Macbeths Visions and Hallucinations
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"Discuss Macbeth's visions and hallucinations. What role do they play in the development of the character?"
As the play Macbeth progresses, the tragic hero seems to change considerably. Initially, the first sign of visions or hallucinations can bee seen when Macbeth and Banquo encounter the witches. Banquo immediately takes distrust to them, and he is not sure whether to believe his eyes or not. Banquo wishes to remain unbound of any "supernatural soliciting" which "cannot be ill, cannot be good." In his distrust, he wants to abstain from contact with the witches as he is convinced that knowing the witches can only result in evil. The evidence of this is when he asks, "Were such things here as we do speak about or have we eaten on the insane root that takes the reason prisoner?" (Act 1, Scene 3, lines 83-85). The two men do not wish to accept the prophecies of the witches, and seem to mock them at first, but when Macbeth contemplated it, he seem to develop a weakness for it although his nature still fights against it, his ambition suddenly begins turning to avarice, from which he can free himself decreasingly as the plot develops...