Although physical distractions such as Lady Macbeth and the Witches played a role in the ambition for Macbeth to go above and beyond to eliminate his enemies, the elements of damaging mental health, interpersonal difficulties, and psychological problems all lead, in the end, to complete self-destruction. This essay seeks to educate the reader on how a humans reasoning influenced by power and violence can lead to carnage and serious mental disturbance.
In society today, mental illness and violence are often seen as completely connected (Rueve). In Macbeth, Shakespeare displays this connection through the story of the main character who goes on a rampage of events, all heading him to inevitable demise. Through dramatic characters, Shakespeare shows a clear difference between good and bad, healthy and sick, mentally stable and mentally ill. “Is this a dagger which I see before me… art thou not, fatal vision, sensible?” (Shakespeare 2.1.33-34), indicates early in the play that Macbeth’s state of mind is becoming chaotic. Hallucinations commence and apparitions are introduced. The effect of his mental state on his behavior thoroughly manipulates his relationships and the descent of his life as he knows it, or wished for, starts. Behavioral and social sciences try to answer the question of how emotional behavioral and environmental circumstances cohere with mental health issues (Behavioral Sciences, 6). Macbeth’s environment and behavior are sparking violence and the killing of King Duncan is a true example of his emotional behavior relating to a bad judgment, denial, and sheer schizophrenia. As he says, “To know my deed, ‘twere best not know myself” (Shakespeare 2.4.77), demonstrates this perfectly. A murder was just committed and the murderer can not acknowledge this fact.
Another recurring theme of mental illness issues in Macbeth is the imbalance between appearance and reality and interpersonal difficulties. This imbalance is further evident in the poor communication between the characters. “Characters do not speak to one another so much as they speak past or ignore” (Macbeth Critical Introduction to the Play). Furthermore, characters that are being talked to by the mentally unstable Macbeth, are deceptive apparitions and witches. “Into the air, and what seems corporal melted, as breath into the wind. Would they had stayed” (Shakespeare 1.3.81-82). Approximately twenty percent of violent psychotic people are motivated directly by their delusions or hallucinations (Segrin). Macbeth is an indisputable illustration of a person whose actions are almost unswervingly initiated by interpersonal challenges and delusions. With Macbeth following up on their unreliable knowledge, it furthermore proves the scientific statement that hallucinations increase and behavior changes for the worse if that hallucination involved a familiar voice like the witches (Rueve).
Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a dramatic rollercoaster in which every action leads to another, even worse, action. The ever augmenting violence on display has several turning points, notably, Act Four, scene two. “Seize upon Fife: give to th’edge o’th’ sword his wife, his babies, and all unfortunate souls that trace his line. No boasting like a fool; This deed I’ll do before this purpose cool” (Shakespeare 4.2.151-154). At this point, Macbeth has shown horrible judgment and denounces consequences when they are presented to him. Science has shown that aggression and violence result from the projection of self-destructive impulses (Rueve). These self-destructive impulses are even more ignited in Macbeth by the provocations of Lady Macbeth and the witches. Macbeth allowed them, in alliance with his greedy ambition, to destroy him. His path ends in him paying the ultimate price. “Yet I will try the last. Before my body, I throw my warlike shield. Lay on Macduff and damned be him that first cries, “Hold Enough!” (Shakespeare 5.8.32-34).
The consequences Macbeth and the people surrounding him had to pay, were not only due to the physical connections and supernatural things coming into his life. They were also put into action by mental health issues, interpersonal difficulties, and psychological problems that all became factors leading to the complete extermination of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, and all of Macbeth’s victims. As the end of the play came nears, the audience and readers come to the denouement that a relentless thirst for power undermines sound reasoning. When one loses sound reasoning to indulge in sinful conduct, results will be disastrous.