Hallucinations in this play are of primary importance as they help to understand how the main character developed and what the origins of his inner conflicts are. They illustrate Macbeth’s blistering recession into insanity. This mental deterioration is caused by an ambivalent prophecy of three witches that seems pretty harmless at the beginning. According to the prophecy, Macbeth will sit on the Scottish throne in future. Consumed by ambition and lust for power, he decides to kill the present King, Duncan. Despite being known for his brutality, he has faithfully served Duncan considering him to be his friend. Macbeth has never had difficulties with taking away someone’s life. The only difference is that now he intends to kill a man for whom he has been killing all these years. But this decision isn’t easy to make – the main character is an honorable man who has always been a loyal soldier. The idea of killing the King tears his mind apart.
Just before the murder, Macbeth has an ominous vision of the dagger covered by Duncan’s blood that points at the room where the King is sleeping. “Is this a dagger which I see before me?” he asks. This hallucination is the first one in a row of similar visions prompted by guilt and remorse. At the same time, this is a sign of an insanity that will later turn him into a relentless murderer. Macbeth calls it a “fatal vision” as it marks a certain point of no return for him when he needs to make a choice whether to continue his life as a decent servant or a filthy traitor. His answer is a dagger that stabbing Duncan several times during his sleep. He loses his inner war choosing one of the most despicable ways to fulfill his ambitions. It doesn’t take long to see the consequences. Constant feeling of guilt is following Macbeth day and night – deep inside he realizes that he has done a terrible thing. In his head, there is a struggle between a criminal and a judge that is slowly destroying the last grains of sanity.
Suffering from paranoia, Macbeth orders to kill Banquo and his son as he has more rights to sit on the throne. So the next personification of guilt that visits the new King is the ghost of Banquo which appears during a banquet. He reminds the usurper that his throne will never be a safe place. Afraid to lose his power, he turns into a violent tyrant whose servants tremble with fear at the sight of their King. The more Macbeth kills, the deeper he sinks into the insanity. He is not the only one suffering from self-reproach – his wife has visions prompted by the full understanding of what she has been part of. Not able to rest at night, Lady Macbeth sleepwalks around the castle trying to clear her hands from the invisible blood. In the end, she commits suicide not able to deal with the burden of shame and regrets.
Author: Angel Bell