Vol. 2(9), pp.

214-221, September 2014

DOI: 10.14662/IJELC2014.062 International Journal of English
Copy©right 2014 Literature and Culture
Author(s) retain the copyright of this article
ISSN: 2360-7831©2014 Academic Research Journals
http://www.academicresearchjournals.org/IJELC/Index.htm

Full Length Research

Revisiting Shakespeare: A Study of Human Nature in

Hamlet and Macbeth
Hassan Abedi Firouzjaee1 and Dr.Omid Pourkalhor2
1
Department of English Language. Islamic Azad University, Tonekabon, Iran
E-mail: h.abedi.literature@gmail.com
2
Department of English Language. Islamic Azad University, Chalus, Iran
2
Corresponding author’s E-mail: Pourkalhor@yahoo.com
Accepted 24 September 2014

It has been argued that general human behaviorist motivated by the nature the nature and
characteristics of the human mind. Using a mixture of tragic and comic tones, Shakespeare studied
human nature and provided a profound and deep analysis of the human mind in Hamlet and Macbeth.
To this effect, the playwright examines the struggle of the human spirit out of darkness of errors and
sin, in order to discover truth and wisdom. He uses Hamlet as a protagonist whose curiosity reflects the
human quest for truth about the reasons that make the world corrupted. He also uses Macbeth to show
that dark thought and unconscious temptations cause a man who lacks strength of character to do
terrible actions. Through soliloquies in Hamlet and Macbeth and a reflective analysis of their human
characteristics, Shakespeare identifies the complexity of the human mind. These two plays mirror
realistic and universal views on psychological and psychoanalytical human features in life affairs and
their interactions with their destinies.

Keywords: Psychology, Psychoanalysis, Protagonist, Unconscious human mind, Soliloquy.

Cite This Article as: Firouzjaee HA, Pourkalhor O (2014). Revisiting Shakespeare: A Study of Human Nature
in Hamlet and Macbeth. Inter. J. Eng. Lit. Cult. 2(9): 214-221

INTRODUCTION

William Shakespeare, a romantic dramatist, shared all have a universal appeal and significance with general
the characteristics of a Renaissance humanist with a passions and principles. These plays broaden our
desire to seek the truth about human characteristics. He universal horizons through a heartening and elevating
was also a playwright of highest culture with a large experience rather than a depressing one.In Hamlet and
familiarity of man in a natural or artificial environment and Macbeth, Shakespeare poses the depth of the human
unnatural surroundings. He perfectly reflected their mind and spirit, and morality and immorality of human
opinions, thoughts, reasons, and feelings. In his plays, behavior. He argues that men can be interrelated with
Hamlet and Macbeth, he answers all the questions about each other and heunravels the truth about the animalistic
the prizes of life and mystery of human nature. and humanistic parts of the human mind in planning and
Shakespeare's plays are indeed faithful mirrors of designing evil or good actions.He, accordingly, strives to
manners and of life to his readers. His characters are the warn his audience and readers about their true
genuine progeny of common humanity. His characters responsibilities in this world.
 Firouzjaee and Pourkalhor 215

Statement of the Problem plays, Hamlet and Macbeth, we can find ourselves. He
knows more about human heart and mind.His heroes are
In Hamlet and Macbeth, characters face many universal active agents in bringing awareness to the
issues either when they obeythe rule ofhumanity or people.Although Shakespeare had a short life but the
disobey it. The characters conflict with themselves and wealth of writings he left behind is read, studied and
with each other. Theircharacteristics are common to discussed more today than ever before.These tragedies
everybody. Freud (1895) stated that human behaviors are read and displayed to audience, stirring their
have roots in their mind so the mind is the source of imagination, informing them of the realities of man and
human characteristics. He well studied Shakespeare and life, strengthening their faith in a brighter future and
other playwrights' works, then developed his theory of cultivating humanity, passion and affection for good and
mind to solve many of the problems in the field of human lightness against darkness and evil. His plays deal with
characteristics. He believed that mind produces internal human possibilities at a profound level, and therefore
psychological barriers in learning. We know everybody attain universality. This article provides a means for
particularly young people are vulnerable to conflicts in everybody to be aware of their mind and interaction with
their minds. So the problem of mind is a crucial issue external world. It provides a psychopathological method
ofhuman life.This article tries to demonstrate the extent to for people to analyze their mental activities and learn
which Shakespeare is successful in portraying human moral lessons about living.
characteristics with variety of characterswho differ in sex, When we read or watch Hamlet and Macbeth, we may
age, state of life, virtues and vices. It also tries to share in the tragic emotions of pity or sympathy and fear.
consider the mental and physical problems as the results That's why we have fellow-feeling for the suffering of
of one's decline under the influence of unconscious dark others, our deepest conception about right and wrong,
thought. Shakespeare believes that the hostile destiny of good and evil, our hate for foul deed, and an elevated
someone lies in his flaw or failing in his own character. sense of dignity and the admirable potentialities of human
He makes us be familiar with Macbeth as a symbol of spirit. These two masterpieces as faithful mirrors show
noble man with high respect that didn't remove his human characteristics in the sense of laying them bare in
hallucination as his own enemy that caused turbulence all their great variety up to readers and audience imply
whereby he killed others and was killed. On the other that literature can help us to acquire wisdom and moral
hand, Claudius, Hamlet's uncle, corrupted himself and his lessons. Whereby, we can better guard against the
society with his enemy- dark thought. barbarism and have a better life. Shakespeare teaches
and warns us how to trust our surroundings and the
people who live with us. In addition, he warns us how to
Research Questions use our mind in a best way. Through going beyond over-
simplified interpretations, this article tries to make clear
-Can unconscious desire influence one's mind? the fact that someone is enslaved and ruined by his
-Can Hamlet's Curiosity find human superiority to animal? unconscious animalistic desire.
-Does human appearance signify his reality?
-Is Lady Macbeth as guilty as she is proved to be?
Historical Background

Significance of the Study Mind is considered as the origin and source of human
characteristics. On the emergence of our modern and
The two great tragedies, Hamlet and Macbeth, are current concept of the mind, the roots can be traced to
Shakespeare's psychopathological dramas. These plays ancient Greek philosopher, Plato's idea of the soul. In his
consider human characteristics under the light of book, The Phaedo, Plato describes the first sketch of the
conscience as the essence and origin of judging and theory of the soul. He believed that every human being
punishing mechanism that gain a high level of has two parts, physical body and senses on the one hand
significance. So this article points out the concept of and the soul as the "true self" on the other hand. So soul
struggle between humanism (i.e., reason, conscience, is always alive and is separated after one's death and
ethics, etc.) and counter-humanism (i.e., evil, foul deed, responsible for his action in the Day of Judgment. Plato
dark thought, animalistic desire, etc.) to readers. It is also also thought of the soul as a "real person".
significant to stress the concepts of everyday life lessons Shakespeare's main focus was human mind as the
which everyone needs to know themselves and others. planner, designer, director, and monitor of human
Shakespeare demonstrates that the sin of man originates behaviors and actions. Through concrete portrayal of
from his unconscious dark desires which may be human psychology, Shakespeare depicts human beings'
repressed by his reason and healthy mind. When we thought, unconscious theme, emotions, subjective
read two of Shakespeare's greatest and most widely-read visions, feeling, actions, conflict with themselves and
216 Inter. J. Eng. Lit. Cult.

each other, inner realities, the mental torture and The seed of ambition in Macbeth caused him to
suffering of human beings, a sense of connections embrace a suppositional reality. He fantasized about
among past, present, and future. He believes that human eliminating King Duncan. Many of quandaries,
characteristics are the outcome of their minds. His temptations, internal questionings and negotiations cause
intellectual power, dramatic power, and power of Macbeth to find their roots. Bewitchment is a mental
expression caused him to pay much attention to darker malpractice which shows the effects of fascination.
side of human experience, weakness and sins of man. Macbeth experiences the influences of prophecy and is
His great tragedies like Hamlet and Macbeth enjoy such surrounded by the spectacles of inner and outer
astonishing advantages. imageries which distort his understanding of reality and
Roosvelt states," Men and women are not prisoners of caused false conclusions. His false perception of Weird
fate, but only prisoners of their own mind." The mind has Sisters' prophecy made him kill the King.
a great deal of power. It also has the power to cure and Hamlet's perception of Ghost didn't make him do faulty
heal the diseases. It is unlimited in its potential to reach actions. His sound mind invites him to investigate more
the results it desires. It is human being who limits himself and more in order to make sure about Claudius' crimes.
with his thought, and vice versa. He can have everything So his hesitation is one of the reasons of his sound mind.
he desires or wishes. It is the mind that shapes who we Mental malpractice conspires against harmony and
are and what we do. It is our mind that shapes our belief security. The direction of our "inward" leads us to
system for programming, thinking, reasoning and construct or destruct the "outward". Human evil is the
function. Human unconscious mind has unlimited result of ignorance and false belief.
opportunity when he is asleep. That's why his repressed In 1895, Dr. Freud is well-known as the father of
unconscious desires have chance to take place in his psychoanalysis, analyzed literature, art, religion, and
dream. even politics, then developed thinking about mankind and
Shakespeare is a kind of psychologist who believes his mental process and elaborated an entire theory about
that there is nothing bad or good but it is we who think mental functioning. He believes that human's behaviors
and label something as good and others as bad. So originate from his personality which is as the outcome of
these thoughts and assumptions are vulnerable to error mind.
through misperception and misinterpretation.
Montaigne says" If that which we call evil and torment,
be neither torment, nor evil, but that our fancy only gives METHODOLOGY
it that quality, it is in us to change it: and having the
choice of it, if none compel us, we are very fools, to Through studying literature, psychologists use their own
bandy for that party, which is irksome unto us". approach as tool for "reading beneath the lines". For
Therefore, the perception of events and their subsequent proper rendering of literature, the complete playwright of
interpretation based on one's knowledge or belief causes the English Renaissance, Shakespeare with his
us to do action. It is an aggressive mental suggestion statements of imaginations about the moral and
which transfers into a physical manifestation. It is also a emotional effects of tragedy, was psychologizing the
mental phenomenon in the realm of mesmerism and literature.
suggestive influences upon the imagination and During the twentieth century, psychological criticism
associated with the superstition of the "evil eye". The has been associated with a special school of thought;
term fascination as the meaning of bewitchment is an Freud as the father of psychoanalyst, has come to stage.
illustration of mental "magic". Bewitchment includes He has devised instructive possibilities of psychological
material elements in its processes- poisons, potions or approach in order to enable readers to appreciate
sympathetic magical items. It is a perceived presence of literature as identifying human characteristics. According
a person or animal. According to Johnson the verb "to to Freud, Hamlet and Macbeth are psychopathological
fascinate" means; to bewitch; to enchant; to influence in tragedies. He believes that Macbeth is his favorite play
some wicked and secret manner, and the noun next to Hamlet, both of them are among his list of "the ten
"fascination" means the power or act of enchantment; most significant and magnificent works of world
bewitching; unseen inexplicable influence. In fact it is a literature"(Holland, 1960:165). In this essay, Freud (1916)
personification of one's passion and envy. Human beings indicates the bewildering phenomenon that "people
find their ways of living and relationship with each other occasionally fall ill when a deeply-rooted and long-
based on patterns of their mind. The phenomenon of cherished wish has come to be done". He points out that
fascination is created within the faculty of perception. It is Shakespeare is a true pioneer in investigating the human
powerful in its illusions. Someone's action is influenced mind in his dramas. He wants to underscore
primarily by his perception of what constitutes his current Shakespeare's opinion about mind that "the wish is the
reality. Perception can be counted as our window to our father to the thought" (King Henry IV part 2). So he
context (Montaigne, 1811). reaches to a result in which our thoughts are born from
 Firouzjaee and Pourkalhor 217

our hopes, desires, dreams, and wishes. conscience in order to get his personal gratification rather
Bloom states," Shakespeare's dramas are the wheel of than considering the wrongness of his deeds. Macbeth is
all our lives, and teach us whether we are fools of love, or the victim of his dark mind which dominates him and
of time, or of fortune, or of ourselves, or of our parents." influenced the other characters. Hamlet is also the victim
Shakespeare emphasized the qualities of mind and spirit of his uncle's dark mind.In Macbeth, Shakespeare depicts
of a human being (2004) the effects of repressed emotion on the unconscious and
Freud believes that there are three features in human conscious states of Lady Macbeth and Macbeth as the
mind which shape his personality as the best or worst. two central characters in this play. Lady Macbeth as a
They are the id, the ego and the superego. The id is the sample of isolated person with no children and no
darkest part of the mind which is associated with dark companion, affected with daydreams. This isolation leads
deeds such as; bloodshed, adultery, incest, usurpation, her to daydreaming, self-centeredness, and hysteria.
treachery, witchcraft, and aggression. Therefore, darkest Macbeth is the leading character whose deeds represent
part of mind- the id- tempts the character to design the the three levels of consciousness. On the contrary, at the
evil action. Darkness makes the evil environment of the level of ego he fluctuates into different levels of
play. The plays Hamlet & Macbeth reside in darkness. consciousness in which Macbeth tells his wife that
This darkness indicates a psychological point about "[They] will proceed no further in this business", because
human characteristics. These plays are about emotion, King Duncan has honored them and consequently their
thoughts and planning than of action. They deal with plans betray their own values, their King and their
mixture of reality and illusion. Darkness relates to self of country.The superego is obvious in Macbeth's
the characters. The darkness in these plays refers to personality, and can be symbolized by Macbeth's
conflict, progression of the action, and revelation of hallucinations, dreams and fears. In fact, it is the tongue
terrifying thoughts and ideas. In these two plays, the first of one's conscience which tells him whether what he is
and most important hostile territory of the darkness is the doing is morally right or wrong. Macbeth's superego
psychology of human nature, particularly that of Macbeth, works in his mind and making him recognize of what he
and Claudius. The second territory of this darkness exists had done wrong. Through the lens of superego, Macbeth
in the deed undertaken by these characters. and Lady Macbeth realize their own irrational actions.
Bradley (1905) considered darkness in Macbeth as," This revelation is accomplished with the struggle between
Darkness, we may even say blackness, broods over this Macbeth's ambitious dark side and good self of his
tragedy. It is remarkable that almost all the scenes which character.
at once recur to memory take place either at night or in In play Hamlet, darkness is associated with the inner
some dark spot. The vision of the dagger, the murder of characteristics of Claudius, Gertrude, Polonius,
Duncan, the murder of Banquo, the sleep-walking of Lady Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern. The Ghost in Hamlet is
Macbeth, all come in night-scenes. The witches dance in only apparently a ghost which is counted as Hamlet's
the thick air of a storm, or, 'black and midnight hags,' superego, the ethical and moral part that makes his
receive Macbeth in a cavern. The blackness of night is to conscience, and manages him to act in accordance with
the hero a thing of fear, even of horror; and that which he the moral principle. In the deep process Claudius is
feels becomes the spirit of the play. The faint glimmerings counted as Hamlet's id who acts for pleasure principle,
of the western sky at twilight are here menacing: it is the and who must be checked or repressed by Hamlet's
hour when the traveller hastens to reach safety in his inn, superego and ego.The problem is that Hamlet faces with
and when Banquo rides homeward to meet his two fathers; at the one hand King Hamlet as his own
assassins; the hour when 'light thickens,' when 'night's father, at the other hand Claudius as his step-father.
black agents to their prey do rouse,' when the wolf begins Based on critical comments, Hamlet's reality principle can
to howl, and the owl to scream, and withered murder tell him to hesitate between the two forces. Therefore, his
steals forth to his work. Macbeth bids the stars hide their delay in taking revenge indicates that he is being pulled
fires that his 'black' desires may be concealed; Lady by his own superego, his own father, as good as angel
Macbeth calls on thick night to come, palled in the and his id, his step-father, as a satyr. His superego, the
dunnest smoke of hell." ghost of his father, directs him to repress his id, his step-
The play Macbeth develops in the psychological father, Claudius.
domain which overshadowed by the darkness. Before
Macbeth comes to know about the prophecies made by
the witches and begins thinking about them, he walks in William Shakespeare (life and Literary Works)
the area of darkness that indicates a part of his character.
The shadow of blackness grows until Macbeth begins William Shakespeare (April 23, 1564- April 23, 1616)was
committing crimes. He plots the murder of Duncan in an English playwright. His father, John Shakespeare, was
order to fulfill the Witches' prophesies. His wishes and a trader in leather, corn, wheat, and other agricultural
fantasies come from his id which takes over his products. His mother named Mary Arden was the
218 Inter. J. Eng. Lit. Cult.

daughter of a rich farmer. Shakespeare's parents were encounters Laertes at the grave of Laertes' sister,
uneducated. He went to Grammar School and learned Ophelia, who drowned herself, seemingly lost her reason
Latin and Greek in his village. His village was a beautiful and over her father's death and Hamlet's rejection of her.
and charming place. Some factors such as the old Laertes was angry with Hamlet because he was informed
castles of Warwick and Kenilworth, The forests of Arden, that Hamlet killed his father, Polonius, and caused
and the old Roman camps and military roads caused his Ophelia to become mad and then to be drowned. Laertes
imagination to be activated and reflected in his plays. In wanted to take revenge for his father and sister's death.
1587 he went to the Globe theatre in London to promote In suggesting gentlemanly duel between Hamlet and
his genius in literary activity as an actor and playwright Laertes, Claudius in secret conspiracy with Laertes,
upon the stage of theater in London. It was a good time poisoned the tip of his sword. Claudius also poisoned a
for him to depict the whole life of people in his plays. He glass of wine and put near to Hamlet. Queen Gertrude
wrote seventeen plays in the field of comedy, ten ones in unknowingly took that glass of wine and drank it as a
the field of history, and ten ones in the field of tragedy. toast to her son, Hamlet, and died. Hamlet learned from
Moreover, he has five works in poetry.He was not a Laertes of Claudius' complicity in the poisoning of the
classical scholar but he was one of the greatest glass and sword, hurriedly killed the King, Claudius and
Renaissance humanists who was familiar (in translation then died in the arms of his true friend, Horatio. Finally
or original) with many of great ancient scholars. His through diplomatic way, young Fortinbras, nephew of the
timeless plays drew inspiration from Romans and Greeks king of Norway, who had invasion of Denmark in his
and filled with the spirit of Renaissance elements. But the mind, arrived in time for mourning the deaths of Prince
range of Shakespeare's ideas and themes are greater Hamlet and claiming Denmark as his own territory.
than that of classical dramatists. Renaissance's concern
with individualism is obvious with Shakespeare's deep
interest in reflection of inner psychological conflict in Summary of Shakespeare's Macbeth
character. As Wells asserted that Shakespeare's plays
show their humanist origins in the themes they dramatize Macbeth, the hero of the play,was a military general of
(Wells, 2004). (Grebanier (1957) wrote: "Shakespeare is Scotland. He returned from battlefield, while he was
perhaps the perfect expression of Renaissance victorious. On the way, he saw three Witches state the
humanism. His profound sympathy for humanity enables prediction that Macbeth will be Thane of Cawdor and
him to pierce the very core of his characters; his King of Scotland.The Witches planted the seed of greed
unexcelled gifts as a poet made his men and women in his mind. He was driven by the image of his desire of
unforgettable creatures of flesh and blood". kingdom. He stated in a letter to his wife, Lady Macbeth,
Shakespeare's plays are deeply moral and deal with about what he saw and heard on the way returning from
human beings' ethical and moral responsibility for their the battlefield. Lady Macbeth tempted him to act on his
actions. thoughts, saying to him that she will support his desire
and plan to kill King Duncan. They invited the King to
their castle as a guest. After he sleeps, Macbeth kills him.
Summary of Shakespeare's Hamlet After the murder of King Duncan wasdiscovered,
Macbeth killed Duncan's servants, pretending they were
Hamlet was the prince of Denmark got shocked when he murderers. Duncan's two sons, Malcolm and Donalbain,
saw his widowed mother hurriedly married to his uncle, flee Scotland to save their own lives. Macbeth became
Claudius. The ghost of his father informed him that he the King of Scotland. He killed some generals and
was secretly murdered by Claudius. Hamlet was ordered courtiers, because he grewsuspicious that they
by the ghost to revenge. He pretends to be mad whereby mightclaim kingship. Finally after a short time of his
he can check and test Claudius. Through play-within-a- kingship, the elder son (Malcolm) of former King came
play, Hamlet found out that Claudius was really guilty. He back from England with his army to depose Macbeth. His
went to his mother's chamber to blame her for her moral army killed Macbeth whereby Malcolm became the new
weakness. In talking to his mother, Hamlet heard king of Scotland. Lady Macbeth's destiny came to end
someone cry out in concern for Queen's safety. He stabs when she suffered of conscience stricken. That is why
that person, Polonius, thinking that he was Claudius. This her sense of guilty caused her to walk in sleep. Finally,
homicide causes him to be banished to England under her psychological disease caused her to commit suicide.
the escort of two courtiers, Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern, with a written order of Claudius to the king
of England to execute Hamlet. But Hamlet managed to DISCUSSION AND RESULT
escape and save his life by cannily replacing the names
of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern for King Claudius' order Through these plays, Shakespeare aims to inform us
of execution. When Hamlet came back to Denmark, he about the conflict between evil and good. Our evil
 Firouzjaee and Pourkalhor 219

originates from our id (our animalistic and darkest part of celebrates/ Pale Hecate's off'rings; and withered
mind) but our goodness originates from our superego murder,/ Alarumed by his sentinel, (2.1:49-53)"
(our logical part of mind):
 Lady Macbeth's conscience couldn't tolerate
 Shakespeare highlights the animalistic part her guilt. So she symbolically tries to wash her
in Macbeth' words; "O, full of scorpions is my hands from blood; "Out, damned spot! Out, I
mind"(3.2:41) whereby he wants to warn the say!" (5.1:28). She continues;" Here's the smell
audience against their harmful animalistic part of of the blood still: all the perfumes of Arabia/Will
mind, id. These are considered as two driving not sweeten this little hand. Oh! Oh! Oh! (5.1:40-
forces which push human being to do action at 41)
the same time.Conscience refers to one's
capacity to distinguish between rightness and  Shakespeare uses Hamlet as a man who is
wrongness and willingness to choose the right. torn between his id and superego but is
successful with his conscience. Hamlet was put
 Conscience is associated with fear, in a dualistic moment," To be, or not to be, that is
cowardice, moral goodness, humanity, light, the question" (3.1:57).The thought of suicide
sacrifice, and judgment about what is to be done. hovers in his mind. It is his conscience that
It is metaphorically associated with stinging, allows him to think about the immorality of such
biting, gnawing, pricking, murmuring, accusing, an evil deed.
and witnessing. It is figured as a little god within
the heart.Macbeth's id shapes his dark thoughts  Hamlet's healthy mind caused him to be too
(ambition, greed, regicide) but his conscience is sensitive, too melancholy, too shy, too
associated with his loyalty and fear. He fears to contemplative, too death-bent, and too sexually
murder Duncan but his ambition urges him to confused. He is different from the characters in
murder him. In addition, his wife's greed Macbeth in the case of trauma. Hamlet is
dominates his conscience. He is torn between traumatized by others but Macbeth and his wife
conscience and ambition. He is fighting with his are traumatized by themselves. Shakespeare
ambition. That's why in his soliloquy he says:" I uses Hamlet to consider humans' trauma in
have no spur/To prick the sides of my intent, but having no humane purposes and in having mere
only/Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps attention to animalistic pleasure; "What is man,/If
itself,/And falls on th'other (1.7:25-28)" his chief good and market of his time/Be but to
sleep and feed? A beast, no more (4.4:34-36)"
 Lady Macbeth is counted as the fourth witch
and the harbinger of darkness. She calls onto  In Macbeth, the cause of trauma is his wife
the night to match her mental darkness with who corrupts him. He is so traumatized because
darkness of night in order to accomplish her dark he can't tolerate the burden of his sins upon his
plan (killing King Duncan);"Come, thick conscience. So he cries;"Glamis hath murdered
night,/And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of sleep, and therefore Cawdor/Shall sleep no
hell,/That my keen knife see not the wound it more, Macbeth shall sleep no more! (2.2:41-42)"
makes,/Nor heaven peep through the blanket of
the dark/To cry, Hold, hold! (1.5:48-52)"  Shakespeare matches the hands with
human faulty deeds particularly bloody deeds.
 Macbeth and his wife are burnt by the flame So he mentions that human beings
of their ambition and greed;" This avarice/Sticks metaphorically try to wash their hands in order to
deeper: grows with more pernicious root/Than get rid of the burden of sin upon their
summer-seeming lust: and it hath been/The conscience. So Macbeth as a guilty person tries
sword of our slain kings (4.3:84-87)" to wash his hands in order to lessen his mental
pressure;"What hands are here? ha! they pluck
 Since one's id is associated with his dark out mine eyes!/Will all great Neptune's ocean
thought, it seeks dark atmosphere to be fulfilled. wash this blood/Clean from my hand? (2.2:58-
Witches appear in foggy air and urge Macbeth to 59)"
do evil. In physical darkness (night), Macbeth's
mental darkness (greed, ambition, murderous  Through Lady Macbeth's sleep-walking
plan) wants to be fulfilled; "Now o'er the one half- which is a symptom of her trauma, It
world/Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams psychoanalytically signifies an unpleasant group
abuse/ The curtained sleep; Witchcraft
220 Inter. J. Eng. Lit. Cult.

of memories or complexes that imply an to obscure the truth. Therefore, one must be
imaginary contamination would come back to cautious about trusting others. A man with
haunt Lady Macbeth.Her reminiscence of her deceptive appearance often manipulates or
criminal actions caused her to be coward and conceals the truth to serve his needs. The reality
bite her conscience. She tries to wash her blood- of situation is hidden by deceptive appearance.
stained hands, but they can't be cleaned Through Hamlet's tongue, Shakespeare criticizes
because of unforgivable sins and crimes. Her politicians who intentionally use deceptive
dialog indicates her attempt of getting rid of the appearance as a means to achieve their
burden of sin;" What, will these hands ne'er be goals;"This might be the pate of a politician,
clean?/ ... Here's the smell of the blood still: All which this ass now/O'erreaches, one that would
the perfumes of Arabia/Will not sweeten this little circumvent God/…our statists do,/A baseness to
hand (5.1:35-41)" write fair (5.1:78 and 5.2:33-34)"

 Revenge seems a natural impulse that  Macbeth is deceived by the aid of Weird
everyone inherits from their parents. It is not an Sisters and his wife. However, his deceptive
admirable endeavor. There is a retributive nature is activated by their deceptive
balancing out of pain and suffering. The appearances. The remarks of the Witches; "Fair
fulfillment of revenge depends to one's mental is foul, and foul is fair" emphasis this issue and
characteristics. Some people like Hamlet are show the gap between appearance and reality.
cautious and think about the moral and ethical Lady Macbeth appears to be a gracious and
manner of avenging. He wants to test what the loving wife; beyond that, she is cruel in order to
ghost said to him, so he arranges a-play-within- get her way at any cost. She advises her
a-play to make sure that his uncle is the husband to have a deceptive appearance; "…To
murderer of his father;" I'll have these players beguile the time,/Look like the time, bear
/Play something like the murder of my father/ welcome in your eye,/Your hand, your tongue:
Before my uncle. I'll observe his looks;/…The look like th' innocent flower,/But be serpent
play's the thing/ Wherein I'll catch the conscience under't (1.5:61-64)"
of the king (2.2:595-606)". He goes further and
makes himself fulfill the revenge; "Oh,
vengeance!/ Why, what an ass am I! This is most CONCLUSION
brave,/ That I, the son of a dear father
murdered,/ Prompted to my revenge by heaven Shakespeare interprets human being through their inner
and hell (2.2:582-585)" characteristics which lead to their greatness or even to
their misery. He has demonstrated how humans' dark
 In Macbeth, the character Malcolm, the son thought such as pure greed, self-involved or self-concern,
of late King, comes back to unseat the usurper and ambition can be dangerous. On the contrary, if
king and regain his father's crown and throne. human being knows his lofty position as the paragon of
His mind is full of tension. He wants to avenge animals, he does not allow dark thought to engage his
his father's death whereby to decrease the mind. He shows the paradox and contradiction in human
pressure of his nervous system; "Let's make us being. That's why one can be base and cruel, but he can
medicines of our great revenge,/To cure this also show great compassion and kindness.Mankind is not
deadly grief./…Macbeth is ripe for shaking/ … inherently good nor inherently evil; he is capable of both.
Receive what cheer you may;/The night is long It is human mind which chooses good or evil. Humans
that never finds the day. (4.3:214-215 and 237- are changeable. It is evil that kills families and threatens
240) and poisons the life of nations.Shakespeare informs his
audience about some inescapable characteristics as
 Shakespeare tries to warn the audiences inherent feature in human being. For example, greed is
and readers about the deceptive nature in all part of all human beings. It is inescapable, but everyone
human beings that lead to destruction. Freud can control it to a certain degree. Self-concern is another
believes that everybody has this deceptive inherent characteristic that human beings cannot escape.
nature in his id. It is an irrational drive for Vengefulness is an inexorable human trait that should be
suppressing the reality. Deceptive nature of traced through a sense of justice and value. We can
characters in Hamlet and Macbeth is one of the summarize the main task of Shakespeare in writing
main causes of downfall and tragic scene for Hamlet and Macbeth through the words of Tibbles;"The
everybody. Each character in these plays destiny of man is to become progressively less human
experiences or enacts on some forms of deceit and more humane, less compulsive and more creative,
 Firouzjaee and Pourkalhor 221

less instinctive and more intuitive, less material and more REFERENCES
spiritual. Man's destiny is to always become more fully
divine. "(www.123helpme.com/assets/14593.html) Bloom H (2004).Macbeth. Chelsea House Publishers,
USA.
Bradley AC (2006). Shakespearean Tragedy. Oxford
University Press
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Grebanier BDN (1957). English literature and its
Backgrounds.Vol.1. Dryden Press
I wish to give my special thanks to Islamic Azad Montaigne M (1811). The Essays of Michael de
University, Tonekabon Branch that supports me in the Montaigne. Vol.1. London
process of doing this research through providing research Wells RH (2004). Shakespeare on
sources. Masculinity.Cambridge University Press.