Jones, Darius

Ms. Tierce
English IV- 2nd Period
6 March 2015

Why We Need Sleep

Sleep is supposed to be a relaxing action for your body. It is a very important
thing that everyone in the world does. Well in the story Macbeth, Lady Macbeth and
Macbeth cursed sleep for themselves. Lack of sleep had an affect on the body and will
eventually lead to death.
King Duncan is sleeping at Macbeths Castle because he wants to honor Macbeth
as the new Thane of Cawdor because he helped save Scotland. The last Thane of Cawdor
was beheaded because he tried to turn on King Duncan. Macbeth and Banquo meet with
three witches who tell Macbeth he will eventually become King of Scotland. Macbeth
goes back to his castle and tells Lady Macbeth what the witches tell him and a plan to
make it come true. Macbeth has ambition to become king. Lady Macbeth loves the plan
and even persuades Macbeth to do it when he has second thoughts of doing it. The plan
was later on that night while King Duncan is sleep in Macbeths Castle, Macbeth will
sneak in King Duncan chamber and kill him. Macbeth will also drug the guards with
poison and plant the daggers on them so it will seem like they killed the king. The plan
work, but Macbeth forgot to plant the daggers on the guards. Lady Macbeth has to go
back and put the daggers back.

After killing King Duncan Macbeth is very terrified and is hallucinating. While he
was hallucinating, Macbeth hears a voice cry out Sleep no more. Macbeth does murder
sleep. The innocent sleep (Shakespeare 322). Macbeth murdered King Duncan in his
sleep, but also murdered sleep for himself and Lady Macbeth.
Macbeth now has become king. He mindset has gone from being terrified to
having great greed and ambition. But the one thing Macbeth is lacking is sleep. His lack
of sleep has driven him delusional. Macbeth sent murderers to go out and kill Banquo
before his dinner with the lords. While he is at the dinner he is hallucinating and thinking
he is seeing Banquo. He is screaming, Thou canst not say I did it. Never shake thy gory
locks at me (Shakespeare 345) to Banquo, but Banquo is not there. The lords think
Macbeth is outrageous and untrustworthy. Lady Macbeth tries to cover up for him by
telling the lords Macbeth grows worse and worse (Shakespeare 347) because he lacks
sleep.
Lack of sleep also catches up with Lady Macbeth. While the doctor and servant
are watching Lady Macbeth, she is sleep walking because her conscience has been ruined
by all the deaths. She is saying things like wash you hands; put your nightgowns, look
not so pale! I tell you yet again Banquo buried. He cannot come out on s grave
(Shakespeare 371). The doctor and servant notice that she is saying all the bad deeds her
and Macbeth did. Lady Macbeth ruined conscience leads her to death.
Sleep is a very important thing. The killing of King Duncan in his sleep lead
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth sleep to be cursed. Since they could not sleep it eventually
lead them to death.

Work Cited
Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Elements of Literature. Austin: Holt, 2000. 300-82.
Print.