Guilt Explored in the Extract
Shakespeare explores guilt through the symbolism of sleep. Macbeth's guilt makes him go mad and think that he is hearing things. His lack of guilt will make him go mad, foreshadowed by Lady Macbeth.
Macbeth's guilt overwhelming him - symbolism of blood, Banquo's ghost, his downfall at the end
As well as exploring Macbeth's guilt through the symbol of sleep, Shakespeare also uses other symbols to represent it in other parts of the play. His guilt from killing Duncan stays with him until the very end and causes him to go mad and lose his rationality, causing him to make reckless decisions. "Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?" The hyperbole represents the gravity of the murder he has committed and therefore the gravity of the guilt that he feels. The rhetorical questions tell us that Macbeth already knows that his guilt will never leave him. Pontius Pilate washed his hands after killing Jesus.
Lady Macbeth having no conscious guilt at first makes her seem evil
Macbeth's reaction is much more humane whereas she appears to have no remorse making her seem evil and brutal.
Lady Macbeth's unconscious guilt surfaces and we have some sympathy for her, also her downfall
We find out that she was always actually feeling guilty; it just manifested itself unconsciously. As she shows remorse for Duncan and Lady Macduff and realizes the gravity of her actions she is much easier to sympathize with. There is a recurring theme of sleep and dreams.
Macbeth losing his guilt - becomes a fearless, cruel tyrant and we lose sympathy for him
Although Macbeth's guilt does eventually cause his downfall, there are parts of the play where he has no guilt for his actions at all. For example, Macduff's family, and this makes us feel much less sympathy for him.
Conclusion
Shakespeare explores guilt to build sympathy for characters but also shows us that guilt causes their downfall. You cannot push away your guilt; it will eventually take over your life. Guilt links to madness, and Pontius Pilate washing hands links to Macbeth and Lady Macbeth washing hands to get rid of blood. Sleepwalking is a sign of madness in Jacobean times, and guilt links to sleep and dreams.
