Paranoia is a mental condition characterized by delusions of persecution, unwarranted jealousy, or exaggerated self-importance. Paranoia could affect anyone at anytime just like when it affected Macbeth in The Tragedy of Macbeth. Macbeth was an honored and trustworthy soldier in King duncan’s army until three witches told him that he would be king and that his best friend banquo would have children who would be kings. From this Macbeth told his wife that they were going to be king and queen and all they would have to do is kill the king unnoticed. In Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Macbeth, Macbeth’s major flaw and the cause of his downfall was his paranoia because it caused him to murder innocent people which led him to get murdered himself.
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Macbeth debated on killing king duncan by having hallucinations of a dagger he could not grab saying, “Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible To feeling as to sight? Or art thou but A dagger of the mind, a false creation, Proceeding from the heat-oppressèd brain?” (2.1.33-39). Macbeth is questioning whether the dagger is real or if it was only a creation from his mind. Macbeth got worked up over the plan which is why he had the hallucinations and the reason he debated about killing the king so much is because macbeth wants to be king but doesn't want to kill anyone but because he is paranoid, since lady macbeth said if he didn't go through with the murder then he wasn’t a man, he eventually kills the …show more content…
Later in the story the witches say to macbeth, “Beware Macduff! Beware the Thane of Fife” (4.1.71-72). So out of frustration and anger ,which are two more symptoms of paranoia, Macbeth says this,“The castle of Macduff i will surprise; Seize upon fife; give to th’ edge o’ th’ sword His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls souls that trace him in his line. No boasting like a fool; this deed i'll do before this purpose cool” (4.1.150-154). Macbeth is saying that he will break into macduff's castle and kill all of his inheritance. If macbeth wasn't paranoid he would have hid from macduff or only killed macduff instead of his whole family but because he was paranoid he was getting frustrated that the plan was not over and he could relax until it was
Macbeth debated on killing king duncan by having hallucinations of a dagger he could not grab saying, “Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible To feeling as to sight? Or art thou but A dagger of the mind, a false creation, Proceeding from the heat-oppressèd brain?” (2.1.33-39). Macbeth is questioning whether the dagger is real or if it was only a creation from his mind. Macbeth got worked up over the plan which is why he had the hallucinations and the reason he debated about killing the king so much is because macbeth wants to be king but doesn't want to kill anyone but because he is paranoid, since lady macbeth said if he didn't go through with the murder then he wasn’t a man, he eventually kills the …show more content…
Later in the story the witches say to macbeth, “Beware Macduff! Beware the Thane of Fife” (4.1.71-72). So out of frustration and anger ,which are two more symptoms of paranoia, Macbeth says this,“The castle of Macduff i will surprise; Seize upon fife; give to th’ edge o’ th’ sword His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls souls that trace him in his line. No boasting like a fool; this deed i'll do before this purpose cool” (4.1.150-154). Macbeth is saying that he will break into macduff's castle and kill all of his inheritance. If macbeth wasn't paranoid he would have hid from macduff or only killed macduff instead of his whole family but because he was paranoid he was getting frustrated that the plan was not over and he could relax until it was