PTSD

Death has had a massive impact on Macbeth. He is grieving from the shock of blood, violence and death. It does not matter that Macbeth was the slaughterer. It does not matter that Macbeth killed his kingdom’s enemies. What does matter is the fact that Macbeth was involved in extreme violence and bloody battlefield trauma which ended in death for many of his compatriots and enemies. Some of his fellow soldiers were very young men or really mere children. Macbeth was initiated as a soldier as soon as he was old enough to fight for Scotland which was at a very young age. In his first fight, he was probably wide-eyed and proud to be initiated as a warrior. In his second battle, he might have been keen to learn more still somewhat unaffected by the trauma of war. However, war changes everyone and with incremental exposure to violence and death, Macbeth was changing. My proposition is that this Macbeth was affected from the first time he engaged in battle and witnessed death or killed an adversary.

In battle, Macbeth killed like a psychopath, committing murder over and over. In battle, Macbeth has also suffered brain damage from attacking and being attacked. He started losing focus of what was right, not like a mass murdering psychopath but rather like he had taken a gateway drug to murder and began to kill without a cause which is sometimes the case for a soldier. Soldiers are closer to committing murder after a war than before the war. They also often enjoy the kill and are drawn into enjoy killing. Ahh, that is victory.

Macbeth likes to kill because he likes victory and the glory that brings to him and his kingdom. He is a career soldier. PTSD has affected Macbeth. He is awake around the clock on guard, then quite frankly falls asleep and does not care. He seems to develop mental illness. I don’t know what other kind of illnesses, but the actual act of killing someone in cold blood and not thinking about the feelings of a human being off the battlefield brings mental disease. Then Macbeth goes further into madness by killing a family. It was very cold thinking when Macbeth was assigning his soldier to track down and kill this family, a mother, all her children and their servants, all the members of the household. Today, this would probably be a war crime where a leader would be charged and arrested for being cruel and inhumane by the United Nations. Macbeth was also a part of the deaths every step of the way. He murdered Duncan the king, even though no one knows for sure he has done this, it was a very serious allegation. Macbeth’s weapon of choice seems to be a knife which is very up close and personal and vicious. He could have killed with poison. Macbeth was following his wife’s instructions before and after which obviously involves Lady Macbeth in the murder of Duncan. Had Macbeth chosen to put arsenic in Duncan’s mouth then held him down until he swallowed, rather than stabbing Duncan to death, it might have been less traumatic. Stabbing Duncan to death was a crime of passion.

PTSD effects modern soldiers who have killed or wounded enemy soldiers during the war in Afghanistan and the Middle East, World War One and Two during which it was known as shell shock. Being away from their jobs, home and family adds to the stress. It can also create this double life where when they come home they feel as though their lot or place in life is no longer the same. Often, soldiers off the battlefield, begin to stop following rules particularly rules of law and begin to act out. They could act like soldier or like children that have not had parents. If you could think of Neverland. They lose control and do whatever they want which means they are more likely to get into legal trouble such as being charged for murder. They could also steal things and get arrested. They could also begin using hard drug because none of it matters. Believe it or not, sexual trauma is also a large issue in the military for those who have returned home from their time serving in the military. I don’t particularly know how this could have impacted Macbeth but his relationship with his wife is Bonnie and Clyde like. They made for a twisted couple. His wife was a black widow who wanted to murder the king for political gain. However, I don’t think she had an issue with her husband; she wanted him to rise in the political ranks rather than to decimate his soul. She loved him and wanted the best for him. He was not good enough ever for his wife though, and was often trying to receive a few more brain cells to keep up with his wife. He gave her access to a war machine and she plotted murder. I don’t believe the relationship was as twisted as I originally thought it was because Lady Macbeth wanted to come to power. Her husband was making everything worse. She probably still wanted children and a white picket fence life. PTSD has had an impact on Macbeth’s mental illness. He was suffering a little every day. This is only stipulation or the creation of a little story of its own.

"PTSD: National Center for PTSD." Mental Health Effects of Serving in Afghanistan and Iraq - PTSD: National Center for PTSD. US Department of Veteran Affairs, n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2016. http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/485522/A-Scottish-salute-to-our-heroes
https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/bonnie-and-clyde http://www.healthination.com/kitchen-tips/cooking-tips/easy-cooking-tip/



I affirm that I “have neither given nor received any unauthorized aid on this paper”
Alex Cooper
Alexander Stephen Cooper 11/17/2016