Professional Documents
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22 January 2019
not a new thing and can be traced back even to the Renaissance. Writers such as Shakespeare Commented [3]:
Subject of the essay is established in your first sentence,
therefore listing them again in the second sentence is
tackle these difficult subjects in masterful works of literature, such as “Macbeth,” to make them somewhat redundant. In addition, ‘distress’ implies a
temporary condition; while ‘illness’ implies a permanent
condition— decide which is to be the overarching subject of
more understandable to the everyday person. Shakespeare conveys the potential toxicity of the essay and be persistent.
Commented [4]:
relationships and the detrimental effects this has on a person’s mental state in “Macbeth” through The phrase ‘new thing’ is rather casual.
Commented [5]:
the characters of Lady Macbeth, Macbeth, and King Duncan. Shakespeare wrote plays, therefore he is a playwright.
Commented [6]:
The character of Lady Macbeth is a prime example of the toxicity of relationships and This sentence implies that Shakespeare was not the only
playwright to address these issues. Good thought, but ensure
deteriorating mental states that Shakespeare weaves throughout “Macbeth.” At the beginning of that this is not a false statement.
Commented [7]:
the tragedy, Lady Macbeth contributes highly to the toxicity in her marriage to Macbeth. She The phrase ‘such as’ is repetitive. This sentence creates a
rather deep stack of examples (Shakespeare from
Renaissance playwrights, Macbeth from Shakespeare’s
insults Macbeth and urges him to be deceitful and sinful, saying, “To beguile the time, look like works). These examples could be better expressed inside of
their own sentences. With the idea of Shakespeare being one
of many playwrights addressing these issues requiring
the time. Bear welcome in your eye, your hand, your tongue. Look like th’ innocent flower, but elaboration to avoid being disjointed or off-topic. If you do
not intend to elaborate, omit this idea and focus on the subset
be the serpent under ‘t” (I.vi.74-78). In a healthy marriage, both husband and wife are supposed of Shakespeare’s works only.
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to support each other and help each other live the best life possible. This attitude clearly displays The phrase ‘toxicity of relationships’ is becoming repetitive.
At this point, ‘of relationships’ can be omitted, as the
correlation of toxicity to relationships can be reasonably
to the audience that the trust between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth is deteriorating, and that their inferred. Article ‘the’ can be omitted if this change is made.
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relationship is doomed. Lady Macbeth’s negative mindset and attitude towards her husband also The word ‘states’ should be in the singular, as the plural
implies the possession of multiple concurrent states of mind.
Although the state does deteriorate, it is only possible to in
contributes to her later spiral into insanity. She begins to sleepwalk and confess her sins to thin any one of state in any given instant of time. Alternatively,
this could be reworded as ‘mental deterioration’: mental state
is an implied concept here.
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air, crying, “Out, damned spot, out, I say! One. Two. Why then, ‘tis time to do ‘t. Hell is murky. Commented [10]:
Typographically, these characters are incorrect. This is due
to the fact that word processors use “smart quotes” and the
Fie, my lord, fie, a soldier and afeard? What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our whitespace character before the word causes your word
processor to assume that this is a single opening quotation
power to account? Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?” mark. A right single quotation mark should be used when
typing an apostrophe character. A quick search for “Unicode
U+2019” will allow you to copy-paste the correct character
(V.i.37-42). Lady Macbeth reveals through this confession that she feels incredible guilt for leading apostrophes.
weighing on her soul because of the crime she spurred her husband on to commit. She knows she
has turned Macbeth, the man she once loved and trusted, into a monster, and she cannot forgive
herself for doing so. This bizarre behavior clearly expresses how detrimental and dangerous a
Another character that Shakespeare uses to convey toxicity of relationships and Commented [11]:
Repetitive, see comment above.
deteriorating mental states is Macbeth. The beginning of the tragedy portrays Macbeth as being Commented [12]:
Also repetitive, see comment about ‘states’ in the plural as
well.
manipulated and lied to by his wife. Experiencing this behavior leads to Macbeth treating his
wife in the same negative way, saying things to her such as, “Be innocent of the knowledge,
dearest chuck, till thou applaud the deed” (III.iii.51-52). Referring to his wife in such a
derogative and insulting way, Macbeth makes it clear that their relationship has crumbled beyond
repair. Macbeth also makes it clear that he will no longer be informing his wife of anything he
thinks or plans to do, signifying that the trust in their relationship is gone forever. As the tragedy
continues and Lady Macbeth’s mental state worsens, so does Macbeth’s. Upon the passing of his
wife, Macbeth, instead of showing deep grief and remorse, says, “She should have died Commented [13]:
Consider a semicolon here, commas make it read somewhat
like his wife is Macbeth— which doesn’t make sense.
hereafter” (V.v.20). This is a clear indication to the audience that Macbeth is not in a healthy
state of mind, as normally one would grieve heavily over the loss of a spouse. As if this last jab
at how meaningless his wife is to him is not enough, Macbeth continues on to say, “All our
yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Life’s but a walking
shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more. It is
Smith
a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing” (V.v.25-31). Macbeth turns the
death of his partner into a chance to wallow in self-pity, expressing his boredom and
dissatisfaction with life. This is not only an incredibly selfish action, but it displays Macbeth’s
developing insanity. Despite all the riches and titles he has acquired, he is still not satisfied and
believes there is nothing more to do in life. Macbeth’s insanity makes it clear that the toxic
toxicity of relationships. Although Duncan does not experience the same mental turmoil as Commented [15]:
Repetitive, see comments above.
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, his relationship with them becomes toxic without his awareness.
While Macbeth and Lady Macbeth plot behind his back, Duncan remains blissfully unaware of
the situation. Once at Inverness for his stay, Duncan continuously refers to Lady Macbeth
reverently, saying things to her such as, “Fair and noble hostess, we are your guest tonight”
(I.vi.30-31). This creates dramatic irony for the audience as they are aware of the plotting going
on in the shadows. Duncan refers to Macbeth in the same reverent way, saying, “We love him
highly and shall continue our graces towards him” (I.vii.37-38). Situations such as this can
arguably be more dangerous than one in which all parties involved are aware of the developing
toxicity. If all parties are aware of the danger, it is possible to make amends and repair the
relationship. In cases such as Duncan’s, however, there is nothing one can do to mend the rifts,
In summation, Shakespeare does indeed masterfully convey the potential toxicity of Commented [16]:
This adjective is repetitive and a little awkward.
relationships and the detrimental effects a toxic relationship has on the mind through the
characters of Lady Macbeth, Macbeth, and King Duncan. By giving examples of what happens
when things get out of control, Shakespeare clearly explains that toxic relationships are
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something that must be repaired or abandoned altogether for one’s own safety. His explanation
of these touchy and personal subjects can still be applied to modern life and continue to help
readers feel less alone in their problems. While to some the story of “Macbeth” may seem
outdated, it is truly a timeless classic that people from all different walks of life can apply to their