The Metamorphosis of Macbeth: A Neuropsychological Approach

Abstract

This article aims to study the transformation of Macbeth from a national hero who represents the nation’s glory into a criminal who becomes the nation’s source of evil and peril. It means to trace the metamorphosis in his character from a national hero to an anxious hero, a "hamartiac" hero, an ambivalent hero, a misguided hero, a criminal, an insomniac king, a fallen monarch, and eventually a recidivist criminal king. He experiences a range of neuropsychological and psychoanalytic difficulties while the psychological alterations take place. Anxiety, despair, guilt, terror, insomnia, and a sense of loss are a few of these disorders. The first step in Macbeth's quest is his triumph over the disobedient Macdonwald and his henchmen. When he decapitates the rebel leader and hangs his head at the camp's gate, he signals the successful conclusion of the conflict with the rebels. At this point, Macbeth has earned the title of "national champion," earning the king's adulation in addition to the people's respect and thanks. Order and stability are restored only when Macduff beheads Macbeth and hangs his head at the entrance of the camp of the Scottish forces arriving from England since during his reign he transforms into an evil force and a source of unrest. The tale of Macbeth's transformation can be found between the two acts of decapitation. Between the two incidents, Macbeth goes through several stages of development that will be covered in the discussion that follows.