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Duncan's Hallucinations In Macbeth

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Duncan's Hallucinations In Macbeth
Moreover, after Macbeth seeks counsel with the witches for the first time and murders King Duncan to fulfill the prophecy to become king, his struggle with power and ambition further drive him to a mental state between reality and fantasy. This can be seen through his various hallucinations. One of Macbeth’s first hallucinations occurred right before the actual murder of King Duncan when Macbeth envisioned a bloody dagger before him. He sees the image of the dagger pointed towards Duncan and tries to grab the handle of the weapon but cannot as he realizes it is not real, but is a ‘dagger of the mind, a false creation/ proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain” (II.i.38-39). This illustrates his desire to become king and how that desire has filled

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