What was Big Willy Shakes going for?
Macbeth knows how to pack a punch. In just one word ("sorry"), he conveys pain, distress, sorrow, regret, remorse, and pity. Clearly, he's saying a bunch of different things at the same time, so let's break them down:
- He's sorry for killing Duncan.
- He should be pitied for the dark place he's in.
- He's just caused a bunch of pain for people.
- He's mourning Duncan's death.
- He's in agony or anguish over what he just did to his country.
See what we mean?
So what do all of these have in common? Well, none of them are positive, that's for sure. Each one of these feelings is pretty darn negative. Hmm… maybe Macbeth already realizes what he did was not so great. Even if he gets a crown and a kingdom out of it, killing a king isn't really the best course of action. The ends might not justify the means after all.
True to form, Lady Macbeth tells him not to think that way. She is of the "If you don't think about it, it will go away" school of thought (we call that extreme repression), but Macbeth is still clearly disturbed at having killed a sleeping old man for his own selfish gain. Duh.
Lady Macbeth tries to get her husband to focus on the matter at hand, which is framing the King's attendants. She doesn't have time to listen to him to talk of being a "sorry sight." That is unacceptable to her, and she tells him so. But it's too late. It's clear Macbeth regrets killing Duncan.
Sorry, dude. There are no take-backsies when it comes to murder.