The Theme Of Guilt In Macbeth

Words: 156
Pages: 1

Elder David A. Bednar once said, “Guilt is to our spirit what pain is to our body.” Perhaps the inspiration for such a hauntingly prolific statement stems from Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth, in which the five acts contain themes of ambition, fate, but most notably, guilt. When Macbeth brainstormed the possible repercussions of killing King Duncan to take the throne, the soul-shattering guilt he would feel was not even mentioned. However, in the end, it is this guilt that leads to both his and Lady Macbeth’s demise. Shakespeare, in all his infinite wisdom, used these characters to portray the theme that the effect of guilt on the psyche is arguably the harshest punishments for a crime. Following Renaissance tradition, it is proper to discuss