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Article
Affiliation(s)

University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China

ABSTRACT

This paper explores the death of Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare’s Macbeth through a Freudian lens, focusing on the psychoanalytic interpretation of her demise. Utilizing Freud’s id, ego, and superego framework, the study dissects Lady Macbeth’s psychological evolution in three phases—inflated “id”,restrained “superego”, and irreconcilable “ego”. The analysis unravels the internal conflicts driven by subconscious desires, societal pressures, and moral considerations. Lady Macbeth’s journey unfolds from resolute determination to vulnerability and eventual psychological breakdown, offering insights into the complexities of human nature. The study contributes a focused perspective to Shakespearean scholarship, emphasizing the impact of suppressed desires on the individual psyche and enriching the discourse on the tragic narrative of “Macbeth” by centring on Lady Macbeth’s death as its interpretive focal point.

KEYWORDS

Lady Macbeth, Freudian psychoanalysis, Shakespeare

Cite this paper

US-China Foreign Language, May 2024, Vol. 22, No. 5, 276-281 doi:10.17265/1539-8080/2024.05.008

References

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