Discuss how madness and mayhem are represented in Macbeth.

In Macbeth, there is madness and
mayhem. There is deliberate violence in this play. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth commit
violent acts in order to take the throne of Scotland.

First
of all, bloody warfare is not strange to Macbeth. He has been a fierce warrior on the
battlefield. No doubt, killing King Duncan is second nature to Macbeth. As a soldier, he
kills constantly. The madness of his murdering comes into play when he kills King Duncan
to take away his throne.

King Duncan has just honored
Macbeth, proclaiming him Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth has clearly lost his reasoning in
murdering King Duncan. Furthermore, Macbeth kills or has Banquo, his friend, killed.
Banquo is a witness to the prophecy given by the three witches. Macbeth fears Banquo
will accuse him of murdering King Duncan to take his throne. Again, murder is Macbeth's
solution.

Next, Macbeth has Macduff's innocent wife and
children killed. The violence just continues. Clearly, Macbeth has gone mad in all of
his murderous deeds. He and his wife both are seemingly mad. Macbeth hears voices, and
Lady Macbeth cannot wash the bloodstains from her
hands.

Ultimately, the madness ends for Lady Macbeth. She
takes her own life. In the end, Macduff gets his revenge when he beheads Macbeth and
restores order and sanity back to the throne of Scotland.