Deceptive Appearances in Macbeth - 1362 Words

In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, a selfish Scottish thane becomes over-ambitious and commits several murders in order to gain and stay in power. After the murders, Macbeth evades suspicion by hiding his guilt and intentions, therefore deceiving others into thinking that he is innocent. Other characters including Lady Macbeth, the witches and the Scottish thanes also use their appearances to hide the truth and deceive others. With these examples, Shakespeare shows that appearances can be deceiving. Macbeth uses his appearance to deceive others on several occasions throughout the play. For example, in Act 3, Scene 1, after hearing the witches’ prophecies and becoming the Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth begins to consider murdering the current king of†¦show more content†¦Another example of Lady Macbeth using her appearance to deceive others is the way she deceives Macbeth into thinking that she is much crueler than she really is. After Duncan’s murder she says, â€Å"Had he not resembled / My father as he slept, I had done’t.†, but after Macbeth appears she acts as though she would be ashamed if she felt guilty for murdering the king (2.3.12-13). When she is not in the presence of her husband, she confesses she would not have been able to murder Duncan herself and she is fearful of being caught, but when she is with Macbeth she has a cold demeanour and lacking in empathy. Lady Macbeth uses her appearance to con Duncan into believing that she is trus tworthy and Macbeth into believing that she has no negative feelings regarding Duncan’s murder. The three witches show that appearances can be deceiving by tricking Macbeth many times throughout the play. In the opening scene, the witches set the mood of the play by saying, â€Å"Fair is foul and foul is fair,† (1.1.12). This quote often applies to the witches themselves and their predictions. For example, the three prophecies told to Macbeth predict personal reward. Though Banquo questioned, â€Å"[W]hy do you start and seem to fear / Things that do sound so fair?†, Macbeth had good reason to fear the witches’ prophecies (1.3.49-50). Predictions originally thought to be good (ie. he would become king) eventually led to Macbeth’s downfall.Show MoreRelatedMacbeth - Appearance vs. Reality1537 Words   |  7 PagesAppearance vs. Reality – Macbeth: Commentary Macbeth is a play written by William Shakespeare, which focuses on the life of Macbeth. Out of the four Shakespearean play categories, it is categorized as a tragedy, as the events of the play ultimately lead to the downfall of the protagonist, Macbeth. The theme of appearance versus reality is constantly repeated throughout the play, as it greatly contributes to the development of the plot. 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