The Insanity of Macbeth

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     Macbeth’s sanity comes into question when he delivers his famous soliloquy speaking of the dagger that appears before him in thin air. It is at this time that Macbeth's true insanity is revealed. In Act II Scene I, just before Macbeth is expected to murder Duncan, he sees a dagger in front of him pointing in the direction of Duncan's room, and he begins to speak to himself. During this soliloquy, Macbeth not only sees an object that is clearly not there, but he also physically reaches out for this imaginary dagger. It is this floating dagger that reveals Macbeth’s insanity and eventually leads him to Duncan’s room where he will commit an act that causes further insanity through paranoia and guilt.
     This can be reflected outside of the play in individuals who are crippled by mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. Many people who have schizophrenia not only hear voices that are only within their mind, but they also experience hallucinations that only they can see.  Similar to Macbeth's mind conjuring a dagger that leads him to act, schizophrenic individuals often see images conjured by their minds that lead them to behave in an atypical way.

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