Introduction to guilt

If I have to play the character of Lady MacBeth I will seriously have to consider what the play says about guilt. This is such a powerful emotion that in fact leads not only her but MacBeth to tragedy. Lady Macbeth’s actions lead to guilt that further result in consequences. Lady MacBeth controls her guilt and is able to control herself around others; however someone like MacBeth is tremendously effected by guilt; not being himself around others and lacking self respect. I will have to realise that guilt is in fact stemmed from breaking the boundaries of a naturalised society. Lady MacBeth feels as though she has power over MacBeth, and suddenly becomes manipulative of him. Lady MacBeth is only a woman and is in some sense powerless. Her husband MacBeth does not rule by divine right and hence the morale code is broken. Lady MacBeth wipes away her feminine traits and steps out of her ‘stereotypical’ woman actions. Lady MacBeth’s actions results in her becoming a victim of the powerful emotion, guilt. 

Practice reflective response on guilt

If I am going to play the character of Lady MacBeth I really need to consider the powerful emotion of guilt. Lady MacBeth learns that with any evil action comes a consequence.   She learns this when she goes into Duncan’s room and realises that she in fact could not kill the king herself. This realization makes her ‘act’ even more innocent and stronger; however the intense feeling of guilt cannot be hidden forever. You see, when Lady MacBeth starts to imagine blood on her hands every second of the day she realises that her guilt cannot be controlled. This powerful emotion has overcome not only her but MacBeth too... (to be continued when I understand)

Consider what the play says about guilt

My thesis:

Guilt throughout the play is presented as a powerful emotion. Although, all guilt leads to consequences and destruction, different people have different responses to the way they handle guilt. 

Reflective response- MacBeth

Practise reflective response: In role as MacBeth reflect on what you have learned about ambition during the course of the play. This should involve an analysis of what the play says about ambition, the attitudes and values supported in the play in relation to this idea.




I was rewarded with my ambition when I saved the country and killed the Thane of cawdor because he was a traitor. This was the best day of my life, but when I was exposed to the idea of becoming king my life and attitudes changed forever. I thought thriving for your desires and doing everything you had to, to get what you wanted was a part of life. From the start of my wife’s proposal to kill the king I knew it was the wrong thing to do, but it’s what I wanted. Ever since the day of acting fair but really being foul I felt guilt. Now I am the bad guy, I don’t even want to be king and this is probably going to be my last day on earth. I have learnt that heroic people are rewarded with ambition, whereas people like me who use ambition for evil are punished. Yes, I have been punished. I wish I never did what I did and didn’t have to live with this heart wrenching guilt. Ambition and power should be a privilege and something I work for, but no I had to go against fate and kill the king myself. I have realised that I don’t value power or ambition; I just use it for my selfishness. However, I consider myself a good person and it was Lady MacBeth who made me do this. Even if I do not die today, I will never be looked upon the same and will never be able to fulfil my ‘good’ desires. In fact I have always wanted to help the country and run it like it should be, but the guilt has got to me and people are against me. I have learnt that ambition is good when you do it the right way and thrive for it, but bad when you force it. I have been punished and will be killed, but that’s what I deserve. I wish I was still Thane of Glamis and thrived for higher positions rather than commit the deed I committed.

Questions on Ambition

AMBITION

What does the play say about ambition?

The theme of ambition in Macbeth is linked to that of good and evil. Like many other passions and impulses, ambition can be both foul and fair.

How does it construct this representation?

Through Macbeth, we see that it can be fair when put to good uses, and when it is kept in check by one’s sense of right and wrong. But ambition is foul when it becomes so powerful that it destroys a person’s morality. This is essentially constructed through Lady MacBeth and MacBeth. They act like they are not planning anything evil and represent themselves to people as an innocent good couple. However they are really planning the kings murder and inside are feeling fear and guilt.

Ways you can go about exploring a concept in the play:

1. Ask a series of questions

2. Explore the idea of boundaries


Ambition – Define – what is ambition?

1. Which characters are motivated by ambition?

o MacBeth

o Lady MacBeth

o Mac Duff

2. How do they act upon their ambition?

o MacBeth acts upon his ambition by going against what he stands for to get what he wants. He acts good but really inside is planning something evil.

o Lady MacBeth manipulates Mac Duff to do the dirty work so she can gain indirect power.

o Mac Duff has good ambition and wants the best for the country.

3. What are the consequences of their ambition? – Reward or Punishment? – Why is one rewarded and one punished?

o Consequences for MacBeth- Rewarded ad Punished

- At the start of the play MacBeth is rewarded with praise because he saved the country from an disloyal general

- He gets what he wants (becomes king) then realises he does not want it anymore

- He feels immense guilt for what he has done

- He loses his love for Lady MacBeth

- He is killed

o Consequences for Lady MacBeth-Punishment

- She does not get what she wants

- She is made to act like everything inside is okay but really inside she is burning with guilt

- Has no one to tell her what to do

- Commits suicide

o Consequences for MacDuff- Rewarded

- Fights against MacBeth and wins

- He personally kills MacBeth and not only gets revenge for his family being murdered but saves the whole country

- Is now one of the most trustworthy friends of the new king, Malcolm

Good ambition is rewarded, where as ambition that is evil is always punished. People cannot live with the guilt, especially Lady MacBeth and MacBeth.


4. What does the paly say about ambition as a result of considering whose ambition is rewarded and whose is punished?

o The heroic characters are rewarded, and the evil ones are punished.

Reflective Task- Malcolm

Practice reflective Task – In Role as Malcolm, Consider the Understanding you have gained of the “Fair is Foul and Foul is Fair Motif”


What have you learned?

How did you learn it?

What are the implications for you of the outcome of the play?



For the past year everyone around me has been acting as something they are not. I personally have been exposed to the idea that fair is foul and foul is fair by people that are close to me. I have learnt that people are sometimes not who they say they are and people act differently to gain power and fulfil their desires. I will no longer trust anyone and I will find my own way to recognise whether they are acting or not. My dad was tricked and now he is dead because Lady MacBeth and MacBeth were hiding the deed they were planning. They hosted him and were to everyone a trustworthy normal couple but those two tyrants led life by fair is foul and foul is fair. MacBeth wanted to be king and Lady MacBeth wanted power. I was so careful of people ever since my father died. Even when Mac Duff came to me and asked for support, I was extremely iffy to talk to him. For all I knew he could have been on Macbeths’ side and wanted to kill me. So I tricked him and as I said before found my own way to see if he was here for actual support or to murder me too. Now that I am king, I have to be more careful than my father was because people want to be me. I will have to act this way to test whether the people around me are fair or foul. I see being king as being privileged and having the opportunity to run the country like it should be, I don’t want to be king just for ultimate power. I will be hesitant to go or stay anywhere. This position will not allow me to do several things, but my dad would be proud and it is better than tyrant MacBeth running this country down into the ground.

Fair is foul, foul is fair homework

Fair is foul, foul is fair

The motif “Fair is foul, foul is fair,” is continuously demonstrated and used in act 1. Essentially this motif means that appearance can be deceptive. The witches are foul, but they give fair advice. Macbeth seems like a hero, but he is a plotter and bastard. The truth of this paradox is woven throughout the play, in how situations appear to be good when in reality they are evil (or vice versa). All people have the capability of being good and appearing evil as well as being evil and appearing good. After hearing their prophecies, one can say that Macbeth considered the witches to be "fair" when in reality their intentions were quite "foul."

In this act it is first stated by the witches, “Fair is foul, and foul is fair.” The three witches are the ones that reveal prophesies to MacBeth and Banquo about the future and later confirm the downfall and tragic destiny of Macbeth. In act 1 scene 3 Banquo says to MacBeth, “why do you start and seem to fear things that do sound so fair?” This shows that Banquos character is a lot calmer than Macbeth’s character. We come to the conclusion that Banquo goes with the flow and if what the witches said is true than it will happen with destiny. Whereas MacBeth is so overwhelmed by their words that he messes with destiny and he pays for the consequences. Again the witches use this motif, “Lesser than MacBeth, and greater… Not so happy, yet much happier.” This implies that fair is foul and foul is fair and with Macbeth’s ambition for power; it is easier for him to appear good but really be evil.

My view of Macbeth who is introduced as brave and noble constantly throughout act 1 changes when this motif is presented by him himself. As soon as MacBeth starts to think about becoming king the first thing that comes to his mind is murder. This motif gives him the idea that it is okay to be foul and fair as he states, “Cannot be ill, cannot be good, If ill.” Although he is persuaded by his wife Lady MacBeth he goes on putting on a happy face, when really he is in the middle of planning a murder. He again uses it in Act 1 Scene 4, “Stars, hide your fires, let not light see my black and deep desires.” MacBeth cannot let Duncan see what he is really thinking, so he has to act rejoiced and excited. I can see what is really happening, so immediately my view of MacBeth being noble and brave changes. He is doing something that he knows is not right and essentially he is breaking the boundary of manhood. MacBeth doing the deep makes him disloyal to his king, even though his role (Thane of Cowdor and Thane of Glamis) is to be everything but this.

Lady MacBeth, who is Macbeth’s wife represents this motif when she is talking to MacBeth about the murder. “look like th’innocent flower, But be the serpent under’t.” She is persuading him to make it look like he is happy and rejoiceful, but not to show what is really going on. From the start I did not like Lady MacBeth as she has a really sneaky aspect to herself that constantly makes me suspicious. She wanted the murder to happen from the very start even when MacBeth was unsure.  I find that Lady MacBeth is going against society and pep talking MacBeth into doing something he does not really want to do. This is demonstrated in act 1, scene 7 when MacBeth is very unsure about murdering the king, so Lady MacBeth questions his manhood and ambition, essentially guilt tripping him into doing the deed. So Lady MacBeth succeeds and we find out later on that MacBeth regrets it once he has killed the king as he is states that he will never be able to sleep again.