Sleep, or the lack of sleep, performs a crucial function. During the first scene of the play a witch says, "Sleep shall neither nigh or day hang upon his penthouse lid" (I, iii, 19-20). Here, sleep is used to foreshadow, for even though the witch is speaking of punishing a sailor for his wife's mistake it carries the theme of punishing the husband for the wife's mistake, which is what happens to Macbeth. In the next act, Banquo, while speaking to his son, Fleance, speaks of sleep. "A heavy summons lies like lead upon me and yet I would not sleep" (II, i, 6-7). Sleep also foreshadows here because as Banquo speaks Lady Macbeth is carrying out the first part of the plot to murder Duncan in his sleep. Immediately after Macbeth stabs Duncan in his bed, he speaks feverishly to Lady Macbeth and in this conversation he says, "'Sleep no more!' to all the house: 'Glamis hath mu

rdered sleep, and therefore Cawdor shall sleep no more: Macbeth shall sleep no more'" (II, ii, 40-42). In this talk sleep, or rather the lack of, represents the madness that will engulf Macbeth later in the play as a result of his transgressions.

Dreams, also, play quite a large role in the development of the plot. Two quotes, spoken by Macbeth, both represent one, important thing. "Come, let me clutch thee. I have thee not and yet I see thee still" (II, i, 34-35), and "Avaunt! and quit my sight!" (III, iv, 93). These visions, rather "waking dreams," signify Macbeth's descent into madness, which results from his dastardly deeds. The first quote was spoken by Macbeth even before he had murdered Duncan, which just goes to show how, Macbeth, who was basically a good guy was driven to madness by the heinous act he was about to commit. The second, also from the mouth of Macbeth, illustrates his guilt driving him even deeper into madness, or darkness. Macbeth denies the reality of the vision, but he knows that it shows the evilness of the action he is about to do. (Arthos, 3) In a discussion with Lady Macbeth, Macbeth says, "In the affliction of these terrible dreams that shake us nightly" (III, iii, 18-19). This also represents madness, but it pulls Lady Macbeth into it also. The dreams being caused by the immense guilt that the Macbeths are feeling because of the horrible crimes that the have committed throughout the play.

Darkness serves as a cloak for the evil deeds that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth commit. The best example of this is Lady Macbeth's speech towards the beginning of the play. "Come, thick night, and pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, that my keen knife see not the wound it makes, nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark to c

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