Sleep and Dreams in Macbeth

A detailed Summary of Sleep and Dreams in Macbeth


"The season of all natures": Sleep and Dreams in Macbeth

Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth tells of a man that constantly is battling with his conscience and guilt which eventually drives him crazy. Sleep shows this battle with his guilty conscience. With a clear conscience free of guilt, Macbeth can sleep fine. With a conscience full of guilt sleeplessness and dreams plague him.

Macbeth begins as a valiant soldier and a good man with a clear conscience. His ability to sleep shows this. This sleepless journey begins when Macbeth murders the king Duncan. Shortly after murdering Duncan, Macbeth hears voices saying, "'Sleep no more! / Macbeth does murder sleep'- the innocent sleep." This is a theme that will haunt Macbeth for the rest of the play, and for nearly a year Macbeth shale "sleep no more."

This sleeplessness is shown again, the night that Macbeth decides to kill Banquo and his son. Macbeth reveals that he has been having dreams and hasn't been sleeping.

Ere we will eat our meal in fear, and sleep


her, unlock her closet, take forth paper, fold it,

Knows it, when none can call our power to account?

return to bed; yet all this while in a most fast sleep. (V. 1 4-8)

Yet who would have thought the old man to have



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Approximate Word count = 719
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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