Guilt

• What is the main theme explored in Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth?

  Guilt
• What is guilt in simple terms?

  A feeling of remorse or sadness
• When do humans typically experience guilt?

  When they cause harm or break moral codes
• How do Macbeth and Lady Macbeth experience guilt in the play?

  They both break moral codes and feel guilt
• What does Shakespeare use the play to illustrate about immoral actions?

  They lead to a guilty conscience
• What does Macbeth's guilt over Duncan's murder lead to?

  Powerful and unsettling hallucinations
• How does Lady Macbeth's guilt manifest by the end of the play?

  She loses her mind due to her actions
• What does Shakespeare explore through the morality of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth?

  The results of their immoral actions
• What is the Great Chain of Being?

  A hierarchy believed to exist in the world
• Who is considered the highest form of power on earth in the Great Chain of Being?

  Kings
• What happens when Macbeth and Lady Macbeth disobey the natural order?

  They experience guilt and consequences
• What does Macbeth's aside reveal about his feelings?

  His ambition and guilt
• What does Macbeth mean by "Stars hide your fires"?

  He wishes to conceal his evil desires
• How does Macbeth's guilt affect his actions before Duncan's murder?

  It holds him back from committing murder
• What does Macbeth mean by "double trust"?

  He recognizes his duties to Duncan
• What does Macbeth's statement about sleep signify?

  Only the innocent will sleep soundly
• What does Macbeth's hallucination of Banquo's ghost represent?

  His guilt over Banquo's murder
• How does Lady Macbeth initially react to guilt?

  She believes it can be washed away
• What does Lady Macbeth's sleepwalking reveal about her character?

  She is haunted by her guilty thoughts
• What does Lady Macbeth mean by "what's done cannot be undone"?

  She acknowledges the permanence of guilt
• How does Shakespeare portray the consequences of guilt for both characters?

  It leads to their downfall and destruction
• What is the overall message about guilt in Macbeth?

  Guilt is permanent and destructive