Insanity is a deranged sense of mind that causes one to make foolish decisions. In the play, Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Macbeth is a noble man in Scotland who is well-respected for his bravery and loyalty. However, when Macbeth comes upon three witches who give him a prophecy that predicts his future ruling over Scotland, Macbeth's dark thoughts and ambitions replaces his moral character. The witches' prophecy influences Macbeth to betray the people around him and commit crimes that would have never been committed by a sane man. His unstable mindstate allows him to be easily manipulated by his second prophecy which consequently leads to his fall. Macbeth's foolish decisions that he makes to ensure his position as king impacts his mental state negatively, leading to the fall of Macbeth and chaos of Scotland.
Prior to the witches meeting, Macbeth is mentally stable and is known as a valiant and trustworthy asset to Scotland. In the battle against the Norwegians, the Captain commends Macbeth for his courage in the battle and recognizes him as a respectable man: "For brave Macbeth-well he deserves that name-/Disdaining Fortune, with his brandished steel, which smoked with bloody execution," (I,ii,16-18) Macbeth kills one of Scotland's greatest enemies, Macdonwald, and receives admiration for his daring move and fearlessness. The Captain praises Macbeth to the King, resulting in Macbeth's new title, Thane of Cawdor: "No more that thane of Cawdor shall deceive/.And with his former title greet Macbeth." (I, ii, 63-66) King Duncan appreciates Macbeth's loyal character and replaces the previous thane with Macbeth. The King's trust in Macbeth demonstrates how valuable Macbeth is to the King. The respect that Macbeth earns from others is impossible to earn if one has an insane mentality. Macbeth's actions in the beginning of the play represent his moral character and humble personality; qualities that an insane character does not posses.