Sleeplessness in Macbeth
In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, sleeplessness is a theme that was evident across the play. Macbeth’s guilt manifests insomnia in Macbeth for assassinating Duncan, his rival for the throne. His guilt haunted him because of his greed for the throne and the influence of the evil witches. Initially, Macbeth is a loyal fighter of the king. He was a hero (Mac.1.5.17). However, he suddenly changed to become an unruly psychopath, and nothing will stop him from becoming a king. Macbeth’s actions lead to his guilty conscious and lack of sleep. Macbeth’s assassinations and killing of Duncan in the play has been equated to killing rest along with the murders (Mac.2.2.47). Other characters in the play are affected by Macbeth’s actions. They too developed sleeplessness. The thesis for this essay will be; insomnia affects many characters in the play and not just Macbeth. My argument will be that many characters, and not only Macbeth, experience sleeplessness in the play.
In the play, dangers associated with sleep are uncovered, that is, the susceptibility in sleep due to the unconsciousness. Vulnerability and lack of cognizance in rest can expose a person to many dangers. Duncan was murdered while he was sleeping. If Duncan were awake, he would have been aware that someone was intruding and his life is in danger. Lady Macbeth affirms the loss of control and loss of mindfulness associated with sleep (Mac.1.7.69-70). She also mentions the fact that the sleeping and the dead are much more alike when she scolds her husband for not returning to the crime scene to cover-up the murder (Mac.2.2.51-2). Sleep and death are repeated throughout the play; according to Lady Macbeth in both sleep and death, the body rests, but the soul is awake and alive. After murdering Duncan in his sleep, Macbeth confirms that sleep is the demise of each day’s life (Mac.2.2.36). Sleep was, therefore, compared the death of everyday life, and this can create fear among the people. People can’t sleep when they fear that they may be murdered hence widespread insomnia among the people in the play. The news about the slaying of Macduff’s wife, children, and servants clarifies further the strange connection between sleep and death saddened Macduff. The announcement was enormous for Macduff to comprehend at once, and when he finally did, he asks the heavens to rest them, and by saying this, he likens death to sleep. Therefore, insomnia was a reassurance for safety and security because many people have lost their lives while asleep. Thus, sleeplessness was experienced by many characters in the play. Macbeth was not the only one experiencing insomnia in the play.
The fear of the supernatural has also been associated with being the reason for the sleeplessness in the play. The two witch sisters manifest the fear of the supernatural in the play. It is the first scene that brings sleeplessness in the play. The sailor’s wife snubbed one of the witches, and in revenge, the witch cast a spell on her husband as a punishment (Mac.1.3.18-22). The spell cast on the sailor deprived his sleep and thus his sleeplessness. The scene proves that the witches possess a supernatural power which they can use to inflict harm on those their victims. The scene demonstrates that a paranormal phenomenon causes insomnia that the witches can inflict on the people due to their behaviour or violation of social norms. According to this scene, it is clear that one doesn’t have to do wrong to be afflicted by witches’ spells, but rather actions of one individual may call for punishment for other people also. The scene even further proves that other characters in the play, for example, the sailor, are experiencing sleeplessness, just like Macbeth. Insomnia is not centred on Macbeth only. The above example suggests that sleeplessness in the play may have its origin in the supernatural phenomenon, and it is affecting many innocent members of Scottish society due to the wrongdoings of a few individuals. Wrongdoings of Macbeth are the sole cause of the supernatural inflicting innocent people. He associated himself with the witches, and by doing so, he embraced evil.
Another correlation between sleeplessness and the supernatural is seen in the famous speech in the play by Macbeth. After killing Duncan, Macbeth returns to Lady Macbeth and reports about the incident, and he narrates that he heard a voice crying (Mac.2.2.33-8). The sounds Macbeth was hearing disrupted his sleep. He cannot sleep peacefully due to the voices. Elsewhere in the play, the supernatural phenomenon has been shown when the witches prophesy about Macbeth’s future in the play (Mac.1.3.47). The supernatural event, therefore, proves the fact that many other characters experienced sleeplessness in the play other than Macbeth. Sleeplessness might also be concluded to have been a punishment by supernatural on the people due to the wicked actions of some members of the Scottish society, for example, Macbeth’s actions.
Insomnia in the play has been caused by Macbeth’s actions of “killing” all the agents that are a prerequisite for sleep. In the play, Macbeth murdered sleep by doing away with and corrupting all the symbols of safety and sanctuary at nighttime that are needed for a peaceful sleep. Macbeth hired murderers to assassinate Banquo and Fleance, who was responsible for the night watch. Three assassins sent by Macbeth killed the duo, whose sole responsibility is to provide security at night when people were asleep. Macbeth, therefore, takes away the sanctuary offered by night’s watch and thus creating a night environment full of danger for his subjects. Banquo disclosed his sleeplessness to his son, and this proves that other characters in the play were experiencing insomnia (Mac. 2.1.4-5).
The citizens are placed in harm’s way by Macbeth’s actions, and this created fear amongst them; hence insomnia resulted so that the people in the play may provide security for themselves rather than sleeping. Another symbol of refuge in the night in the play is the chime of the clock.it was a sign of safety throughout the night, allowing the citizens to have a peaceful sleep. However, in the play, the symbol was distorted and corrupted. It led to sleeplessness among the citizens in the play. Rather than the clock chimes acting as a sign of safety in the play, it served to announce impending danger due to the harsh governance of Macbeth and instability in Macbeth’s rule in the region. Lady Macbeth is the proof of the corruption of the symbol of clock chime when the signal from the clock is used when to murder Duncan. The chime of the clock, which symbolized safety, was contrary been used to announce when to commit cold-blooded murder and get away with it (Mac.2.1.62). Thus, it is clear that use of a symbol of clock chime for a purpose that was not intended for, signalling when to murder innocent citizens, has caused insomnia due to fear subjected to the people. People were scared, and with the fear in them, it was hard for them to sleep.
Ghost voices in the play also provided proof that sleeplessness affected many characters in the play and the whole of Scotland at large. The reports were a credible source to confirm that Macbeth was not the only one experiencing sleeplessness in the play. According to Lennox, he was able to hear the ghost voices Macbeth heard at the same time (Mac.2.3.50-2). In the night Macbeth affirms his loss of sleep, Lennox reports that Macbeth might have heard the ghost voices, and indeed, after Macbeth murders Duncan, he heard a ghost voice saying that he has killed sleep. In the play, there were many scenes referencing ghost voices, and it was evident from the play that many characters in the play heard the ghost voices. Macduff also confirms the fact that different characters in the play we hearing ghost voices whose origin was unknown. According to Macduff, the source of the ghost voices may be cries of people of Scotland and the heavens above, mourning in anguish. Once Lady Macbeth dismissed the guest of the feast, Macbeth hears two more ghost voices and tells her about them (Mac.3.4.121.2). Lennox reports also refers to similar voices as those heard by Macbeth. The messages of the ghost voices were filled with horror and gloom, and they were pleas of caution due to Macbeth’s brutal and wicked actions of killing innocent citizens. The ghost voices decreeing Macbeth’s wrongdoings spread all over Scotland, and many people heard the voices. Many characters in the play affirmed hearing the voices and described them as horror-filled and full of disturbing messages (Mac. 2.3.50-2). The voices disrupted the sleep of the characters because the messages were horror-filled and hence generated fear among the characters. Thus, it is true that many characters experienced sleeplessness in the play due to the ghost voices they heard that disturbed their peace at nighttime and thus leading to a lack of sleep. As much as Macbeth heard the voices and experienced sleeplessness, it is also true that many other characters experienced insomnia due to the same reason since the above illustrations have provided evidence that he was not the only one hearing the ghost voices (Mac. 2.3.55-6).
Macbeth, in his pursuit to resolve the sleeplessness he has inflicted on himself and his subjects, further leads to more insomnia. Pictures of sleep have been used in the play in Macbeth’s description of the murder. All the murders committed by Macbeth, from Duncan’s murder to Macduff’s murder, are strategized and described using allegories of sleep. Sleep has been paralleled to death in many instances in the play, and it is also evident that those who are asleep can easily be victims of injustices. In Macbeth, nighttime was associated with witchcraft, murder, and rape. In one of the vocalizations by Macbeth, the sleepers have sympathized as they are the prospective targets for witches, ghosts, murderers, and rapists (Mac.2.1.49-56). The above illustrations bring about the susceptibility associated with sleep and the predicaments that come with it. All this has led to more fear and increased sleeplessness among the citizens in the play because they don’t want to be victims of predicaments associated with sleep. The sleeplessness among the citizens was in an attempt to remain safe and guard themselves against the impending night danger. Macbeth’s action to restore his sleep was the driving force that further led to all this escalation of the element of fear amongst his subjects.
Another instance that brings out sleeplessness among the Scottish citizens in the play was the scene when Lady Macbeth was sleepwalking and talking a gentlewoman awhile. A doctor was observing her (Mac.5.114-5). Lady Macbeth was disturbed, and he couldn’t sleep peacefully. She confesses while sleepwalking and talking, and her confession scared the duo who were observing her. They both dared not to speak about her disclosure since it created fear in them, and they knew if they talk about it, they will be killed by Macbeth (Mac.5.1.69). Thus, it is evident that sleeplessness in Macbeth has affected not only Macbeth but also many other characters in the play, including Lady Macbeth. The characters in fear of being preyed on by murders, rapists, and witches, were forced to find sanctuary in sleeplessness. Sleeplessness was their refuge and source of security against all the perils that have been associated with sleep and most of which find origin on Macbeth’s actions. As a result, many characters in the play have experienced insomnia.
In conclusion, sleeplessness is a broad theme in Macbeth by Shakespeare. Sleeplessness has not only affected Macbeth, the main character in the play, as many will suggest but also many other characters and eventually, the whole of Scotland. The illustrations above have given evidence of the fact that many characters in the play are experiencing insomnia. The cause of sleeplessness in the play has majorly been due to Macbeth’s wrongdoings that were equated to murdering sleep and lead to the abolishment of all agents needed for a peaceful sleep. Other causes of sleeplessness in the play include the ghost voices that were heard many by characters, perils associated with the susceptibility and unconsciousness during sleep, and the supernatural who can bring punishment upon the people for their wayward actions as in the case of the two witch sisters who cast a spell on the sailor causing him to lose sleep. Sleeplessness has, therefore, affected many characters in the play.
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