The Importance Of Sleep In Macbeth

In the play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, many characters are controlled by their ambition, forcing them to commit horrible acts, which will later on plague their conscience with guilt. The motif of sleep materializes throughout the play and communicates the guilt of each character as their ambition drives them to abandon their morals. There are many motifs used within Macbeth, such as sleep, blood, hands and night. Each of these words are reoccurring throughout the play and help to reveal many aspects of each character and their current state of mind. The motif of sleep represents the conscience of each character, and is employed by enabling those with a clear conscience to sleep, while those guilty are entrapped in a sleepless state. …show more content…
Macbeth has initiated his path toward securing the kingship, and now he plans on killing Banquo whom Macbeth views as threatening to his status as king. After confirming with the murderers the plan to kill Banquo, Macbeth meets with Lady Macbeth where he reflects on the murder of Duncan and his well being. Macbeth decides that it is, “better [to be] with the dead, / whom we, to gain our peace, have sent to peace, / than on the torture of the mind to lie / in restless ecstasy” (3.2.22-25). Macbeth is describing the “torture” of being trapped in this sleepless condition, and pondering of the fact that it would be so much better to be with the innocent sleeping dead. Sleep is operating as the guilt and the conscience of each character. Those that are innocent, such as the victims of Macbeth’s horrific crimes, now appear to be at peace, and are guilt free; however, Macbeth is still trapped in “restless ecstasy”, where his guilt is condemning him to a sleepless state and is represented by this inability to sleep. Further down the line in the scene, Macbeth describes to Lady Macbeth how tranquil it must be to be free from the restless life he’s living and in the same position as Duncan. Macbeth expresses his covetous for Duncan by saying, “Duncan is in his grave. / After life’s fitful fever he sleeps …show more content…
Lady Macbeth, finally feeling the effects of Duncan’s murder, is reported to be sleepwalking by her gentlewoman. A doctor is called in later on and begins to observe Lady Macbeth’s behaviours. The Doctor deduces about Lady Macbeth that it is, “A great perturbation in nature, to receive at / once the benefit of sleep and do the effects of / watching” (5.1.10-12). Lady Macbeth is entrapped in an unnatural state between sleeping and consciousness. Lady Macbeth has avoided her guilt the entirety of the play, enabling the guilt to fester and build up so she could not cope. This strange condition of sleeping is induced by her conscience and the budding guilt that Lady Macbeth had been