Body 1

• Macbeth’s hamartia, his devastating flaw of unchecked ambition, complicated by his betrayal of the Divine Right of Kings creates an all-consuming guilt that manifests in hallucinations and a relentless descent into madness.
• In Act 1, Scene 7 Macbeth says, “He’s here in double trust” conveying how he as Duncan’s kinsman and host should protect him rather than being the one to bring upon his downfall.
• As a thane, Macbeth serves the king and in acting out on his allotted place he is meddling with the Great Chain of Being.
• Macbeth comes to an overwhelming realisation that he has destroyed his sense of peace of mind by committing regicide in Act 2, Scene 2.
• He exclaims, “Sleep no more! Macbeth hath murder sleep!” symbolising the recognition of the sinful act he has committed against the Divine Right of Kings, as well as the figurative traits of sleep, being that of innocence and tranquillity which he has now lost.
• This suggests that Macbeth’s guilt will haunt him perpetually, depriving him of mental peace.
• His further paranoia, now intertwined with his remorse for disrupting the Great Chain of Being, is evident when he states, “I am in blood/ Stepped in so far, that should I wade no more/ Returning were as tedious as go o’er” (Act 3, Scene 4).
• After witnessing Banquo’s ghost, Macbeth resolves to do whatever is necessary to keep his throne.
• Macbeth’s hamartia blinds and cages him in a cycle of violence and guilt as he has betrayed his beliefs, forming a manifestation of remorse that takes its toll on his conscience.
• The metaphor of wading through a river of blood adds to the horrific nature of his sins and his inability to undo them, leaving him with only the option to wade further in, sacrificing more of his moral compass and spirituality.