Immoral Insanity

A detailed Summary of Immoral Insanity

Upon committing his first murder, Macbeth's nervous imaginings expose his feelings of guilt while his immoral and greedy urges remain dormant. As he gains confidence and plots for his second murder, these avaricious daydreams mitigate any remorse Macbeth had experienced before. Macbeth's proleptic imagination allows him to see the benefits and consequences of the immoral acts he is committing, however as his greedy urges begin to dominate his guilty thoughts; his insanity becomes increasingly evident.

Soon after his first murder, Macbeth displays signs of guilt for the immoral act he had committed as his imagination dwells on all the negative repercussions that await him. Macbeth prophesizes, "Glamis hath murdered sleep, and therefore Cawdor/Shall sleep no more; Macbeth shall sleep no more" (II.ii.44-45). Sleep represents the innocent Duncan and morality. Macbeth blames himself as the thane of Glamis for executing the innocent king and tainting any honor he might possesses in the future as the thane of Cawdor. Macbeth's preoccupation with his sleepless future, demonstrates his guilt ridden conscious after having murdered Duncan in cold blood.

He asks "Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood/ Clean from my hand? No, th

This passage demonstrates Macbeth's jealousy of Banquo and his family. After going through the trouble of murdering Duncan and losing his honor for the sake of the crown, if his own son does not become king, Macbeth will have committed these acts in vain. Now when Macbeth ponders murder and looks to the future, he does not notice the sleepless nights he will suffer or the dignity he has squandered, but rather the "unlineal hand" that will "wrench" away his "fruitless and crown... [and] barren scepter." Macbeth's greed for the crown overcomes the morality he had displayed previously and his proleptic imagination exhibit his new immoral preoccupations.

After becoming more comfortable with his kingship, Macbeth exposes his avaricious desires by plotting a second murder to his favor. He recalls the prophecy of the witches that foresaw Banquo's sons to be future kings. Macbeth considers,

The gradual changes that occur in Macbeth's character throughout the end of Macbeth, are demonstrated through his daydreams of future repercussions of his murders. He begins as a morally preoccupied thane, who feels guilty for the murder he committed, and grows to be a greedy king, who plots a new murder for the sake of retaining his crown. The deterioration of Macbeth's character throughout these acts is significant in that it displays the nervous confusion and desperation which lead him to the murders. He is no longer in control of his actions, for he is urgently t

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 984
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English