Sartre's Concepts of Consciousness and Self in Macbeth

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Foreign Languages, Faculty of Humanities, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Department of Foreign Languages, Faculty of Humanities, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Shakespeare has portrayed his tragic heroes in a way that can be investigated through an existential critical approach. The tragedy of Macbeth may be viewed through the lens of Sartre's existential notions. Two significant concepts in Sartre's existential philosophy are the notions of consciousness and self. The present article intends to have a brief overview of these notions in the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. The significance of this study is due to the considerably little amount of existential critical examination of Shakespeare's works particularly from the viewpoint of Sartre's philosophy, since most of the present critical investigations are in the line of new historical, social or gender-oriented approaches. It reveals the degree of impact of outside factors on Macbeth's nihilating consciousness, his self-assertion, self-division, and alteration of self through his free decisive choices during the tragedy, and it also examines the same issues about Lady Macbeth. His consciousness is exhibited in its relation with outside elements, and his subjective self is displayed in his myriad asides and soliloquies during the tragedy. His ambition to assert his self in becoming the king of Scotland via foul means like murder culminates in his final downfall. He experiences self-division since he cannot compromise between his ambitious and moral self, and thus his conscience incessantly torments him. Sartre's notion of unstable self and the process of self-becoming are applicable to the Macbeths in the decisions which end in their downfall.

Keywords

Journal of English Literature and Cultural Studies
Volume 5, Issue 1
March 2024
Pages 46-56

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