In Act II, Scene ii of Macbeth, how are Macbeth's motivations expressed? I am concerned with the text to line 52.

After killing the king, Macbeth returns to Lady Macbeth,
deeply shaken by what he has just done. He is in a state of emotional turmoil,
overwhelmed with feelings of fear and guilt. His primary motivation is pity and concern
for himself, as he expresses his fears and his feelings to Lady Macbeth. First he tells
her that he could not respond when Duncan's attendants' murmured, "God bless
us!":

But
wherefore could not I pronounce "Amen"?

I had most need of
blessing and "Amen"

Stuck in my
throat.

For Macbeth to think
of being blessed at this time shows his complete absorption with self, and it indicates
his awareness of the mortal sin he has committed.

He then
speaks of hearing a voice cry out:

readability="5">

Sleep no
more!

Macbeth does murder
sleep--

When Lady Macbeth
questions what he had heard, he continues in more
detail:

Still
it cried "Sleep no more!" to all the house:

"Glamis hath
murdered sleep, and therefore Cawdor

Shall sleep no more:
Macbeth shall sleep no
more."

Had such voices
actually cried out, the castle would surely be astir, but it is not. The voices are born
of Macbeth's imagination reflecting his deep guilt over murdering Duncan and his
realization of the reality of his actions. "Innocent sleep" will now be denied him; he
will have no peace. He refuses to return to the murdered Duncan's chamber to return the
daggers he has carried away from the scene:

readability="7">

I am afraid to think what I have
done;

Look on 't again I dare
not.

Macbeth's reactions
following Duncan's murder show that he is motivated by terrible guilt and fear and that
his pity extends only to himself.