The bloody deed is done. Macbeth, spurred by prophecy and his wife's ambition, has murdered his king and kinsman, Duncan. The immediate aftermath of this act is not one of triumph, but of profound psychological disintegration. Far from feeling empowered, Macbeth is consumed by a crushing wave of guilt, terror, and paranoia, marking the beginning of his rapid moral and spiritual decay. His initial reaction reveals a man already unraveling, haunted by the enormity of his sin and the terrifying implications for his own soul and the stability of Scotland.
Upon discovering Duncan's body, Macbeth's initial response is one of visceral horror and immediate regret. He is so overcome with dread that he cannot bear to even look upon the King's corpse again, exclaiming, "Wake Duncan with thy knocking! I would thou couldst!" (2.3.73-74). This cry reveals not just a wish to undo the act, but a deep-seated fear of the consequences, both earthly and divine. The sound of knocking at the castle gate, which he initially perceives as Duncan’s spirit returning, plunges him into a state of terror. His guilt manifests as a physical affliction; he imagines he hears voices crying, "Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep" (2.2.35-36), signifying the loss of his peace and the onset of perpetual torment. This hallucination underscores the psychological burden of his actions, suggesting that his conscience will never allow him true rest.
Moreover, Macbeth’s growing paranoia quickly sets in. He becomes acutely aware of the suspicion that will inevitably fall upon him. His hasty and overzealous killing of Duncan’s grooms, ostensibly in a fit of rage, is a transparent attempt to silence potential witnesses and divert attention, but it only serves to make him appear more guilty. He rationalizes this act as a necessary response to the horror of Duncan’s murder, but his frantic justification betrays his underlying fear and desperation. "Had I but died an hour before this chance," he laments, "I had lived a blessed time" (2.3.51-52), a statement laced with irony, as his life has now been irrevocably tainted. He recognizes that his actions have placed him in a precarious position, where every glance and every word might be interpreted as an accusation.
The murder also fundamentally alters Macbeth’s perception of himself and his relationship with the world. He feels irrevocably stained, his hands metaphorically, and soon literally, covered in the blood of his king. The imagery of blood becomes a potent symbol of his guilt, a stain that he fears can never be washed away: "Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood / Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather / The multitudinous seas incarnate make, / Red." (2.2.59-62). This hyperbole highlights his profound sense of defilement. He feels alienated from humanity, his soul plunged into a darkness that separates him from the natural order. His ambition has led him to commit an act so heinous that it has severed his connection to innocence and peace, leaving him adrift in a sea of his own making.
In conclusion, Macbeth's feelings after killing Duncan are a complex and devastating mixture of terror, regret, and burgeoning paranoia. The act does not bring the power or security he might have envisioned; instead, it unleashes a torrent of psychological distress that foreshadows his eventual downfall. His immediate reaction is a stark testament to the corrosive nature of guilt and the psychological price of regicide, setting the stage for his descent into tyranny and ultimate destruction.