Guilt

This is perhaps the most emotionally powerful and haunting theme of the play. Macbeth is filled with characters suffering from the harsh nature of guilt, and guilt is often used in the text as a punishment for unjust actions. Contextually, this portrayal of guilt would have resonated well with Shakespeare’s audience, as their devout Christian beliefs centre on the guilt brought about by sin and the divine consequences for those who do not repent. In the case of Macbeth, the theme of guilt is used to destroy characters for their wrongdoing either inspiring their redemption or driving them to madness.