Macbeth III

From witches to walking woods, Macbeth is a play that explores what happens when the boundaries of the natural are disrupted. This is no where more apparent than in the opening of Act V, the sleepwalking scene. As we conclude our discussion of the play, we'll also talk about the uncanny phenomenon of somnambulism.

Podcast Lecture: The Somniloquy

Readings:

Dement, The Promise of Sleep: Ch. 8

Shakespeare, Macbeth: Act V

Questions:

1. What does the doctor believe about Lady MacBeth's sleepwalking? What does she do and say in her sleep? What eventually happens to Lady MacBeth?

2. Why does MacBeth believe he is virtually invinceable in Dunsinane castle? What happens to trouble his faith?

3. Who is the man of no woman born who slays MacBeth? What is MacBeth's reaction to the real meaning of the witches' prophecies?

4. What is REM behavior disorder? How does it differ from sleepwalking and night terrors?

5. What is dangerous about REM behavior disorder? What are typical characteristics of someone who suffers from it? What are some hypotheses about its cause?

6. Which factors seem to contribute to sleepwalking and night terrors?

7. What is the state of the sleepwalker's brain?

Activities:

Performance Study--Lady Macbeth Sleepwalks: View the Royal Shakespeare Co.'s performance of the sleepwalking scene (Act. 5, Sc. 1) here. How have the actors interpreted the scene? What does the scene tell us about Lady Macbeth AND about sleep?

The Sleepwalking Defense: Are individuals responsible for their actions while they are asleep? Can one be held legally or morally accountable? These questions raise the bigger question of the status of certain mental faculties during sleep. Read about one infamous case where a man accused of stabbing his wife to death, claims to have been sleepwalking.