motif In Macbeth

    • 895 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Sleep Motif in Macbeth The brain is just like any other part of the body. It is an important organ that requires a lot of rest and care to prevent it from getting sick or injured, especially since it affects the entire body and everything it does. Sleep is naturally programmed into the human body to stay healthy and working. Without sleep, the mind suffers and as a result, the body does too.…

    • 895 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Theme Of Death In Macbeth

    • 710 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Macduff goes in search of the truth when he notices the king’s suspicious behavior. Macbeth sees him as a threat to his crown so he sends men to kill his family with the intent of getting his message across. Macbeth thinks that Macduff is a trader when actually he is just curious. Macduff is Macbeth’s achilles heel as seen in the last scene when Macduff beheads the king as revenge. Macduff is Macbeth's downfall.…

    • 710 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Unsuccessful in killing Banquo’s son, Macbeth grew paranoid of being de-throned and continued to do everything in his power to keep his crown. When Macduff was absent from the inauguration of Macbeth, he grew suspicious of him and decided to make a prominent point in killing his family. “He has kill’d me, mother: Run away, I pray you! (4.2.86-87)”. All these murders to secure his crown, little did he know it would all lead to his…

    • 811 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Also, since Macduff fled the country, this made Macbeth brutally kill Macduff’s whole family. It was Macbeth’s way of sending a message to Macduff to show that whoever defies him will end miserably. Macduff fled to England in order to seek help to take down Macbeth, because of this Macbeth also prepares for war, but does not take it seriously since the apparitions told him he is undefeatable. In reality, this battle was the end of Macbeth, but he does not know it yet. So, when the fight begins, Macbeth discovers that apparitions that the witches predicted, that would never came true, became reality.…

    • 1471 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Macbeth Identity

    • 1075 Words
    • 5 Pages

    This heavy familial loss severely hurts Macbeth and it changes his identity. In the beginning/middle part of the play, he is ambitious, willing to kill King Duncan to place himself in a position of power. In the end of the play, he is defeated, a broken man who has nothing left, throwing himself at Macduff in a final act of desperation. The loss of his wife leaves him broken, an empty husk of the leader he once was, making him feel like he truly has no one to turn to. With an army marching at his doorstep, he has lost the battle before it has…

    • 1075 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Theme Of Honor In Macbeth

    • 1059 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Macbeth has simply heard that Macduff has left and his immediate response is to murder…

    • 1059 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Macbeth is still intent on killing Macduff to make sure. His new found confidence makes him more determined to remain king. As Macduff is aware of the murders that Macbeth has committed…

    • 1638 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Macduff states on page 93 Act 5 Scene 7. “If thou be’st slain and with no stroke of mine, my wife and children’s ghost will haunt me still.” This is basically saying that Macduff has to kill Macbeth so that he can get payback and avenge his wife and children after they were viciously murdered by…

    • 1406 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Victim Of Fate In Macbeth

    • 1156 Words
    • 5 Pages

    “Tell thee, Macduff was from his mother’s womb/Untimely ripp’d.” The connection between my thesis and the topic is that the witches said to macbeth that the only person who can kill him is not born from a woman, when the witches said that macbeth thought he was invincible because everyone is born of woman. Macbeth became very cocky when the sisters told him this but macduff as he said that he was “untimely ripp’d” which means that the mother of macduff died while trying to give birth so right when she died the doctors cut her open and took out macduff so he is the only one that can kill macbeth. The final battle between macbeth and macduff is very significant because macbeth had macduffs wife and child killed so macduff has a vengence and macbeth knows he is going to die because the prophecy is true that only macduff can harm him so macbeth accepts his fate of death. Macbeth knew what he had coming but he didn’t shy away from death, he accepted it molded by it.…

    • 1156 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Macbeth chose not to take Macduff as seriously as he should have, as a result he lost his life. Macbeth’s ambitious personality converted into hubris and gave him an abundance of pride. This pride enabled him to make poor decisions that caused his…

    • 1057 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Macbeth Good Vs Evil

    • 792 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Immediately following the death of Duncan, Macbeth fell into a trance fueled by his realizations of the crimes he committed and in his statement that, “I had most need of blessing, and “Amen” stuck in my throat.” (II.ii.32-33) he expresses that he knew of his wrongdoings. Throughout the rest of the tragedy, Macbeth’s guilt builds up to acting out more violently to cover any suspicions, up until the point in which his insanity drives his own wife to commit suicide. Faced with the oncoming English army led by Macduff, Macbeth faces the last moments of his misled life, confessing his guilt to his Macduff and explaining: “Of all men else I have avoided thee. But get thee back.…

    • 792 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Quotes On Fate In Macbeth

    • 793 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Have you heard of fate? Do you believe in fate? Well in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, fate plays an important role in Macbeth’s life. Fate is something that unavoidably befalls a person.…

    • 793 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In Macbeth, sleep is an important theme that reoccurs throughout the story. In real life, sleep is necessary to maintain a healthy life. Macbeth says in his state of panic, “I’ll go on no more. I am afraid to think what I have done. Look on't…

    • 444 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays